ABA 509 DATA BY STATE, 2025
Law Schools in Texas: LSAT, GPA, Cost, and Jobs (2025)
Texas Southern charges $26,331 a year, the cheapest sticker among Texas's 10 ABA schools, and its FT/LT placement rate is 51.4%, the lowest in the state too. That's the tradeoff to know upfront: Texas's median LSAT across all 10 schools is 161, a 3.8 GPA, and the price tag alone won't tell you which school is the actual bargain.
Every ABA law school in Texas
Ranked by median LSAT, highest first. Every school's own page has the full 25th/50th/75th breakdown, cost, and job outcomes.
| School | LSAT 50th | GPA 50th | Accept. rate | Sticker/yr | FT/LT jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 172 | 3.9 | 14% | $56,822 | 96.8% |
| Texas A&M | 169 | 4 | 12.1% | $48,522 | 100% |
| Southern Methodist | 167 | 3.8 | 24.6% | $60,844 | 97.2% |
| Baylor | 164 | 3.8 | 20.6% | $64,544 | 98% |
| Houston | 163 | 3.8 | 23% | $46,051 | 93.5% |
| Texas Tech | 159 | 3.7 | 25.6% | $33,840 | 91.7% |
| South Texas | 155 | 3.4 | 33.6% | $42,960 | 92.7% |
| North Texas | 153 | 3.4 | 24.2% | $32,008 | 78.5% |
| St. Mary's | 153 | 3.5 | 26% | $44,910 | 85.5% |
| Texas Southern | 150 | 3.3 | 33.1% | $26,331 | 51.4% |
See what 1 extra LSAT point is worth in grants at each school above.
Reading the Texas market
Texas has 10 ABA-accredited schools, among the most of any state, and they split into a clear upper and lower tier. Texas leads at a 172 median LSAT and a 14% acceptance rate, with Texas A&M (169 LSAT, 12.1% acceptance) and SMU (167 LSAT, 24.6% acceptance) close behind. Baylor and Houston round out the top 5 at 164 and 163. Below that, Texas Tech, South Texas, North Texas, St. Mary's, and Texas Southern all sit in the 150 to 159 range, with acceptance rates between 24% and 34%.
The cost spread runs from $26,331 at Texas Southern to $64,544 at Baylor, a gap of over $38,000 a year. Texas A&M is the standout value in the upper tier: a 169 median LSAT at $48,522 a year, public pricing for a near-top-5 LSAT profile. Baylor discounts the hardest at 96.9% by share, so its sticker price matters less than it looks for a strong applicant, while Houston discounts the least among the top schools at 74%.
Job placement is where Texas Southern's cheap tuition stops looking like a deal. Texas A&M posts a 100% FT/LT rate, followed by Baylor at 98%, SMU at 97.2%, and Texas at 96.8%, all in the mid-to-high 90s. North Texas (78.5%) and Texas Southern (51.4%) are the real outliers on the low end, and Texas Southern's rate in particular is a steep drop from everyone else in the state.
Texas is a strong state to apply to in-state, particularly at the top. Texas and Texas A&M both combine elite admissions numbers with public tuition and placement rates near or at 100%, a combination that's hard to find anywhere else in the country. Baylor and SMU are worth the private-school price given their outcomes. Texas Southern is the one to think through carefully: a cheap sticker doesn't offset a 51.4% placement rate, and that math should push you to run the calculator before deciding a low price is reason enough.
FAQ
How many ABA-accredited law schools are in Texas?
Texas has 10 ABA-accredited law schools: Texas, Texas A&M, SMU, Baylor, Houston, Texas Tech, South Texas, North Texas, St. Mary's, and Texas Southern.
What's the easiest law school to get into in Texas?
Texas Southern has the lowest median LSAT (150) among Texas's 10 schools; by acceptance rate, South Texas is actually the least selective at 33.6% versus Texas Southern's 33.1%. Easiest still means a real score, not a guarantee.
What's the cheapest law school in Texas?
Texas Southern, at $26,331 a year in sticker tuition, the lowest of Texas's 10 schools, though its 51.4% FT/LT rate is also the state's lowest.
Which Texas law school has the best job placement?
Texas A&M, at 100% full-time, long-term employment within 10 months of graduation, the best rate of any school in the state.
Is it worth going to law school in Texas if I don't plan to practice there?
For most of the state's top schools, yes. Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, and SMU all post placement rates in the mid-to-high 90s, strong enough to carry weight outside Texas too. That logic breaks down at the bottom of the list, where a cheap sticker at Texas Southern comes with a 51.4% placement rate that's a much tougher sell if you're leaving the state.
Source: ABA Standard 509 Information Reports, 2015 to 2025, via LSAT Unplugged's 509 master. Verify against each school's own filing before relying on it. Last updated 2026-10-05.
