The George Washington University Law School
Washington, District of Columbia · Private · ABA-approved since 1923 · Data updated November 2, 2026
The George Washington University Law School is a private law school in Washington, District of Columbia, approved by the American Bar Association since 1923. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 168, higher than 83% of ABA-approved schools, saw 87.7% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 89.8% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- Tuition and fees of $75,420, more than 90% of schools charge.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, George Washington University received 9,718 completed applications and made 2,644 offers, an acceptance rate of 27.2%. 612 students enrolled in the first-year class (576 full-time, 36 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 162 | 168 | 170 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.55 | 3.86 | 3.93 |
A quarter of the class scored 162 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 170 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 168, is in the stronger half of this class; one below the 25th percentile is a long shot unless something else in the file stands out.
5 of the entering students were admitted on a GRE score instead of the LSAT.
Where would your numbers fall in this class?
Enter an LSAT score and undergraduate GPA. We compare them with the class that entered in fall 2025. This shows where your numbers sit, not your chances: admissions offices read the whole file.
Tuition, living costs and scholarships
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $75,420 a year. That is more than 90% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $25,240 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $75,420 |
| Tuition, part-time, resident | $55,650 |
| Living costs, off campus | $25,240 |
| Living costs, at home | $25,240 |
In 2024-25, 78% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $28,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $20,000 to $40,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $47,420 a year in tuition and fees, before living costs. That is a rough guide, since awards vary and some students get nothing.
| Size of grant, all students | Share of students |
|---|---|
| Less than half tuition | 52% |
| Half to full tuition | 23% |
| Full tuition | 2% |
| More than full tuition | 0% |
Scholarships that can be cut. The school reports that it does not award scholarships that are reduced or ended because of grades, other than for failing to stay in good academic standing.
Three years, roughly. At 2025-26 prices, three years of full-time tuition and fees plus off-campus living costs come to about $301,980. With the median scholarship every year, about $217,980. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 559 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 490 passed: 87.7%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 84.9%, so the school finished within a few points of that average (+2.8 pts).
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 other jurisdictions | 46 | 39 | 84.8% | 77.8% |
| District of Columbia | 257 | 232 | 90.3% | 87.5% |
| New York | 131 | 124 | 94.7% | 87.3% |
| Maryland | 32 | 25 | 78.1% | 73% |
| California | 25 | 15 | 60% | 82.7% |
| Virginia | 24 | 17 | 70.8% | 81.6% |
| Texas | 11 | 8 | 72.7% | 82.7% |
| Illinois | 13 | 12 | 92.3% | 81.1% |
| Washington | 10 | 10 | 100% | 83.1% |
| Florida | 10 | 8 | 80% | 75.7% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 537 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 522 had passed one within two years: 97.2%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 569 2025 graduates, 511 (89.8%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 40 more (7%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 0 (0%) were unemployed and looking for work. 3 of the full-time, long-term jobs were funded by the school.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 569 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 163 (28.6%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in District of Columbia (236), followed by New York (88) and Virginia (51).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 6 first-year students left George Washington University: 0 for academic reasons (0%) and 6 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 33 first-year students transferred out and 46 transferred in from other law schools. The students who transferred in had a median first-year law school GPA of 3.41.
Classes, clinics and faculty
George Washington University offered 269 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 76% had fewer than 25 students and 4% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 232 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 232 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 497 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 2,046 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 51 |
The school reports 122 full-time faculty and 529 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 1,728 J.D. students, that is about 14 students per full-time faculty member.
How George Washington University compares in District of Columbia
District of Columbia has 6 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, George Washington University ranks 2nd in median LSAT, 3rd in first-time bar passage, 2nd in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 5th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown University | 171 | $83,576 | 94.5% | 91.6% |
| George Washington University | 168 | $75,420 | 87.7% | 89.8% |
| American University | 162 | $69,172 | 86.6% | 69.4% |
| Catholic University of America | 161 | $63,280 | 90.4% | 79.6% |
| Howard University | 156 | $41,412 | 78% | 71% |
| University of the District of Columbia | 151 | $13,438 | 57.9% | 52.5% |
More on each, and on the District of Columbia bar exam: law schools in District of Columbia.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to George Washington University's, so an applicant who fits here is likely to be a similar fit there. Compare what each costs and how its graduates fare.
| School | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington University | 168 | 3.86 | $75,420 | 87.7% | 89.8% |
| Boston College Newton, MA | 168 | 3.83 | $72,755 | 96.2% | 92.5% |
| University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC | 168 | 3.89 | $31,562 | 94.1% | 90.2% |
| The Ohio State University Columbus, OH | 168 | 3.91 | $37,263 | 93.1% | 88.5% |
| Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX | 167 | 3.81 | $68,686 | 97.8% | 94.7% |
| University of Wisconsin Madison, WI | 167 | 3.81 | $38,186 | 75% | 90.2% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into The George Washington University Law School?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 168, with the middle half scoring 162 to 170. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.86. The school accepted 27.2% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at The George Washington University Law School?
87.7% of George Washington University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 84.9%. Within two years of graduating, 97.2% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does The George Washington University Law School cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $75,420 a year. Most students pay less: 78% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $28,000.
Do The George Washington University Law School graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 89.8% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 7% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 0% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is The George Washington University Law School ABA-accredited?
Yes. The George Washington University Law School has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1923, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.