SMU Dedman School of Law
Dallas, Texas · Private · ABA-approved since 1927 · Data updated November 2, 2026
SMU Dedman School of Law is a private law school in Dallas, Texas, approved by the American Bar Association since 1927. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 167, higher than 81% of ABA-approved schools, saw 97.8% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 94.7% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- First-time bar passage 15.2 points above the average for the states where its graduates sat.
- 94.7% of 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs, more than at 93% of schools.
- 41.8% of graduates went to firms of more than 250 lawyers or federal clerkships.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Southern Methodist University received 3,038 completed applications and made 747 offers, an acceptance rate of 24.6%. 254 students enrolled in the first-year class. The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 163 | 167 | 168 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.52 | 3.81 | 3.92 |
A quarter of the class scored 163 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 168 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 167, 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.
1 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
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $68,686 a year. That is more than 83% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $17,834 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $60,844 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $7,842 |
| Living costs, on campus | $23,368 |
| Living costs, off campus | $17,834 |
| Living costs, at home | $8,150 |
In 2024-25, 94% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $26,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $22,000 to $33,333. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $42,686 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 | 64% |
| Half to full tuition | 27% |
| Full tuition | 0% |
| More than full tuition | 4% |
Scholarships that can be cut. Southern Methodist University awards some conditional scholarships, which shrink or end if a student's grades fall below a set mark. Of 6 students who entered in 2024-25 with one, 1 had it reduced or eliminated (17%). For students who entered in 2023-24 the figure was 1 of 6. 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 $259,560. With the median scholarship every year, about $181,560. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 222 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 217 passed: 97.8%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 82.5%, so the school finished a full 15.2 points above that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 212 | 207 | 97.6% | 82.7% |
| 7 other jurisdictions | 10 | 10 | 100% | 78.5% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 212 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 205 had passed one within two years: 96.7%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 225 2025 graduates, 213 (94.7%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 8 more (3.6%) 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 225 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 86 (38.2%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Texas (210), followed by District of Columbia (3) and California (2).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 0 first-year students left Southern Methodist University: 0 for academic reasons (0%) and 0 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (0%).
Transfers run both ways: 5 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 3.34.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Southern Methodist University offered 168 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 76% had fewer than 25 students and 7% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 205 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 164 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 209 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 505 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 11 |
The school reports 59 full-time faculty and 139 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 672 J.D. students, that is about 11 students per full-time faculty member.
How Southern Methodist University compares in Texas
Texas has 10 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Southern Methodist University ranks 3rd in median LSAT, first in first-time bar passage, 4th in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 10th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Texas | 172 | $38,236 | 96.4% | 95.8% |
| Texas A&M University | 169 | $32,634 | 95.3% | 95.2% |
| Southern Methodist University | 167 | $68,686 | 97.8% | 94.7% |
| Baylor University | 164 | $67,547 | 93.7% | 95.5% |
| University of Houston | 163 | $39,222 | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| Texas Tech University | 159 | $27,532 | 95.5% | 91.9% |
| South Texas College of Law Houston | 155 | $44,960 | 85.6% | 81.9% |
| St. Mary's University | 153 | $46,310 | 84.6% | 80.6% |
| University of North Texas at Dallas | 153 | $18,761 | 79.7% | 71.7% |
| Texas Southern University | 150 | $21,038 | 62.9% | 54.3% |
More on each, and on the Texas bar exam: law schools in Texas.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Southern Methodist 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Methodist University | 167 | 3.81 | $68,686 | 97.8% | 94.7% |
| University of Wisconsin Madison, WI | 167 | 3.81 | $38,186 | 75% | 90.2% |
| University of Illinois Champaign, IL | 166 | 3.81 | $39,904 | 93.2% | 92.2% |
| Emory University Atlanta, GA | 166 | 3.82 | $70,472 | 86.3% | 87.9% |
| William & Mary Williamsburg, VA | 166 | 3.82 | $46,102 | 92.8% | 91% |
| Boston College Newton, MA | 168 | 3.83 | $72,755 | 96.2% | 92.5% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into SMU Dedman School of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 167, with the middle half scoring 163 to 168. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.81. The school accepted 24.6% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at SMU Dedman School of Law?
97.8% of Southern Methodist University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 82.5%. Within two years of graduating, 96.7% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does SMU Dedman School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $68,686 a year. Most students pay less: 94% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $26,000.
Do SMU Dedman School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 94.7% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 3.6% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 0% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is SMU Dedman School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. SMU Dedman School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1927, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.