University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law
Columbia, South Carolina · Public · ABA-approved since 1925 · Data updated November 2, 2026
University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law is a public law school in Columbia, South Carolina, approved by the American Bar Association since 1925. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 162, higher than 63% of ABA-approved schools, saw 90% 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
- Tuition and fees of $24,022, less than 85% of schools charge.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, the University of South Carolina received 2,114 completed applications and made 632 offers, an acceptance rate of 29.9%. 221 students enrolled in the first-year class. The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 160 | 162 | 164 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.43 | 3.67 | 3.86 |
A quarter of the class scored 160 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 164 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 162, 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 $24,022 a year for South Carolina residents and $41,800 for everyone else. That is less than 85% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $25,392 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $20,322 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $3,700 |
| Tuition, full-time, nonresident | $38,100 |
| Fees, full-time, nonresident | $3,700 |
| Living costs, on campus | $25,392 |
| Living costs, off campus | $25,392 |
| Living costs, at home | $16,846 |
In 2024-25, 90% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $12,562, and the middle half of awards ran from $8,000 to $18,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $11,460 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 | 61% |
| Half to full tuition | 25% |
| Full tuition | 1% |
| More than full tuition | 3% |
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 $148,242. With the median scholarship every year, about $110,556. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 191 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 172 passed: 90%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 81.1%, so the school finished 8.9 points above that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 other jurisdictions | 23 | 20 | 87% | 81.1% |
| Georgia | 10 | 8 | 80% | 79.5% |
| South Carolina | 158 | 144 | 91.1% | 81.1% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 207 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 192 had passed one within two years: 92.8%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 190 2025 graduates, 169 (88.9%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 9 more (4.7%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 5 (2.6%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 190 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 28 (14.7%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in South Carolina (137), followed by North Carolina (12) and Georgia (9).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 8 first-year students left the University of South Carolina: 6 for academic reasons (3%) and 2 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 4 first-year students transferred out and 3 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
The University of South Carolina offered 145 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 1% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 56 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 47 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 78 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 597 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 7 |
The school reports 60 full-time faculty and 77 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 649 J.D. students, that is about 11 students per full-time faculty member.
How the University of South Carolina compares in South Carolina
South Carolina has 2 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, the University of South Carolina ranks first in median LSAT, first 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 South Carolina | 162 | $24,022 | 90% | 88.9% |
| Charleston School of Law | 154 | $49,684 | 77.4% | 76.2% |
More on each, and on the South Carolina bar exam: law schools in South Carolina.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to the University of South Carolina'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 South Carolina | 162 | 3.67 | $24,022 | 90% | 88.9% |
| Tulane University New Orleans, LA | 161 | 3.67 | $74,756 | 76.1% | 84.1% |
| Catholic University of America Washington, DC | 161 | 3.68 | $63,280 | 90.4% | 79.6% |
| American University Washington, DC | 162 | 3.63 | $69,172 | 86.6% | 69.4% |
| Chapman University Orange, CA | 163 | 3.70 | $63,201 | 80.3% | 76.2% |
| Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL | 161 | 3.70 | $59,666 | 85.7% | 79.7% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 162, with the middle half scoring 160 to 164. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.67. The school accepted 29.9% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law?
90% of University of South Carolina graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 81.1%. Within two years of graduating, 92.8% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $24,022 a year for South Carolina residents and $41,800 for nonresidents. Most students pay less: 90% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $12,562.
Do University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 88.9% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 4.7% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 2.6% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1925, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.