Marquette University Law School
Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Private · ABA-approved since 1925 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Marquette University Law School is a private law school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, approved by the American Bar Association since 1925. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 158, higher than 45% of ABA-approved schools and placed 88.6% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Marquette University received 2,112 completed applications and made 467 offers, an acceptance rate of 22.1%. 218 students enrolled in the first-year class (216 full-time, 2 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 156 | 158 | 160 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.50 | 3.70 | 3.83 |
A quarter of the class scored 156 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 160 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 158, 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 $51,970 a year. That is more than 56% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $22,146 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $51,970 |
| Living costs, on campus | $22,146 |
| Living costs, off campus | $22,146 |
| Living costs, at home | $22,146 |
In 2024-25, 94% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $23,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $16,000 to $30,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $28,970 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 | 56% |
| Half to full tuition | 38% |
| 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 $222,348. With the median scholarship every year, about $153,348. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Marquette University reported no first-time bar takers for 2025, usually because it has not yet graduated a class.
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 1 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 0 had passed one within two years: 0%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 175 2025 graduates, 155 (88.6%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 11 more (6.3%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 5 (2.9%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 175 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 17 (9.7%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Wisconsin (130), followed by Illinois (14) and District of Columbia (2).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 0 first-year students left Marquette University: 0 for academic reasons (0%) and 0 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (0%).
Transfers run both ways: 0 first-year students transferred out and 1 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Marquette University offered 128 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 69% had fewer than 25 students and 0% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 72 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 57 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 150 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 929 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 68 |
The school reports 37 full-time faculty and 76 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 614 J.D. students, that is about 17 students per full-time faculty member.
How Marquette University compares in Wisconsin
Wisconsin has 2 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Marquette University ranks 2nd in median LSAT, 2nd in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 2nd-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin | 167 | $38,186 | 75% | 90.2% |
| Marquette University | 158 | $51,970 | — | 88.6% |
More on each, and on the Wisconsin bar exam: law schools in Wisconsin.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Marquette 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marquette University | 158 | 3.70 | $51,970 | — | 88.6% |
| University of Maine Portland, ME | 158 | 3.70 | $30,160 | 85.1% | 71.6% |
| University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR | 158 | 3.71 | $18,773 | 80% | 73.1% |
| Regent University Virginia Beach, VA | 158 | 3.68 | $44,854 | 91.3% | 93.2% |
| Penn State Dickinson Law Carlisle, PA | 159 | 3.71 | $60,479 | 87.6% | 83.4% |
| University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY | 157 | 3.71 | $29,750 | 88.5% | 91.2% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Marquette University Law School?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 158, with the middle half scoring 156 to 160. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.70. The school accepted 22.1% of applicants.
How much does Marquette University Law School cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $51,970 a year. Most students pay less: 94% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $23,000.
Do Marquette University Law School graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 88.6% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 6.3% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 2.9% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Marquette University Law School ABA-accredited?
Yes. Marquette University Law School has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1925, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.