Rutgers Law School
Newark, New Jersey · Public · ABA-approved since 1941 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Rutgers Law School is a public law school in Newark, New Jersey, approved by the American Bar Association since 1941. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 158, higher than 45% of ABA-approved schools, saw 79.1% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 85.3% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Rutgers University received 4,305 completed applications and made 1,444 offers, an acceptance rate of 33.5%. 489 students enrolled in the first-year class (404 full-time, 85 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 155 | 158 | 161 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.35 | 3.66 | 3.82 |
A quarter of the class scored 155 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 161 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 $35,607 a year for New Jersey residents and $51,893 for everyone else. That is less than 67% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $33,190 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $31,577 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $4,030 |
| Tuition, full-time, nonresident | $47,863 |
| Fees, full-time, nonresident | $4,030 |
| Living costs, on campus | $21,676 |
| Living costs, off campus | $33,190 |
| Living costs, at home | $14,764 |
In 2024-25, 92% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $16,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $10,000 to $22,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $19,607 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 | 54% |
| Half to full tuition | 31% |
| Full tuition | 0% |
| More than full tuition | 1% |
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 at the in-state rate plus off-campus living costs come to about $206,391. With the median scholarship every year, about $158,391. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 383 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 303 passed: 79.1%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 75.1%, so the school finished 4 points above that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 other jurisdictions | 25 | 17 | 68% | 77.3% |
| New Jersey | 250 | 196 | 78.4% | 71.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 56 | 42 | 75% | 79.7% |
| New York | 52 | 48 | 92.3% | 87.3% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 390 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 332 had passed one within two years: 85.1%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 368 2025 graduates, 314 (85.3%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 14 more (3.8%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 9 (2.4%) were unemployed and looking for work. 1 of the full-time, long-term jobs were funded by the school.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 368 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 45 (12.2%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in New Jersey (223), followed by New York (57) and Pennsylvania (46).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 9 first-year students left Rutgers University: 1 for academic reasons (0%) and 8 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (2%).
Transfers run both ways: 3 first-year students transferred out and 8 transferred in from other law schools. The students who transferred in had a median first-year law school GPA of 3.21.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Rutgers University offered 236 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 75% had fewer than 25 students and 2% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 373 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 348 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 119 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 1,197 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 1,034 |
The school reports 167 full-time faculty and 115 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 1,339 J.D. students, that is about 8 students per full-time faculty member.
How Rutgers University compares in New Jersey
New Jersey has 2 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Rutgers University ranks 2nd in median LSAT, 2nd in first-time bar passage, 2nd in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and the lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seton Hall University | 161 | $71,550 | 87.1% | 87% |
| Rutgers University | 158 | $35,607 | 79.1% | 85.3% |
More on each, and on the New Jersey bar exam: law schools in New Jersey.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Rutgers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers University | 158 | 3.66 | $35,607 | 79.1% | 85.3% |
| Regent University Virginia Beach, VA | 158 | 3.68 | $44,854 | 91.3% | 93.2% |
| University of Louisville Louisville, KY | 157 | 3.67 | $28,396 | 84.5% | 89.1% |
| Hofstra University Hempstead, NY | 157 | 3.65 | $74,860 | 79.2% | 86.3% |
| University of Mississippi University, MS | 157 | 3.68 | $19,957 | 78.2% | 81.8% |
| Marquette University Milwaukee, WI | 158 | 3.70 | $51,970 | — | 88.6% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Rutgers 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 155 to 161. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.66. The school accepted 33.5% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Rutgers Law School?
79.1% of Rutgers University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 75.1%. Within two years of graduating, 85.1% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Rutgers Law School cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $35,607 a year for New Jersey residents and $51,893 for nonresidents. Most students pay less: 92% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $16,000.
Do Rutgers Law School graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 85.3% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 3.8% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 2.4% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Rutgers Law School ABA-accredited?
Yes. Rutgers Law School has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1941, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.