Seattle University School of Law
Seattle, Washington · Private · ABA-approved since 1994 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Seattle University School of Law is a private law school in Seattle, Washington, approved by the American Bar Association since 1994. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 159, higher than 49% of ABA-approved schools, saw 79.5% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 75.5% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Seattle University received 2,304 completed applications and made 897 offers, an acceptance rate of 38.9%. 209 students enrolled in the first-year class (150 full-time, 59 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 155 | 159 | 162 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.22 | 3.60 | 3.80 |
A quarter of the class scored 155 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 162 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 159, 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.
5 of the entering students were admitted on a GRE score instead of the LSAT.
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
Seattle University charges tuition by the credit hour: $2,061 a credit, plus $728 in annual fees. The degree takes 90 credits, so a full-time year of about 30 credits comes to roughly $62,558. That is more than 74% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $34,161 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition per credit hour, full-time, resident | $2,061 |
| Annual fees, resident | $728 |
| Living costs, on campus | $34,161 |
| Living costs, off campus | $34,161 |
In 2024-25, 86% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $30,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $20,000 to $40,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $32,558 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 | 53% |
| Half to full tuition | 23% |
| Full tuition | 9% |
| More than full tuition | 2% |
Scholarships that can be cut. Seattle University awards some conditional scholarships, which shrink or end if a student's grades fall below a set mark. Of 140 students who entered in 2024-25 with one, 36 had it reduced or eliminated (26%). For students who entered in 2023-24 the figure was 21 of 126. 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 $290,157. With the median scholarship every year, about $200,157. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 205 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 163 passed: 79.5%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 83%, so the school finished 3.4 points below that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 other jurisdictions | 22 | 13 | 59.1% | 80.6% |
| Washington | 183 | 150 | 82% | 83.1% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 194 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 176 had passed one within two years: 90.7%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 204 2025 graduates, 154 (75.5%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 10 more (4.9%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 8 (3.9%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 204 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 10 (4.9%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Washington (152), followed by California (7) and District of Columbia (5).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 17 first-year students left Seattle University: 9 for academic reasons (4%) and 8 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (4%).
Transfers run both ways: 11 first-year students transferred out and 4 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Seattle University offered 172 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 2% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 163 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 138 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 235 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 412 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 6 |
The school reports 65 full-time faculty and 122 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 646 J.D. students, that is about 10 students per full-time faculty member.
How Seattle University compares in Washington
Washington has 3 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Seattle University ranks 2nd in median LSAT, 3rd in first-time bar passage, 3rd in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 3rd-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Washington | 165 | $47,073 | 92.6% | 83.1% |
| Seattle University | 159 | $62,558 | 79.5% | 75.5% |
| Gonzaga University | 155 | $58,787 | 85.8% | 78.3% |
More on each, and on the Washington bar exam: law schools in Washington.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Seattle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle University | 159 | 3.60 | $62,558 | 79.5% | 75.5% |
| Syracuse University Syracuse, NY | 158 | 3.60 | $66,940 | 84.8% | 71.2% |
| Stetson University Gulfport, FL | 159 | 3.63 | $57,017 | 84.9% | 81.2% |
| DePaul University Chicago, IL | 158 | 3.61 | $55,628 | 83.8% | 81.3% |
| University of Hawaii Honolulu, HI | 158 | 3.62 | $24,076 | 77.1% | 75.5% |
| University of Oregon Eugene, OR | 160 | 3.62 | $48,612 | 79.2% | 82.4% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Seattle University School of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 159, with the middle half scoring 155 to 162. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.60. The school accepted 38.9% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Seattle University School of Law?
79.5% of Seattle University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 83%. Within two years of graduating, 90.7% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Seattle University School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are about $62,558 a year. The school charges by the credit hour, so that figure assumes a full-time load of 30 credits a year. Most students pay less: 86% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $30,000.
Do Seattle University School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 75.5% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 4.9% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 3.9% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Seattle University School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. Seattle University School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1994, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.