Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law
Ada, Ohio · Private · ABA-approved since 1948 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law is a private law school in Ada, Ohio, approved by the American Bar Association since 1948. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 149, higher than 3% of ABA-approved schools, saw 56.4% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 83.7% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- First-time bar passage 23.1 points below the average for the states where its graduates sat.
- A median LSAT of 149, lower than 96% of ABA-approved schools.
- 15% of first-year students left during the year, a higher share than at 4% of schools.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Ohio Northern University received 1,355 completed applications and made 433 offers, an acceptance rate of 32%. 129 students enrolled in the first-year class (85 full-time, 44 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 146 | 149 | 151 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.06 | 3.34 | 3.67 |
A quarter of the class scored 146 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 151 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 149, 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 $33,900 a year. That is less than 68% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $22,022 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $33,900 |
| Living costs, on campus | $23,154 |
| Living costs, off campus | $22,022 |
| Living costs, at home | $22,022 |
In 2024-25, 0% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $17,250, and the middle half of awards ran from $9,125 to $25,700. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $16,650 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 | 44% |
| Half to full tuition | 27% |
| Full tuition | 4% |
| More than full tuition | 4% |
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 $167,766. With the median scholarship every year, about $116,016. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 39 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 22 passed: 56.4%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 79.5%, so the school finished a full 23.1 points below that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 other jurisdictions | 23 | 15 | 65.2% | 80.8% |
| Ohio | 16 | 7 | 43.8% | 77.9% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 53 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 42 had passed one within two years: 79.2%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 49 2025 graduates, 41 (83.7%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 2 more (4.1%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 0 (0%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 49 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 0 (0%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Ohio (19), followed by Michigan (5) and New York (4).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 18 first-year students left Ohio Northern University: 7 for academic reasons (6%) and 11 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (9%). A high “other” figure often means strong students transferring up.
Transfers run both ways: 0 first-year students transferred out and 0 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Ohio Northern University offered 57 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 77% had fewer than 25 students and 0% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 160 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 14 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 20 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 318 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 0 |
The school reports 21 full-time faculty and 5 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 319 J.D. students, that is about 15 students per full-time faculty member.
How Ohio Northern University compares in Ohio
Ohio has 9 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Ohio Northern University ranks 9th in median LSAT, 9th in first-time bar passage, 2nd in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 5th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ohio State University | 168 | $37,263 | 93.1% | 88.5% |
| Case Western Reserve University | 162 | $65,552 | 77.5% | 75.4% |
| University of Cincinnati | 159 | $24,810 | 85.1% | 82.7% |
| University of Dayton | 157 | $41,914 | 87.5% | 73.9% |
| Cleveland State University | 155 | $31,566 | 72.7% | 72.7% |
| University of Akron | 154 | $26,649 | 70.2% | 78.9% |
| University of Toledo | 153 | $29,598 | 77.4% | 62.8% |
| Capital University Law School | 151 | $45,456 | 73.7% | 71.9% |
| Ohio Northern University | 149 | $33,900 | 56.4% | 83.7% |
More on each, and on the Ohio bar exam: law schools in Ohio.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Ohio Northern 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Northern University | 149 | 3.34 | $33,900 | 56.4% | 83.7% |
| Faulkner University Montgomery, AL | 150 | 3.33 | $40,400 | 67.5% | 65.9% |
| Texas Southern University Houston, TX | 150 | 3.33 | $21,038 | 62.9% | 54.3% |
| Widener University Commonwealth Law School Harrisburg, PA | 150 | 3.33 | $56,900 | 68.9% | 77.1% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL | 149 | 3.38 | $22,088 | 74.2% | 73% |
| North Carolina Central University Durham, NC | 151 | 3.31 | $19,190 | 59.4% | 62% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 149, with the middle half scoring 146 to 151. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.34. The school accepted 32% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law?
56.4% of Ohio Northern University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 79.5%. Within two years of graduating, 79.2% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $33,900 a year. Some students pay less: 0% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $17,250.
Do Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 83.7% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 4.1% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 0% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1948, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.