William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada · Public · ABA-approved since 2003 · Data updated November 2, 2026
William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada Las Vegas is a public law school in Las Vegas, Nevada, approved by the American Bar Association since 2003. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 160, higher than 54% of ABA-approved schools, saw 83.5% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 88.9% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- First-time bar passage 11.6 points above the average for the states where its graduates sat.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas received 1,056 completed applications and made 325 offers, an acceptance rate of 30.8%. 156 students enrolled in the first-year class (134 full-time, 22 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 156 | 160 | 162 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.39 | 3.76 | 3.88 |
A quarter of the class scored 156 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 162 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 160, 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 $33,128 a year for Nevada residents and $47,650 for everyone else. That is less than 69% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $31,263 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $31,518 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $1,610 |
| Tuition, full-time, nonresident | $46,040 |
| Fees, full-time, nonresident | $1,610 |
| Living costs, on campus | $22,171 |
| Living costs, off campus | $31,263 |
| Living costs, at home | $31,263 |
In 2024-25, 81% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $22,998, and the middle half of awards ran from $14,980 to $39,946. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $10,130 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 | 41% |
| Half to full tuition | 25% |
| Full tuition | 6% |
| More than full tuition | 5% |
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 at the in-state rate plus off-campus living costs come to about $193,173. With the median scholarship every year, about $124,179. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 121 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 101 passed: 83.5%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 71.8%, so the school finished a full 11.6 points above that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 other jurisdictions | 31 | 26 | 83.9% | 80.4% |
| Nevada | 90 | 75 | 83.3% | 68.6% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 130 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 116 had passed one within two years: 89.2%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 117 2025 graduates, 104 (88.9%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 4 more (3.4%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 5 (4.3%) were unemployed and looking for work. 1 of the full-time, long-term jobs were funded by the school.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 117 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 14 (12%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Nevada (91), followed by Utah (5) and Arizona (3).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 1 first-year students left the University of Nevada, Las Vegas: 0 for academic reasons (0%) and 1 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 4 first-year students transferred out and 14 transferred in from other law schools. The students who transferred in had a median first-year law school GPA of 3.06.
Classes, clinics and faculty
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas offered 118 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 80% had fewer than 25 students and 0% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 48 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 51 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 154 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 432 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 8 |
The school reports 43 full-time faculty and 64 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 457 J.D. students, that is about 11 students per full-time faculty member.
How the University of Nevada, Las Vegas compares in Nevada
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is the only ABA-approved law school in Nevada (more on law school in Nevada). The full table compares it with every other school.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas'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 Nevada, Las Vegas | 160 | 3.76 | $33,128 | 83.5% | 88.9% |
| Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | 160 | 3.76 | $58,850 | 84.2% | 85.7% |
| Chicago-Kent College of Law Chicago, IL | 161 | 3.72 | $54,080 | 79.7% | 75.4% |
| University of Kentucky Lexington, KY | 159 | 3.72 | $27,301 | 79.8% | 89.6% |
| University of Missouri Columbia, MO | 161 | 3.72 | $25,503 | 86.2% | 86.4% |
| University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) Minneapolis, MN | 159 | 3.72 | $51,632 | 85.1% | 82.6% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada Las Vegas?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 160, with the middle half scoring 156 to 162. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.76. The school accepted 30.8% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada Las Vegas?
83.5% of University of Nevada, Las Vegas graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 71.8%. Within two years of graduating, 89.2% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada Las Vegas cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $33,128 a year for Nevada residents and $47,650 for nonresidents. Most students pay less: 81% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $22,998.
Do William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada Las Vegas graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 88.9% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 3.4% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 4.3% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada Las Vegas ABA-accredited?
Yes. William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada Las Vegas has been approved by the American Bar Association since 2003, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.