Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law
Knoxville, Tennessee · Private · ABA-approved since 2014 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law is a private law school in Knoxville, Tennessee, approved by the American Bar Association since 2014. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 153, higher than 15% of ABA-approved schools, saw 78.7% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 74.5% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- 15% of first-year students left during the year, a higher share than at 4% of schools.
- A median LSAT of 153, lower than 80% of ABA-approved schools.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Lincoln Memorial University received 828 completed applications and made 432 offers, an acceptance rate of 52.2%. 163 students enrolled in the first-year class (109 full-time, 54 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 150 | 153 | 156 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.08 | 3.44 | 3.68 |
A quarter of the class scored 150 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 156 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 153, 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.
4 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
Lincoln Memorial University charges tuition by the credit hour: $1,490 a credit, plus $4,161 in annual fees. The degree takes 90 credits, so a full-time year of about 30 credits comes to roughly $48,861. That is more than 53% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $28,325 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition per credit hour, full-time, resident | $1,490 |
| Annual fees, resident | $4,161 |
| Living costs, on campus | $28,325 |
| Living costs, off campus | $28,325 |
| Living costs, at home | $28,325 |
In 2024-25, 100% 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 $15,988 to $32,736. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $20,861 a year in tuition and fees, before living costs. That is a rough guide, since awards vary.
| Size of grant, all students | Share of students |
|---|---|
| Less than half tuition | 39% |
| Half to full tuition | 54% |
| Full tuition | 1% |
| More than full tuition | 6% |
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 $231,558. With the median scholarship every year, about $147,558. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 108 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 85 passed: 78.7%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 79.9%, so the school finished within a few points of that average (-1.2 pts).
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 other jurisdictions | 24 | 22 | 91.7% | 81.2% |
| Tennessee | 84 | 63 | 75% | 79.7% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 96 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 78 had passed one within two years: 81.2%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 110 2025 graduates, 82 (74.5%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 5 more (4.5%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 9 (8.2%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 110 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 4 (3.6%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Tennessee (70), followed by Kentucky (8) and Virginia (3).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 22 first-year students left Lincoln Memorial University: 19 for academic reasons (13%) and 3 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (2%).
Transfers run both ways: 3 first-year students transferred out and 6 transferred in from other law schools. The students who transferred in had a median first-year law school GPA of 3.17.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Lincoln Memorial University offered 59 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 62% had fewer than 25 students and 0% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 42 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 39 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 99 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 261 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 14 |
The school reports 25 full-time faculty and 45 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 429 J.D. students, that is about 17 students per full-time faculty member.
How Lincoln Memorial University compares in Tennessee
Tennessee has 5 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Lincoln Memorial University ranks 5th in median LSAT, 4th in first-time bar passage, 5th in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 3rd-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | 170 | $78,799 | 94.6% | 98.2% |
| University of Tennessee | 164 | $20,562 | 85.6% | 88.7% |
| Belmont University | 161 | $57,705 | 96.5% | 87.3% |
| University of Memphis | 155 | $21,228 | 72.6% | 79.8% |
| Lincoln Memorial University | 153 | $48,861 | 78.7% | 74.5% |
More on each, and on the Tennessee bar exam: law schools in Tennessee.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Lincoln Memorial 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Memorial University | 153 | 3.44 | $48,861 | 78.7% | 74.5% |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR | 153 | 3.41 | $17,474 | 78.9% | 75% |
| University of North Texas at Dallas Dallas, TX | 153 | 3.41 | $18,761 | 79.7% | 71.7% |
| St. Thomas University (Miami) Miami Gardens, FL | 152 | 3.42 | $47,578 | 87.1% | 77.8% |
| University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL | 153 | 3.40 | $42,080 | 68.8% | 71.2% |
| Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY | 154 | 3.41 | $25,392 | 76.2% | 68.8% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 153, with the middle half scoring 150 to 156. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.44. The school accepted 52.2% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law?
78.7% of Lincoln Memorial University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 79.9%. Within two years of graduating, 81.2% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are about $48,861 a year. The school charges by the credit hour, so that figure assumes a full-time load of 30 credits a year. Most students pay less: 100% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $28,000.
Do Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 74.5% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 4.5% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 8.2% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 2014, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.