Washington University School of Law (WashU Law)
St. Louis, Missouri · Private · ABA-approved since 1923 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Washington University School of Law (WashU Law) is a private law school in St. Louis, Missouri, approved by the American Bar Association since 1923. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 175, higher than 99% of ABA-approved schools, saw 89.6% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 94.1% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- A median LSAT of 175, higher than 99% of ABA-approved schools.
- A median scholarship of $48,000, larger than at 98% of schools.
- 94.1% of 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs, more than at 91% of schools.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Washington University (St. Louis) received 5,616 completed applications and made 1,065 offers, an acceptance rate of 19%. 261 students enrolled in the first-year class. The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 165 | 175 | 176 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.58 | 3.96 | 4.00 |
A quarter of the class scored 165 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 176 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 175, 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.
3 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 $73,684 a year. That is more than 88% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $28,603 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $72,792 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $892 |
| Living costs, off campus | $28,603 |
In 2024-25, 94% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $48,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $40,000 to $60,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $25,684 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 | 15% |
| Half to full tuition | 58% |
| Full tuition | 11% |
| More than full tuition | 10% |
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 $306,861. With the median scholarship every year, about $162,861. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 270 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 242 passed: 89.6%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 83.4%, so the school finished 6.2 points above that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 other jurisdictions | 65 | 56 | 86.2% | 78.9% |
| California | 20 | 14 | 70% | 82.7% |
| District of Columbia | 15 | 15 | 100% | 87.5% |
| Illinois | 46 | 43 | 93.5% | 81.1% |
| Missouri | 45 | 43 | 95.6% | 86.4% |
| New York | 56 | 50 | 89.3% | 87.3% |
| Texas | 23 | 21 | 91.3% | 82.7% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 225 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 216 had passed one within two years: 96%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 273 2025 graduates, 257 (94.1%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 10 more (3.7%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 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 273 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 130 (47.6%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Missouri (52), followed by Illinois (44) and New York (33).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 4 first-year students left Washington University (St. Louis): 2 for academic reasons (1%) and 2 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 6 first-year students transferred out and 20 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
Washington University (St. Louis) offered 168 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 67% had fewer than 25 students and 5% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 200 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 197 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 153 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 574 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 21 |
The school reports 127 full-time faculty and 116 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 787 J.D. students, that is about 6 students per full-time faculty member.
How Washington University (St. Louis) compares in Missouri
Missouri has 4 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Washington University (St. Louis) ranks first in median LSAT, first in first-time bar passage, first in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 4th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington University (St. Louis) | 175 | $73,684 | 89.6% | 94.1% |
| University of Missouri | 161 | $25,503 | 86.2% | 86.4% |
| Saint Louis University | 157 | $56,190 | 89.1% | 87.6% |
| University of Missouri, Kansas City | 156 | $26,192 | 82.3% | 81.2% |
More on each, and on the Missouri bar exam: law schools in Missouri.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Washington University (St. Louis)'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington University (St. Louis) | 175 | 3.96 | $73,684 | 89.6% | 94.1% |
| Harvard University Cambridge, MA | 174 | 3.96 | $82,352 | 97.9% | 93.2% |
| Yale University New Haven, CT | 174 | 3.96 | $78,961 | 98.5% | 87.2% |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | 174 | 3.97 | $84,906 | 96.7% | 96.8% |
| Northwestern University Chicago, IL | 173 | 3.96 | $80,633 | 91.8% | 92% |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | 173 | 3.96 | $79,707 | 99.4% | 86.8% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Washington University School of Law (WashU Law)?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 175, with the middle half scoring 165 to 176. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.96. The school accepted 19% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Washington University School of Law (WashU Law)?
89.6% of Washington University (St. Louis) graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 83.4%. Within two years of graduating, 96% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Washington University School of Law (WashU Law) cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $73,684 a year. Most students pay less: 94% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $48,000.
Do Washington University School of Law (WashU Law) graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 94.1% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 3.7% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 0% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Washington University School of Law (WashU Law) ABA-accredited?
Yes. Washington University School of Law (WashU Law) has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1923, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.