UALR William H. Bowen School of Law
Little Rock, Arkansas · Public · ABA-approved since 1969 · Data updated November 2, 2026
UALR William H. Bowen School of Law is a public law school in Little Rock, Arkansas, approved by the American Bar Association since 1969. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 153, higher than 15% of ABA-approved schools, saw 78.9% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 75% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- Tuition and fees of $17,474, less than 96% of schools charge.
- It accepted 54.9% of applicants, more than 85% of schools did.
- A median LSAT of 153, lower than 80% of ABA-approved schools.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock received 603 completed applications and made 331 offers, an acceptance rate of 54.9%. 154 students enrolled in the first-year class (117 full-time, 37 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 150 | 153 | 158 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 2.98 | 3.41 | 3.72 |
A quarter of the class scored 150 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 158 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 153, 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 $17,474 a year. That is less than 96% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $25,459 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $13,770 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $3,704 |
| Tuition, part-time, resident | $11,016 |
| Living costs, on campus | $21,303 |
| Living costs, off campus | $25,459 |
| Living costs, at home | $12,969 |
In 2024-25, 60% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $7,461, and the middle half of awards ran from $3,443 to $13,770. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $10,013 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 | 28% |
| Half to full tuition | 23% |
| Full tuition | 6% |
| More than full tuition | 3% |
Scholarships that can be cut. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock awards some conditional scholarships, which shrink or end if a student's grades fall below a set mark. Of 86 students who entered in 2024-25 with one, 30 had it reduced or eliminated (35%). For students who entered in 2023-24 the figure was 50 of 87. 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 $128,799. With the median scholarship every year, about $106,416. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 128 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 101 passed: 78.9%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 77.7%, so the school finished within a few points of that average (+1.2 pts).
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 other jurisdictions | 13 | 8 | 61.5% | 82.6% |
| Arkansas | 115 | 93 | 80.9% | 77.2% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 119 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 103 had passed one within two years: 86.5%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 132 2025 graduates, 99 (75%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 8 more (6.1%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 11 (8.3%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 132 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 2 (1.5%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Arkansas (96), followed by Texas (5) and Virginia (3).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 8 first-year students left the University of Arkansas at Little Rock: 5 for academic reasons (4%) and 3 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (2%).
Transfers run both ways: 1 first-year students transferred out and 0 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock offered 75 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 70% had fewer than 25 students and 7% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 112 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 88 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 50 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 266 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 36 |
The school reports 32 full-time faculty and 38 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 429 J.D. students, that is about 13 students per full-time faculty member.
How the University of Arkansas at Little Rock compares in Arkansas
Arkansas has 2 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock ranks 2nd in median LSAT, 2nd in first-time bar passage, first in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and the lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas | 158 | $18,773 | 80% | 73.1% |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 153 | $17,474 | 78.9% | 75% |
More on each, and on the Arkansas bar exam: law schools in Arkansas.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 153 | 3.41 | $17,474 | 78.9% | 75% |
| University of North Texas at Dallas Dallas, TX | 153 | 3.41 | $18,761 | 79.7% | 71.7% |
| University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL | 153 | 3.40 | $42,080 | 68.8% | 71.2% |
| Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY | 154 | 3.41 | $25,392 | 76.2% | 68.8% |
| Lincoln Memorial University Knoxville, TN | 153 | 3.44 | $48,861 | 78.7% | 74.5% |
| St. Thomas University (Miami) Miami Gardens, FL | 152 | 3.42 | $47,578 | 87.1% | 77.8% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into UALR William H. Bowen School of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 153, with the middle half scoring 150 to 158. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.41. The school accepted 54.9% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at UALR William H. Bowen School of Law?
78.9% of University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 77.7%. Within two years of graduating, 86.5% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does UALR William H. Bowen School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $17,474 a year. Most students pay less: 60% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $7,461.
Do UALR William H. Bowen School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 75% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 6.1% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 8.3% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is UALR William H. Bowen School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. UALR William H. Bowen School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1969, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.