Law Schools in New York
15 ABA-approved schools · ABA disclosures · updated November 2, 2026
New York has 15 ABA-approved law schools: two public and 13 private. Median LSAT scores for the class that entered in fall 2025 run from 153 at Touro University to 173 at Columbia University.
New York law schools compared
| School | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Accepted | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Law School New York · Private | 173 | 3.92 | 11.8% | $88,390 | 94.7% | 96.5% |
| Cornell Law School Ithaca · Private | 173 | 3.92 | 18.2% | $85,412 | 93.7% | 99.5% |
| NYU School of Law New York · Private | 172 | 3.92 | 13.4% | $87,214 | 96.9% | 98.1% |
| Fordham University School of Law New York · Private | 168 | 3.79 | 16.2% | $79,248 | 90.8% | 85.5% |
| Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University New York · Private | 165 | 3.78 | 29.6% | $76,458 | 87.8% | 89.1% |
| St. John's University School of Law Queens · Private | 164 | 3.81 | 23.1% | $76,742 | 87.5% | 90.4% |
| Brooklyn Law School Brooklyn · Private | 161 | 3.59 | 44% | $76,946 | 85.5% | 84.6% |
| Albany Law School Albany · Private | 158 | 3.54 | 37.5% | $64,234 | 86.7% | 88.5% |
| Syracuse University College of Law Syracuse · Private | 158 | 3.60 | 34.6% | $66,940 | 84.8% | 71.2% |
| Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University Hempstead · Private | 157 | 3.65 | 40.6% | $74,860 | 79.2% | 86.3% |
| New York Law School New York · Private | 157 | 3.63 | 39.7% | $73,524 | 86.5% | 74.8% |
| University at Buffalo School of Law Buffalo · Public | 157 | 3.71 | 42.4% | $29,750 | 88.5% | 91.2% |
| City University of New York School of Law Long Island City · Public | 155 | 3.54 | 28.6% | $16,013 | 69% | 73.4% |
| Pace University - Elisabeth Haub School of Law White Plains · Private | 154 | 3.54 | 44.1% | $57,756 | 65.2% | 80.8% |
| Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center Central Islip · Private | 153 | 3.35 | 45.6% | $62,150 | 67.9% | 75.2% |
Tuition is full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26, at the in-state rate for public schools. Bar pass is the first-time rate on 2025 exams in every state where graduates sat; lawyer jobs is the share of 2025 graduates in full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage. Each school's page has the detail.
New York University had the highest first-time bar passage rate, 96.9%. Cornell University placed the largest share of 2025 graduates in lawyer jobs, 99.5%. Columbia University was the hardest to get into, accepting 11.8% of applicants. City University of New York charged the least, $16,013.
The New York bar exam
In 2025, 87.3% of graduates of ABA-approved law schools who took the New York bar exam for the first time passed, as the ABA reports it. That is the yardstick each school's rate is compared with when its graduates sit here.
Graduates of these schools took it most often in 2025 (schools with at least 10 first-time takers here):
| School | Takers | Passed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fordham University | 399 | 366 | 91.7% |
| Columbia University | 361 | 341 | 94.5% |
| New York University | 355 | 345 | 97.2% |
| Brooklyn Law School | 338 | 290 | 85.8% |
| Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University | 288 | 258 | 89.6% |
| New York Law School | 267 | 227 | 85% |
| Hofstra University | 252 | 202 | 80.2% |
| Harvard University | 243 | 237 | 97.5% |
| St. John's University | 243 | 214 | 88.1% |
| Georgetown University | 217 | 207 | 95.4% |
| Pace University | 194 | 132 | 68% |
| City University of New York | 185 | 129 | 69.7% |
| Albany Law School | 144 | 126 | 87.5% |
| Touro University | 138 | 94 | 68.1% |
| Cornell University | 136 | 125 | 91.9% |
Out-of-state schools that send graduates to New York
Each school reports the three states where most of its employed graduates work. These schools outside New York count it among their top three:
- Harvard University (MA): 207 employed 2025 graduates
- Georgetown University (DC): 190 employed 2025 graduates
- University of Michigan (MI): 112 employed 2025 graduates
- University of Pennsylvania (PA): 104 employed 2025 graduates
- George Washington University (DC): 88 employed 2025 graduates
- Duke University (NC): 80 employed 2025 graduates
- University of Virginia (VA): 75 employed 2025 graduates
- Yale University (CT): 70 employed 2025 graduates
- Rutgers University (NJ): 57 employed 2025 graduates
- University of Chicago (IL): 57 employed 2025 graduates
Practicing in New York: New York Rules of Civil Procedure · New York procedural guides · Divorce in New York.
Check your own numbers against these schools with the LSAT and GPA school finder.
Frequently asked questions
How many law schools are in New York?
New York has 15 ABA-approved law schools: Albany Law School, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University, Brooklyn Law School, City University of New York School of Law, Columbia Law School, Cornell Law School, Fordham University School of Law, Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, NYU School of Law, New York Law School, Pace University - Elisabeth Haub School of Law, St. John's University School of Law, Syracuse University College of Law, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, University at Buffalo School of Law.
Which New York law school has the highest bar passage rate?
NYU School of Law, where 96.9% of first-time takers passed in 2025.
What is the cheapest law school in New York?
City University of New York School of Law, at $16,013 a year in full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 (in-state rate).
What is the hardest law school to get into in New York?
By acceptance rate, Columbia Law School, which accepted 11.8% of applicants for fall 2025, with a median LSAT of 173.
What is the New York bar exam pass rate?
In 2025, 87.3% of first-time takers from ABA-approved law schools passed the New York bar exam, as the ABA reports it.