Willamette University School of Law
Salem, Oregon · Private · ABA-approved since 1938 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Willamette University School of Law is a private law school in Salem, Oregon, approved by the American Bar Association since 1938. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 154, higher than 20% of ABA-approved schools, saw 64.6% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 73.3% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- It accepted 61.4% of applicants, more than 95% of schools did.
- First-time bar passage 12.1 points below the average for the states where its graduates sat.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Willamette University received 858 completed applications and made 527 offers, an acceptance rate of 61.4%. 139 students enrolled in the first-year class. The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 151 | 154 | 157 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.22 | 3.48 | 3.70 |
A quarter of the class scored 151 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 157 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 154, 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.
5 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 $56,680 a year. That is more than 62% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $22,828 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $56,600 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $80 |
| Living costs, off campus | $22,828 |
| Living costs, at home | $22,828 |
In 2024-25, 94% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $20,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $10,000 to $30,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $36,680 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 | 66% |
| Half to full tuition | 24% |
| 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 plus off-campus living costs come to about $238,524. With the median scholarship every year, about $178,524. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 96 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 62 passed: 64.6%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 76.7%, so the school finished a full 12.1 points below that average.
8 more graduates were admitted to practice through an alternative pathway without a bar exam; counting them, the rate is 67.3%.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 other jurisdictions | 13 | 8 | 61.5% | 79.5% |
| Oregon | 83 | 54 | 65.1% | 76.3% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 89 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 74 had passed one within two years: 83.2%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 105 2025 graduates, 77 (73.3%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 1 more (1%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 18 (17.1%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 105 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 1 (1%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Oregon (63), followed by Washington (7) and Nevada (2).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 8 first-year students left Willamette University: 4 for academic reasons (3%) and 4 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (3%).
Transfers run both ways: 4 first-year students transferred out and 1 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Willamette University offered 90 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 72% had fewer than 25 students and 1% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 83 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 75 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 136 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 253 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 12 |
The school reports 27 full-time faculty and 25 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 365 J.D. students, that is about 14 students per full-time faculty member.
How Willamette University compares in Oregon
Oregon has 3 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Willamette University ranks 3rd in median LSAT, 3rd in first-time bar passage, 3rd in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 2nd-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis & Clark Law School | 161 | $61,484 | 86.7% | 79.7% |
| University of Oregon | 160 | $48,612 | 79.2% | 82.4% |
| Willamette University | 154 | $56,680 | 64.6% | 73.3% |
More on each, and on the Oregon bar exam: law schools in Oregon.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Willamette 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willamette University | 154 | 3.48 | $56,680 | 64.6% | 73.3% |
| Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, LA | 154 | 3.47 | $56,894 | 71.2% | 80.8% |
| Charleston School of Law Charleston, SC | 154 | 3.51 | $49,684 | 77.4% | 76.2% |
| University of Akron Akron, OH | 154 | 3.51 | $26,649 | 70.2% | 78.9% |
| University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | 155 | 3.47 | $59,990 | 80.9% | 76.3% |
| St. Mary's University San Antonio, TX | 153 | 3.49 | $46,310 | 84.6% | 80.6% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Willamette University School of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 154, with the middle half scoring 151 to 157. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.48. The school accepted 61.4% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Willamette University School of Law?
64.6% of Willamette University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 76.7%. Within two years of graduating, 83.2% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Willamette University School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $56,680 a year. Most students pay less: 94% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $20,000.
Do Willamette University School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 73.3% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 1% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 17.1% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Willamette University School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. Willamette University School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1938, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.