New York Law School
New York, New York · Private · ABA-approved since 1954 · Data updated November 2, 2026
New York Law School is a private law school in New York, New York, approved by the American Bar Association since 1954. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 157, higher than 38% of ABA-approved schools, saw 86.5% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 74.8% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- 54% of students who entered with a conditional scholarship in 2024-25 had it cut or taken away.
- A median scholarship of $40,000, larger than at 89% of schools.
- Tuition and fees of $73,524, more than 87% of schools charge.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, New York Law School received 4,114 completed applications and made 1,632 offers, an acceptance rate of 39.7%. 409 students enrolled in the first-year class (356 full-time, 53 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 154 | 157 | 160 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.41 | 3.63 | 3.78 |
A quarter of the class scored 154 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 160 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 157, 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 $73,524 a year. That is more than 87% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $23,759 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $71,052 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $2,472 |
| Tuition, part-time, resident | $54,710 |
| Living costs, off campus | $23,759 |
| Living costs, at home | $10,719 |
In 2024-25, 86% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $40,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $21,300 to $55,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $33,524 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 | 29% |
| Half to full tuition | 56% |
| Full tuition | 0% |
| More than full tuition | 0% |
Scholarships that can be cut. New York Law School awards some conditional scholarships, which shrink or end if a student's grades fall below a set mark. Of 126 students who entered in 2024-25 with one, 68 had it reduced or eliminated (54%). For students who entered in 2023-24 the figure was 50 of 103. 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 $291,849. With the median scholarship every year, about $171,849. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 303 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 262 passed: 86.5%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 85.9%, so the school finished within a few points of that average (+0.5 pts).
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 other jurisdictions | 18 | 17 | 94.4% | 79.5% |
| New York | 267 | 227 | 85% | 87.3% |
| New Jersey | 18 | 18 | 100% | 71.1% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 280 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 251 had passed one within two years: 89.6%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 313 2025 graduates, 234 (74.8%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 33 more (10.5%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 20 (6.4%) were unemployed and looking for work. 2 of the full-time, long-term jobs were funded by the school.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 313 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 38 (12.1%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in New York (229), followed by New Jersey (25) and Pennsylvania (6).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 33 first-year students left New York Law School: 24 for academic reasons (6%) and 9 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (2%).
Transfers run both ways: 6 first-year students transferred out and 0 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
New York Law School offered 185 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 72% had fewer than 25 students and 5% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 320 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 286 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 188 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 524 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 14 |
The school reports 53 full-time faculty and 194 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 1,107 J.D. students, that is about 21 students per full-time faculty member.
How New York Law School compares in New York
New York has 15 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, New York Law School ranks 10th in median LSAT, 9th in first-time bar passage, 13th in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 7th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia University | 173 | $88,390 | 94.7% | 96.5% |
| Cornell University | 173 | $85,412 | 93.7% | 99.5% |
| New York University | 172 | $87,214 | 96.9% | 98.1% |
| Fordham University | 168 | $79,248 | 90.8% | 85.5% |
| Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University | 165 | $76,458 | 87.8% | 89.1% |
| St. John's University | 164 | $76,742 | 87.5% | 90.4% |
| Brooklyn Law School | 161 | $76,946 | 85.5% | 84.6% |
| Albany Law School | 158 | $64,234 | 86.7% | 88.5% |
| Syracuse University | 158 | $66,940 | 84.8% | 71.2% |
| Hofstra University | 157 | $74,860 | 79.2% | 86.3% |
| New York Law School | 157 | $73,524 | 86.5% | 74.8% |
| University at Buffalo | 157 | $29,750 | 88.5% | 91.2% |
| City University of New York | 155 | $16,013 | 69% | 73.4% |
| Pace University | 154 | $57,756 | 65.2% | 80.8% |
| Touro University | 153 | $62,150 | 67.9% | 75.2% |
More on each, and on the New York bar exam: law schools in New York.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to New York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Law School | 157 | 3.63 | $73,524 | 86.5% | 74.8% |
| Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA | 157 | 3.62 | $60,118 | 89.7% | 86.8% |
| Mercer University Macon, GA | 157 | 3.62 | $45,082 | 86.5% | 90.1% |
| Hofstra University Hempstead, NY | 157 | 3.65 | $74,860 | 79.2% | 86.3% |
| Saint Louis University St. Louis, MO | 157 | 3.61 | $56,190 | 89.1% | 87.6% |
| Howard University Washington, DC | 156 | 3.63 | $41,412 | 78% | 71% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into New York Law School?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 157, with the middle half scoring 154 to 160. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.63. The school accepted 39.7% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at New York Law School?
86.5% of New York Law School graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 85.9%. Within two years of graduating, 89.6% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does New York Law School cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $73,524 a year. Most students pay less: 86% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $40,000.
Do New York Law School graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 74.8% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 10.5% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 6.4% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is New York Law School ABA-accredited?
Yes. New York Law School has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1954, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.