Lewis & Clark Law School
Portland, Oregon · Private · ABA-approved since 1970 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Lewis & Clark Law School is a private law school in Portland, Oregon, approved by the American Bar Association since 1970. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 161, higher than 57% of ABA-approved schools, saw 86.7% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 79.7% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- It accepted 54.7% of applicants, more than 84% of schools did.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Lewis & Clark Law School received 1,133 completed applications and made 620 offers, an acceptance rate of 54.7%. 176 students enrolled in the first-year class (156 full-time, 20 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 158 | 161 | 166 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.24 | 3.59 | 3.79 |
A quarter of the class scored 158 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 166 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 161, 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.
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 $61,484 a year. That is more than 72% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $28,370 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $61,434 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $50 |
| Tuition, part-time, resident | $46,060 |
| Living costs, on campus | $28,370 |
| Living costs, off campus | $28,370 |
| Living costs, at home | $28,370 |
In 2024-25, 89% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $26,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $19,000 to $36,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $35,484 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 | 54% |
| Half to full tuition | 41% |
| Full tuition | 0% |
| 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 $269,562. With the median scholarship every year, about $191,562. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 150 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 130 passed: 86.7%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 77.1%, so the school finished 9.6 points above that average.
5 more graduates were admitted to practice through an alternative pathway without a bar exam; counting them, the rate is 87.1%.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 other jurisdictions | 27 | 23 | 85.2% | 79.2% |
| Oregon | 123 | 107 | 87% | 76.3% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 165 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 146 had passed one within two years: 88.5%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 153 2025 graduates, 122 (79.7%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 12 more (7.8%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 10 (6.5%) were unemployed and looking for work. 4 of the full-time, long-term jobs were funded by the school.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 153 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 7 (4.6%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Oregon (90), followed by Washington (13) and California (10).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 1 first-year students left Lewis & Clark Law School: 0 for academic reasons (0%) and 1 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 2 first-year students transferred out and 3 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Lewis & Clark Law School offered 165 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 79% had fewer than 25 students and 1% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 156 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 113 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 220 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 258 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 14 |
The school reports 43 full-time faculty and 100 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 519 J.D. students, that is about 12 students per full-time faculty member.
How Lewis & Clark Law School compares in Oregon
Oregon has 3 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Lewis & Clark Law School ranks first in median LSAT, first in first-time bar passage, 2nd in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 3rd-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis & Clark Law School | 161 | $61,484 | 86.7% | 79.7% |
| University of Oregon | 160 | $48,612 | 79.2% | 82.4% |
| Willamette University | 154 | $56,680 | 64.6% | 73.3% |
More on each, and on the Oregon bar exam: law schools in Oregon.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Lewis & Clark Law School'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis & Clark Law School | 161 | 3.59 | $61,484 | 86.7% | 79.7% |
| Brooklyn Law School Brooklyn, NY | 161 | 3.59 | $76,946 | 85.5% | 84.6% |
| University of Oregon Eugene, OR | 160 | 3.62 | $48,612 | 79.2% | 82.4% |
| American University Washington, DC | 162 | 3.63 | $69,172 | 86.6% | 69.4% |
| University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | 160 | 3.54 | $41,633 | 93% | 82% |
| Georgia State University Atlanta, GA | 160 | 3.64 | $17,596 | 87.4% | 88.7% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Lewis & Clark Law School?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 161, with the middle half scoring 158 to 166. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.59. The school accepted 54.7% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Lewis & Clark Law School?
86.7% of Lewis & Clark Law School graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 77.1%. Within two years of graduating, 88.5% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Lewis & Clark Law School cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $61,484 a year. Most students pay less: 89% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $26,000.
Do Lewis & Clark Law School graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 79.7% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 7.8% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 6.5% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Lewis & Clark Law School ABA-accredited?
Yes. Lewis & Clark Law School has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1970, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.