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Reviewed by:
Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University
Reviewed: 02/15/24
Getting into law school is difficult, especially in top-ranking law schools. If you’re deciding which law schools to apply to, it may be worthwhile to learn more about the easiest law schools to get into, which this guide will cover!
With the number of law school applicants rising over the years and the number of admission spots remaining the same, law school has become increasingly competitive.
With more students competing for limited spots in higher-ranking schools, many law school hopefuls wonder how to stand out in the sea of applicants they’re up against.
If you already have your top law school choices picked out or are still searching to create your list of top picks, you might consider applying to one or two law schools with higher acceptance rates and lower admission requirements.
While these law schools may not have the same prestige as higher-ranking ones, you’ll have a much higher chance of getting in. Despite being more accessible, these schools will still provide you with a great legal education and the same JD designation other schools would!
Read on to learn more about the least competitive law schools to get into and their admission requirements to help you prepare!
Here are the 15 least competitive law schools to get into, along with their acceptance rates, the median GPA and LSAT scores of their entering class, and their tuition costs.
Loyola University of New Orleans College of Law is one of the easiest law schools to enter. Despite this, it has an impressive bar pass rate of 66.30%. The median GPA and LSAT scores for the first-year 2024 class were 3.38 and 152, making it easy to get admitted. The tuition fee for the year is $52,908.
With an acceptance rate of over 56%, Southern Illinois University School of Law is one of the easiest law schools to enter the U.S. Although it has a high acceptance rate, the school receives applications from applicants with somewhat competitive GPAs to get into law school and LSAT scores.
The median GPA and LSAT scores of the first-year 2024 class were 3.38 and 148, making acceptance into the school easy. The school's full-time in-state tuition fee is $16,957 per year.
Although Charleston School of Law doesn’t have a minimum GPA or LSAT requirement, the median scores for matriculated 2024 applicants are 3.54 and 153. The law school also accepts the GRE to help make application to its school more accessible to potential applicants.
Despite having a slightly harder chance of acceptance than Southern Illinois University School of Law, the bar passage rate for Charleston School of Law is quite low compared to the latter. Full-time students can expect to pay $47,200 a year for tuition at this school.
Students interested in joining this school should aim to have an LSAT score of around 148-149 and a GPA of around 3.2-3.3 to be considered competitive, making this the best option for students with low GPAs! With an acceptance rate of 47.59%, Cooley is shy of admitting half of all their law applicants! Admitted students will pay $47,400 per year to attend the law school.
Southern Law has a high acceptance rate of 62.90% and low score requirements. In fact, its median LSAT score is 146, but they accept several students with LSAT scores as low as 144, which is typically unheard of. Similarly, their median GPA is 3.15, with a bar passage rate of 52.94%.
Full-time tuition at this school costs $11,338. Southern Law also offers part-time law programs for busy students with multiple time commitments. Their part-time JD program costs $10,484.
With the 2024 first-year class having a median LSAT score of 150 and a median GPA of 3.41, the North Carolina Central University School of Law is one of the easiest schools to get into.
The tuition fees are quite appealing, especially for state residents, at $13,444 per year. However, if you're not a resident, the full-time J.D. program tuition is $36,116 per year.
Furthermore, the school boasts an impressive bar pass rate of 56.59 percent. This and other factors make pursuing your law degree here a compelling choice.
Unlike many high-ranking law schools, Appalachian School of Law (ASL) integrates experience into its curriculum; first-year law students must complete an externship of field placement during their summer. In this externship, they complete more than 200 hours of legal work under supervision!
Aspiring law students have a high chance of joining the Appalachian School of Law (ASL) and participating in these novel externships! ASL has an acceptance rate of 43.74%. Students with an LSAT score of 148-150 and a GPA around 3.1 have a good chance of acceptance!
Tuition at the Appalachian School of Law is $41,000 a year, placing it on the higher end of the schools on this list.
Willamette University College of Law has a generous acceptance rate of about 67% percent, making admission relatively easy for prospective students. You should aim to get a GPA of 3.40 and an LSAT score of 152.
However, while Willamette strives to expand opportunities for aspiring law students, success on the bar exam is not guaranteed. On their initial attempt, only 52.69 percent of Willamette graduates passed the bar exam, though this figure surpasses the performance of some other schools on our list.
Tuition at Willamette University College of Law is $53,900 per year.
