Vanderbilt University Law School
Nashville, Tennessee · Private · ABA-approved since 1925 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Vanderbilt University Law School is a private law school in Nashville, Tennessee, approved by the American Bar Association since 1925. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 170, higher than 89% of ABA-approved schools, saw 94.6% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 98.2% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- 98.2% of 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs, more than at 98% of schools.
- 67.1% of graduates went to firms of more than 250 lawyers or federal clerkships.
- Tuition and fees of $78,799, more than 93% of schools charge.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Vanderbilt University received 6,124 completed applications and made 812 offers, an acceptance rate of 13.3%. 172 students enrolled in the first-year class. The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 167 | 170 | 171 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.77 | 3.91 | 3.97 |
A quarter of the class scored 167 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 171 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 170, 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.
1 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
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $78,799 a year. That is more than 93% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $34,934 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $76,440 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $2,359 |
| Living costs, on campus | $34,934 |
| Living costs, off campus | $34,934 |
| Living costs, at home | $34,934 |
In 2024-25, 90% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $32,792, and the middle half of awards ran from $17,500 to $44,927. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $46,007 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 | 24% |
| Full tuition | 2% |
| 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 plus off-campus living costs come to about $341,199. With the median scholarship every year, about $242,823. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 168 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 159 passed: 94.6%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 81.9%, so the school finished a full 12.7 points above that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 15 | 15 | 100% | 82.7% |
| Illinois | 14 | 14 | 100% | 81.1% |
| New York | 29 | 27 | 93.1% | 87.3% |
| Tennessee | 40 | 38 | 95% | 79.7% |
| Texas | 17 | 16 | 94.1% | 82.7% |
| 22 other jurisdictions | 53 | 49 | 92.5% | 78.7% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 196 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 193 had passed one within two years: 98.5%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 167 2025 graduates, 164 (98.2%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 0 more (0%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 0 (0%) were unemployed and looking for work. 5 of the full-time, long-term jobs were funded by the school.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 167 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 94 (56.3%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Tennessee (33), followed by New York (26) and California (16).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 3 first-year students left Vanderbilt University: 0 for academic reasons (0%) and 3 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (2%).
Transfers run both ways: 2 first-year students transferred out and 13 transferred in from other law schools. The students who transferred in had a median first-year law school GPA of 3.43.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Vanderbilt University offered 190 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 3% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 96 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 86 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 61 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 901 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 32 |
The school reports 57 full-time faculty and 95 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 525 J.D. students, that is about 9 students per full-time faculty member.
How Vanderbilt University compares in Tennessee
Tennessee has 5 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Vanderbilt University ranks first in median LSAT, 2nd in first-time bar passage, first in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 5th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | 170 | $78,799 | 94.6% | 98.2% |
| University of Tennessee | 164 | $20,562 | 85.6% | 88.7% |
| Belmont University | 161 | $57,705 | 96.5% | 87.3% |
| University of Memphis | 155 | $21,228 | 72.6% | 79.8% |
| Lincoln Memorial University | 153 | $48,861 | 78.7% | 74.5% |
More on each, and on the Tennessee bar exam: law schools in Tennessee.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Vanderbilt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | 170 | 3.91 | $78,799 | 94.6% | 98.2% |
| University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA | 170 | 3.92 | $66,374 | 94.8% | 96.8% |
| University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN | 170 | 3.89 | $73,950 | 89.4% | 93.3% |
| Duke University Durham, NC | 171 | 3.91 | $81,829 | 98.2% | 98.7% |
| University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 169 | 3.91 | $21,804 | 90.2% | 88.8% |
| University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | 169 | 3.91 | $85,948 | 94.1% | 94.3% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Vanderbilt University Law School?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 170, with the middle half scoring 167 to 171. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.91. The school accepted 13.3% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Vanderbilt University Law School?
94.6% of Vanderbilt University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 81.9%. Within two years of graduating, 98.5% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Vanderbilt University Law School cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $78,799 a year. Most students pay less: 90% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $32,792.
Do Vanderbilt University Law School graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 98.2% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 0% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 0% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Vanderbilt University Law School ABA-accredited?
Yes. Vanderbilt University Law School has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1925, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.