Roger Williams University School of Law
Bristol, Rhode Island · Private · ABA-approved since 1995 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Roger Williams University School of Law is a private law school in Bristol, Rhode Island, approved by the American Bar Association since 1995. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 150, higher than 4% of ABA-approved schools, saw 65.2% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 69.2% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- A median LSAT of 150, lower than 93% of ABA-approved schools.
- It accepted 61.3% of applicants, more than 95% of schools did.
- First-time bar passage 12.3 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, Roger Williams University received 1,003 completed applications and made 615 offers, an acceptance rate of 61.3%. 189 students enrolled in the first-year class. The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 147 | 150 | 154 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.02 | 3.43 | 3.73 |
A quarter of the class scored 147 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 154 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 150, 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 $49,090 a year. That is more than 53% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $25,616 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $47,400 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $1,690 |
| Living costs, on campus | $25,716 |
| Living costs, off campus | $25,616 |
In 2024-25, 65% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $28,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $18,562 to $34,804. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $21,090 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 | 24% |
| Half to full tuition | 38% |
| Full tuition | 3% |
| More than full tuition | 0% |
Scholarships that can be cut. Roger Williams University awards some conditional scholarships, which shrink or end if a student's grades fall below a set mark. Of 89 students who entered in 2024-25 with one, 12 had it reduced or eliminated (13%). For students who entered in 2023-24 the figure was 13 of 94. 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 $224,118. With the median scholarship every year, about $140,118. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 158 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 103 passed: 65.2%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 77.5%, so the school finished a full 12.3 points below that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 14 | 8 | 57.1% | 67.6% |
| Massachusetts | 29 | 22 | 75.9% | 85.4% |
| New York | 20 | 10 | 50% | 87.3% |
| Rhode Island | 65 | 50 | 76.9% | 73.1% |
| 16 other jurisdictions | 30 | 13 | 43.3% | 78.4% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 161 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 126 had passed one within two years: 78.3%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 169 2025 graduates, 117 (69.2%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 12 more (7.1%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 14 (8.3%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 169 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 3 (1.8%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Rhode Island (76), followed by Massachusetts (19) and New York (19).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 6 first-year students left Roger Williams University: 4 for academic reasons (2%) and 2 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 8 first-year students transferred out and 1 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Roger Williams University offered 136 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 79% had fewer than 25 students and 2% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 100 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 76 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 116 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 486 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 11 |
The school reports 35 full-time faculty and 65 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 486 J.D. students, that is about 14 students per full-time faculty member.
How Roger Williams University compares in Rhode Island
Roger Williams University is the only ABA-approved law school in Rhode Island (more on law school in Rhode Island). The full table compares it with every other school.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Roger Williams 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Williams University | 150 | 3.43 | $49,090 | 65.2% | 69.2% |
| Northern Illinois University DeKalb, IL | 150 | 3.41 | $24,067 | 61.9% | 70.1% |
| Capital University Law School Columbus, OH | 151 | 3.44 | $45,456 | 73.7% | 71.9% |
| University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND | 151 | 3.48 | $19,585 | 72.3% | 80.8% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL | 149 | 3.38 | $22,088 | 74.2% | 73% |
| St. Thomas University (Miami) Miami Gardens, FL | 152 | 3.42 | $47,578 | 87.1% | 77.8% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Roger Williams University School of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 150, with the middle half scoring 147 to 154. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.43. The school accepted 61.3% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Roger Williams University School of Law?
65.2% of Roger Williams University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 77.5%. Within two years of graduating, 78.3% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Roger Williams University School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $49,090 a year. Most students pay less: 65% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $28,000.
Do Roger Williams University School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 69.2% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 7.1% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 8.3% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Roger Williams University School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. Roger Williams University School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1995, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.