Wayne State University Law School
Detroit, Michigan · Public · ABA-approved since 1937 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Wayne State University Law School is a public law school in Detroit, Michigan, approved by the American Bar Association since 1937. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 164, higher than 69% of ABA-approved schools, saw 73.8% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 84.7% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Wayne State University received 1,290 completed applications and made 320 offers, an acceptance rate of 24.8%. 129 students enrolled in the first-year class (120 full-time, 9 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 157 | 164 | 166 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.56 | 3.89 | 3.95 |
A quarter of the class scored 157 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 166 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 164, 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 $42,594 a year for Michigan residents and $46,365 for everyone else. That is less than 56% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $25,132 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $38,861 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $3,733 |
| Tuition, full-time, nonresident | $42,632 |
| Fees, full-time, nonresident | $3,733 |
| Tuition, part-time, resident | $20,726 |
| Living costs, on campus | $25,132 |
| Living costs, off campus | $25,132 |
| Living costs, at home | $14,266 |
In 2024-25, 84% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $34,636, and the middle half of awards ran from $25,000 to $38,547. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $7,958 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 | 14% |
| Half to full tuition | 20% |
| Full tuition | 41% |
| More than full tuition | 8% |
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 $203,178. With the median scholarship every year, about $99,270. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 130 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 96 passed: 73.8%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 71.7%, so the school finished within a few points of that average (+2.2 pts).
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 other jurisdictions | 4 | 4 | 100% | 81.7% |
| Michigan | 126 | 92 | 73% | 71.3% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 105 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 92 had passed one within two years: 87.6%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 124 2025 graduates, 105 (84.7%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 13 more (10.5%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 1 (0.8%) 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 124 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 11 (8.9%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Michigan (117), followed by California (2) and District of Columbia (1).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 2 first-year students left Wayne State University: 1 for academic reasons (1%) and 1 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 3 first-year students transferred out and 3 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Wayne State University offered 97 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 74% had fewer than 25 students and 3% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 79 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 71 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 91 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 188 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 7 |
The school reports 53 full-time faculty and 48 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 394 J.D. students, that is about 7 students per full-time faculty member.
How Wayne State University compares in Michigan
Michigan has 5 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Wayne State University ranks 2nd in median LSAT, 3rd in first-time bar passage, 3rd in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and the lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan | 171 | $76,680 | 94.2% | 95.9% |
| Wayne State University | 164 | $42,594 | 73.8% | 84.7% |
| Michigan State University | 162 | $43,868 | 77.3% | 81.2% |
| University of Detroit Mercy | 156 | $48,807 | 71.5% | 88.4% |
| Cooley Law School | 147 | $48,040 | 51.5% | 58.7% |
More on each, and on the Michigan bar exam: law schools in Michigan.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Wayne State 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne State University | 164 | 3.89 | $42,594 | 73.8% | 84.7% |
| University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN | 164 | 3.89 | $20,562 | 85.6% | 88.7% |
| Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington, IN | 164 | 3.91 | $38,472 | 84.6% | 84.8% |
| Arizona State University Phoenix, AZ | 165 | 3.91 | $29,833 | 91.9% | 89% |
| Pepperdine University Malibu, CA | 164 | 3.85 | $73,550 | 90.7% | 91.8% |
| University of San Diego San Diego, CA | 163 | 3.84 | $67,751 | 86.7% | 88.6% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Wayne State University Law School?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 164, with the middle half scoring 157 to 166. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.89. The school accepted 24.8% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Wayne State University Law School?
73.8% of Wayne State University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 71.7%. Within two years of graduating, 87.6% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Wayne State University Law School cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $42,594 a year for Michigan residents and $46,365 for nonresidents. Most students pay less: 84% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $34,636.
Do Wayne State University Law School graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 84.7% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 10.5% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 0.8% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Wayne State University Law School ABA-accredited?
Yes. Wayne State University Law School has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1937, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.