William & Mary Law School
Williamsburg, Virginia · Public · ABA-approved since 1932 · Data updated November 2, 2026
William & Mary Law School is a public law school in Williamsburg, Virginia, approved by the American Bar Association since 1932. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 166, higher than 78% of ABA-approved schools, saw 92.8% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 91% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, William & Mary received 2,176 completed applications and made 478 offers, an acceptance rate of 22%. 184 students enrolled in the first-year class. The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 161 | 166 | 167 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.53 | 3.82 | 3.94 |
A quarter of the class scored 161 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 167 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 166, 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 $46,102 a year for Virginia residents and $70,839 for everyone else. That is less than 52% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $25,184 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $38,734 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $7,368 |
| Tuition, full-time, nonresident | $62,900 |
| Fees, full-time, nonresident | $7,939 |
| Living costs, on campus | $25,184 |
| Living costs, off campus | $25,184 |
| Living costs, at home | $25,184 |
In 2024-25, 66% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $29,302, and the middle half of awards ran from $21,782 to $37,112. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $16,800 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 | 24% |
| Half to full tuition | 37% |
| Full tuition | 1% |
| More than full tuition | 5% |
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 $213,858. With the median scholarship every year, about $125,952. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 194 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 180 passed: 92.8%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 82.6%, so the school finished a full 10.2 points above that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 40 | 39 | 97.5% | 87.5% |
| Maryland | 11 | 10 | 90.9% | 73% |
| New York | 29 | 29 | 100% | 87.3% |
| Virginia | 64 | 56 | 87.5% | 81.6% |
| 21 other jurisdictions | 50 | 46 | 92% | 78.6% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 211 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 205 had passed one within two years: 97.2%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 199 2025 graduates, 181 (91%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 5 more (2.5%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 6 (3%) were unemployed and looking for work. 3 of the full-time, long-term jobs were funded by the school.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 199 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 47 (23.6%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Virginia (73), followed by District of Columbia (28) and New York (19).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 4 first-year students left William & Mary: 1 for academic reasons (1%) and 3 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (2%).
Transfers run both ways: 3 first-year students transferred out and 3 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
William & Mary offered 190 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 86% had fewer than 25 students and 1% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 162 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 150 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 178 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 143 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 13 |
The school reports 46 full-time faculty and 115 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 496 J.D. students, that is about 11 students per full-time faculty member.
How William & Mary compares in Virginia
Virginia has 8 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, William & Mary ranks 4th in median LSAT, 3rd in first-time bar passage, 4th in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 5th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Virginia | 173 | $77,900 | 95.1% | 98.1% |
| George Mason University | 169 | $27,832 | 86.3% | 81.4% |
| Washington and Lee University | 167 | $59,940 | 93.5% | 91.8% |
| William & Mary | 166 | $46,102 | 92.8% | 91% |
| University of Richmond | 164 | $57,700 | 91.3% | 88% |
| Regent University | 158 | $44,854 | 91.3% | 93.2% |
| Liberty University | 154 | $45,348 | 85.3% | 88% |
| Appalachian School of Law | 146 | $41,000 | 54.8% | 53.5% |
More on each, and on the Virginia bar exam: law schools in Virginia.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to William & Mary'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William & Mary | 166 | 3.82 | $46,102 | 92.8% | 91% |
| Emory University Atlanta, GA | 166 | 3.82 | $70,472 | 86.3% | 87.9% |
| University of Illinois Champaign, IL | 166 | 3.81 | $39,904 | 93.2% | 92.2% |
| Wake Forest University Winston Salem, NC | 166 | 3.79 | $59,144 | 89.6% | 89.2% |
| Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX | 167 | 3.81 | $68,686 | 97.8% | 94.7% |
| University of Wisconsin Madison, WI | 167 | 3.81 | $38,186 | 75% | 90.2% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into William & Mary Law School?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 166, with the middle half scoring 161 to 167. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.82. The school accepted 22% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at William & Mary Law School?
92.8% of William & Mary graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 82.6%. Within two years of graduating, 97.2% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does William & Mary Law School cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $46,102 a year for Virginia residents and $70,839 for nonresidents. Most students pay less: 66% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $29,302.
Do William & Mary Law School graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 91% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 2.5% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 3% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is William & Mary Law School ABA-accredited?
Yes. William & Mary Law School has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1932, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.