University of Dayton School of Law
Dayton, Ohio · Private · ABA-approved since 1975 · Data updated November 2, 2026
University of Dayton School of Law is a private law school in Dayton, Ohio, approved by the American Bar Association since 1975. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 157, higher than 38% of ABA-approved schools, saw 87.5% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 73.9% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, the University of Dayton received 1,611 completed applications and made 494 offers, an acceptance rate of 30.7%. 168 students enrolled in the first-year class (89 full-time, 79 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 154 | 157 | 160 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.31 | 3.60 | 3.87 |
A quarter of the class scored 154 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 160 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.
6 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
The University of Dayton charges tuition by the credit hour: $1,380 a credit, plus $514 in annual fees. The degree takes 90 credits, so a full-time year of about 30 credits comes to roughly $41,914. That is less than 58% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $19,395 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition per credit hour, full-time, resident | $1,380 |
| Annual fees, resident | $514 |
| Living costs, on campus | $19,395 |
| Living costs, off campus | $19,395 |
| Living costs, at home | $19,395 |
In 2024-25, 100% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $33,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $28,000 to $37,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $8,914 a year in tuition and fees, before living costs. That is a rough guide, since awards vary.
| Size of grant, all students | Share of students |
|---|---|
| Less than half tuition | 16% |
| Half to full tuition | 80% |
| Full tuition | 0% |
| More than full tuition | 6% |
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 $183,927. With the median scholarship every year, about $84,927. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 88 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 77 passed: 87.5%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 79.1%, so the school finished 8.4 points above that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 other jurisdictions | 40 | 37 | 92.5% | 79.8% |
| Ohio | 48 | 40 | 83.3% | 77.9% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 111 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 108 had passed one within two years: 97.3%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 92 2025 graduates, 68 (73.9%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 8 more (8.7%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 2 (2.2%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 92 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 14 (15.2%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Ohio (45), followed by Texas (6) and Indiana (5).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 4 first-year students left the University of Dayton: 3 for academic reasons (2%) and 1 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 0 first-year students transferred out and 4 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
The University of Dayton offered 61 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 71% had fewer than 25 students and 7% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 42 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 39 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 71 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 369 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 10 |
The school reports 25 full-time faculty and 34 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 442 J.D. students, that is about 18 students per full-time faculty member.
How the University of Dayton compares in Ohio
Ohio has 9 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, the University of Dayton ranks 4th in median LSAT, 2nd in first-time bar passage, 6th in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 7th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ohio State University | 168 | $37,263 | 93.1% | 88.5% |
| Case Western Reserve University | 162 | $65,552 | 77.5% | 75.4% |
| University of Cincinnati | 159 | $24,810 | 85.1% | 82.7% |
| University of Dayton | 157 | $41,914 | 87.5% | 73.9% |
| Cleveland State University | 155 | $31,566 | 72.7% | 72.7% |
| University of Akron | 154 | $26,649 | 70.2% | 78.9% |
| University of Toledo | 153 | $29,598 | 77.4% | 62.8% |
| Capital University Law School | 151 | $45,456 | 73.7% | 71.9% |
| Ohio Northern University | 149 | $33,900 | 56.4% | 83.7% |
More on each, and on the Ohio bar exam: law schools in Ohio.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to the University of Dayton'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 Dayton | 157 | 3.60 | $41,914 | 87.5% | 73.9% |
| Saint Louis University St. Louis, MO | 157 | 3.61 | $56,190 | 89.1% | 87.6% |
| 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% |
| Syracuse University Syracuse, NY | 158 | 3.60 | $66,940 | 84.8% | 71.2% |
| New York Law School New York, NY | 157 | 3.63 | $73,524 | 86.5% | 74.8% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into University of Dayton 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 160. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.60. The school accepted 30.7% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at University of Dayton School of Law?
87.5% of University of Dayton graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 79.1%. Within two years of graduating, 97.3% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does University of Dayton School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are about $41,914 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: 100% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $33,000.
Do University of Dayton School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 73.9% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 8.7% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 2.2% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is University of Dayton School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. University of Dayton School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1975, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.