Saint Louis University School of Law
St. Louis, Missouri · Private · ABA-approved since 1924 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Saint Louis University School of Law is a private law school in St. Louis, Missouri, approved by the American Bar Association since 1924. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 157, higher than 38% of ABA-approved schools, saw 89.1% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 87.6% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- It accepted 56.4% of applicants, more than 88% of schools did.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Saint Louis University received 941 completed applications and made 531 offers, an acceptance rate of 56.4%. 222 students enrolled in the first-year class (199 full-time, 23 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 154 | 157 | 161 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.37 | 3.61 | 3.83 |
A quarter of the class scored 154 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 161 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 $56,190 a year. That is more than 61% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $26,112 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $55,260 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $930 |
| Tuition, part-time, resident | $40,320 |
| Living costs, on campus | $26,112 |
| Living costs, off campus | $26,112 |
| Living costs, at home | $21,352 |
In 2024-25, 99% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $25,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $15,000 to $35,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $31,190 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 | 57% |
| Half to full tuition | 39% |
| 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 plus off-campus living costs come to about $246,906. With the median scholarship every year, about $171,906. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 165 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 147 passed: 89.1%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 85.6%, so the school finished 3.5 points above that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 12 | 10 | 83.3% | 81.1% |
| Missouri | 137 | 124 | 90.5% | 86.4% |
| 8 other jurisdictions | 16 | 13 | 81.2% | 81.6% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 177 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 169 had passed one within two years: 95.5%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 169 2025 graduates, 148 (87.6%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 10 more (5.9%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 5 (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 30 (17.8%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Missouri (126), followed by Illinois (15) and Texas (8).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 5 first-year students left Saint Louis University: 2 for academic reasons (1%) and 3 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (2%).
Transfers run both ways: 0 first-year students transferred out and 4 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Saint Louis University offered 136 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 74% had fewer than 25 students and 5% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 85 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 83 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 115 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 775 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 16 |
The school reports 52 full-time faculty and 80 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 594 J.D. students, that is about 11 students per full-time faculty member.
How Saint Louis University compares in Missouri
Missouri has 4 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Saint Louis University ranks 3rd in median LSAT, 2nd in first-time bar passage, 2nd in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 3rd-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington University (St. Louis) | 175 | $73,684 | 89.6% | 94.1% |
| University of Missouri | 161 | $25,503 | 86.2% | 86.4% |
| Saint Louis University | 157 | $56,190 | 89.1% | 87.6% |
| University of Missouri, Kansas City | 156 | $26,192 | 82.3% | 81.2% |
More on each, and on the Missouri bar exam: law schools in Missouri.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Saint Louis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Louis University | 157 | 3.61 | $56,190 | 89.1% | 87.6% |
| University of Dayton Dayton, OH | 157 | 3.60 | $41,914 | 87.5% | 73.9% |
| 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% |
| New York Law School New York, NY | 157 | 3.63 | $73,524 | 86.5% | 74.8% |
| DePaul University Chicago, IL | 158 | 3.61 | $55,628 | 83.8% | 81.3% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Saint Louis University School of Law?
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 161. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.61. The school accepted 56.4% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Saint Louis University School of Law?
89.1% of Saint Louis University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 85.6%. Within two years of graduating, 95.5% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Saint Louis University School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $56,190 a year. Most students pay less: 99% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $25,000.
Do Saint Louis University School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 87.6% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 5.9% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 3% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Saint Louis University School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. Saint Louis University School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1924, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.