This Rhode Island university has one of the highest acceptance rates of 67.3%! It is also the only law school in Rhode Island and thus offers students unparalleled access, connection, and experience.
Luckily, joining RWU is relatively straightforward! You’ll need an LSAT score of around 150 and a GPA of 3.5 to be considered competitive.
RWU Law’s tuition costs $46,404 a year.
Cooley Law School has established itself as one of the most accessible law schools in the United States. With an acceptance rate of 45.10%, it might seem like this is one of the hardest schools on this list. Cooley maintains significantly lower admissions standards compared to most ABA-accredited institutions, with a median 148 LSAT score and a median 3.07 GPA of recent matriculants.
If you’re alarmed by the bar passage rate, though, you’re not alone. While the school offers flexible scheduling options including weekend and evening classes across multiple campuses, it has faced persistent criticism regarding its bar passage rates, which have traditionally fallen below state averages.
Despite these challenges, Cooley has provided opportunities for many students who might not otherwise have access to legal education.
When considering John Marshall Law School among other institutions on this list, it's important to note that admission here is relatively uncompetitive. The acceptance rate stands at 45.49 percent. Additionally, the full-time J.D. program comes with a substantial cost, requiring students to pay $52,536 a year.
To secure admission to John Marshall, you should aim for an LSAT score of 151-152 and a GPA of 3.1-3.2. It's worth mentioning that the bar pass rate is relatively average for this list, sitting around 65%. Given these factors, exploring alternative educational options is crucial before committing to enrollment at this institution.
Vermont Law maintains an acceptance rate of around 65 percent, reflecting a relatively favorable chance of securing admission to this institution. The 2024 first-year class’ median LSAT scores and GPA were 151 and 3.18, respectively. The tuition rate for this school is $53,768.
OCU Law equips its students with meticulous preparation and understanding of the law, master analytical thinking and reasoning skills, and ethical excellence to foster the highest standard of honor and decorum.
To be accepted, you should have an LSAT score of 152-153 and a GPA of 3.5-3.6. OCU accepts 61.9% of all its applicants and has a $36,848 tuition fee.
This Delaware University is best known for its signature JD programs that allow students to find their specialty and participate in research, advocacy work, and public policy creation!
Despite being an easy law school to get into, Widener students still have access to excellent and unique resources to prepare them for prosperous legal careers.
While Widener University’s tuition costs of $58,838 for full-time students seem to reflect a high-ranking, expensive school, they don’t! Widener has an acceptance rate of 66.49%, one of the highest acceptance rates on this list!
Prospective law students with low LSAT scores or GPAs still have a high chance of being admitted to this school. Its median LSAT score is 151, and its median GPA is 3.47.
Mississippi College is one of the only two accredited law schools in Mississippi and has resources for every aspiring law student. For instance, it has various law centers for all its second-year students that allow them to study and practice their desired areas of law in-depth.
Mississippi College has an acceptance rate of around 66%, a median LSAT score of 150, and a median GPA of 3.31. Tuition to attend this school costs $37,980 per year for all full-time students.
If you’re curious about your acceptance odds at the above schools, or any other law schools, then our law school admission predictor can help. You’ll get an analysis of your applicant profile and a prediction of how likely you are to get accepted!
If you have questions about the least competitive law schools to get into, read on to find your answers.
The least selective law schools for admissions in Texas:
Although these schools are the easiest to get into in Texas, they’re still more competitive than the institutions in this guide.
Santa Clara University Law School and the California Western School of Law are the least competitive law schools to get into in California.
Santa Clara has an acceptance rate of 66.3% and its first-year 2024 class had a median LSAT score of 157. California Western is of equal difficulty to get into. While it has a lower acceptance rate of 55.3%, it has a lower LSAT median of 153.
Roger Williams University School of Law (RWU) has the highest acceptance rate of 67.3%.
RWU has the highest acceptance rate of 67.3%. This is followed closely by Widener University - Delaware (66.49%) and Mississippi College School of Law (66.34%).
Southern University Law Center has the lowest median LSAT score of 146. Appalachian Law School and Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School are second with a median score of 147.
Choosing the perfect law school to apply to can be challenging! There are many factors to consider in your decision, and the anticipation of waiting and wondering if you got into your dream law school can be highly frustrating!
However, you can make your application process less stressful by applying to some of the easiest law schools to get into. Doing so can also give you a solid backup plan and better guarantee success in your application journey!
Best of luck!
Reviewed by:
Former Head of Northeastern University's Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University
