Southern University Law Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana · Public · ABA-approved since 1953 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Southern University Law Center is a public law school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, approved by the American Bar Association since 1953. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 147, higher than 2% of ABA-approved schools, saw 68.1% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 40.3% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- 40.3% of 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs, fewer than at 98% of schools.
- A median LSAT of 147, lower than 97% of ABA-approved schools.
- Tuition and fees of $18,832, less than 93% of schools charge.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Southern University received 1,153 completed applications and made 652 offers, an acceptance rate of 56.5%. 300 students enrolled in the first-year class (239 full-time, 61 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 145 | 147 | 150 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 2.86 | 3.15 | 3.48 |
A quarter of the class scored 145 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 150 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 147, 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 $18,832 a year for Louisiana residents and $34,332 for everyone else. That is less than 93% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $32,262 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $11,338 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $7,494 |
| Tuition, part-time, resident | $10,484 |
| Living costs, on campus | $32,262 |
| Living costs, off campus | $32,262 |
In 2024-25, 24% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $11,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $8,000 to $13,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $7,832 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 | 13% |
| Half to full tuition | 7% |
| Full tuition | 0% |
| More than full tuition | 0% |
Scholarships that can be cut. Southern University awards some conditional scholarships, which shrink or end if a student's grades fall below a set mark. Of 21 students who entered in 2024-25 with one, 8 had it reduced or eliminated (38%). For students who entered in 2023-24 the figure was 68 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 at the in-state rate plus off-campus living costs come to about $153,282. With the median scholarship every year, about $120,282. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 141 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 96 passed: 68.1%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 80.2%, so the school finished a full 12.1 points below that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 other jurisdictions | 38 | 18 | 47.4% | 80.9% |
| Louisiana | 77 | 62 | 80.5% | 78.9% |
| Texas | 26 | 16 | 61.5% | 82.7% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 148 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 88 had passed one within two years: 59.5%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 231 2025 graduates, 93 (40.3%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 15 more (6.5%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 64 (27.7%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 231 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 6 (2.6%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Louisiana (94), followed by Texas (10) and New York (7).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 34 first-year students left Southern University: 30 for academic reasons (10%) and 4 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 14 first-year students transferred out and 0 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Southern University offered 64 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 62% had fewer than 25 students and 0% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 580 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 208 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 133 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 235 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 13 |
The school reports 61 full-time faculty and 35 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 809 J.D. students, that is about 13 students per full-time faculty member.
How Southern University compares in Louisiana
Louisiana has 4 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Southern University ranks 4th in median LSAT, 4th in first-time bar passage, 4th in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and the lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulane University | 161 | $74,756 | 76.1% | 84.1% |
| Louisiana State University | 157 | $23,665 | 85.4% | 83.8% |
| Loyola University New Orleans | 154 | $56,894 | 71.2% | 80.8% |
| Southern University | 147 | $18,832 | 68.1% | 40.3% |
More on each, and on the Louisiana bar exam: law schools in Louisiana.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Southern 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 University | 147 | 3.15 | $18,832 | 68.1% | 40.3% |
| Appalachian School of Law Grundy, VA | 146 | 3.20 | $41,000 | 54.8% | 53.5% |
| Cooley Law School Lansing, MI | 147 | 3.09 | $48,040 | 51.5% | 58.7% |
| Wilmington University School of Law Wilmington, DE | 149 | 3.13 | $24,053 | — | — |
| Barry University Orlando, FL | 150 | 3.23 | $43,150 | 58.9% | 63.8% |
| Atlanta's John Marshall Law School Atlanta, GA | 152 | 3.13 | $53,586 | 63.8% | 72.3% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Southern University Law Center?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 147, with the middle half scoring 145 to 150. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.15. The school accepted 56.5% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Southern University Law Center?
68.1% of Southern University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 80.2%. Within two years of graduating, 59.5% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Southern University Law Center cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $18,832 a year for Louisiana residents and $34,332 for nonresidents. Some students pay less: 24% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $11,000.
Do Southern University Law Center graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 40.3% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 6.5% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 27.7% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Southern University Law Center ABA-accredited?
Yes. Southern University Law Center has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1953, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.