Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
New Orleans, Louisiana · Private · ABA-approved since 1931 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law is a private law school in New Orleans, Louisiana, approved by the American Bar Association since 1931. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 154, higher than 20% of ABA-approved schools, saw 71.2% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 80.8% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- First-time bar passage 8.5 points below the average for the states where its graduates sat.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Loyola University New Orleans received 1,241 completed applications and made 632 offers, an acceptance rate of 50.9%. 223 students enrolled in the first-year class (188 full-time, 35 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 151 | 154 | 157 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.21 | 3.47 | 3.71 |
A quarter of the class scored 151 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 157 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 154, 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.
3 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 $56,894 a year. That is more than 63% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $29,205 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $55,024 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $1,870 |
| Tuition, part-time, resident | $41,278 |
| Living costs, on campus | $29,205 |
| Living costs, off campus | $29,205 |
| Living costs, at home | $29,205 |
In 2024-25, 78% 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 $15,000 to $36,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $30,894 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 | 41% |
| Half to full tuition | 36% |
| Full tuition | 1% |
| More than full tuition | 0% |
Scholarships that can be cut. Loyola University New Orleans awards some conditional scholarships, which shrink or end if a student's grades fall below a set mark. Of 158 students who entered in 2024-25 with one, 18 had it reduced or eliminated (11%). For students who entered in 2023-24 the figure was 6 of 168. Ask any school that offers you one exactly what you must do to keep it.
Three years, roughly. At 2025-26 prices, three years of full-time tuition and fees plus off-campus living costs come to about $258,297. With the median scholarship every year, about $180,297. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 163 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 116 passed: 71.2%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 79.7%, so the school finished 8.5 points below that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 106 | 87 | 82.1% | 78.9% |
| Texas | 14 | 6 | 42.9% | 82.7% |
| 18 other jurisdictions | 43 | 23 | 53.5% | 80.7% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 181 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 150 had passed one within two years: 82.9%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 177 2025 graduates, 143 (80.8%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 5 more (2.8%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 9 (5.1%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 177 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 11 (6.2%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Louisiana (123), followed by Texas (7) and Florida (6).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 5 first-year students left Loyola University New Orleans: 0 for academic reasons (0%) and 5 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (2%).
Transfers run both ways: 1 first-year students transferred out and 1 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Loyola University New Orleans offered 128 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 75% had fewer than 25 students and 1% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 173 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 145 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 95 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 889 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 30 |
The school reports 46 full-time faculty and 43 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 649 J.D. students, that is about 14 students per full-time faculty member.
How Loyola University New Orleans compares in Louisiana
Louisiana has 4 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Loyola University New Orleans ranks 3rd in median LSAT, 3rd in first-time bar passage, 3rd in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 3rd-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulane University | 161 | $74,756 | 76.1% | 84.1% |
| Louisiana State University | 157 | $23,665 | 85.4% | 83.8% |
| Loyola University New Orleans | 154 | $56,894 | 71.2% | 80.8% |
| Southern University | 147 | $18,832 | 68.1% | 40.3% |
More on each, and on the Louisiana bar exam: law schools in Louisiana.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Loyola University New Orleans'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola University New Orleans | 154 | 3.47 | $56,894 | 71.2% | 80.8% |
| Willamette University Salem, OR | 154 | 3.48 | $56,680 | 64.6% | 73.3% |
| University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | 155 | 3.47 | $59,990 | 80.9% | 76.3% |
| St. Mary's University San Antonio, TX | 153 | 3.49 | $46,310 | 84.6% | 80.6% |
| University of Baltimore Baltimore, MD | 155 | 3.45 | $36,418 | 70.5% | 73.5% |
| Charleston School of Law Charleston, SC | 154 | 3.51 | $49,684 | 77.4% | 76.2% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Loyola University New Orleans College of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 154, with the middle half scoring 151 to 157. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.47. The school accepted 50.9% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law?
71.2% of Loyola University New Orleans graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 79.7%. Within two years of graduating, 82.9% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Loyola University New Orleans College of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $56,894 a year. Most students pay less: 78% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $26,000.
Do Loyola University New Orleans College of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 80.8% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 2.8% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 5.1% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Loyola University New Orleans College of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. Loyola University New Orleans College of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1931, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.