2026 CLASS PROFILE AND ABA 509 DATA
Iowa Law School Admissions: LSAT, GPA, Cost, and Jobs (2026)
The Iowa pitch in one line: a 164 median LSAT, a 44.3% acceptance rate, and an 88.2% bar pass rate that most private schools can't match. The median GPA is 3.8, and 76.6% of the class gets a grant against the $30,944 resident sticker.
The 2026 entering class
Iowa Law School's 2026 entering class had a median LSAT of 165, up 1 from 164 in 2025. The median GPA was 3.81. The school hasn't published its 25th and 75th percentiles yet.
Source: the school's admissions office, as of September 26, 2026. These numbers can shift until the 2026 ABA 509 reports publish. Everything below this section is 2025 ABA 509 data.
What it takes to get in
These are the school's own reported 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile LSAT and GPA numbers from its ABA Standard 509 filing, the same disclosure every accredited law school has to file each year. The 50th percentile is the median: half the admitted class scored above it, half below.
| Year | LSAT 25th | LSAT 50th | LSAT 75th | GPA 25th | GPA 50th | GPA 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 161 | 164 | 165 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.9 |
| 2019 | 156 | 161 | 163 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
| 2015 | 156 | 161 | 162 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
The median LSAT is up 3 points since 2019 and the median GPA moved +0.2. The bar moved here.
Your odds
A 164 LSAT is Iowa's median, with the middle 50% running from 161 at the 25th percentile to 165 at the 75th, a tight range. The acceptance rate is 44.3%. Run your own numbers through the calculator before you spend a filing fee guessing.
See where you land: the LSAT Unplugged law school chances calculator. What is 1 LSAT point worth here? See the scholarship math.
What it costs
| Sticker tuition (2025) | $52,191/yr |
| Resident | $30,944/yr |
| Nonresident | $52,191/yr |
| 3-year sticker total | $156,573 |
| Pays full sticker | 23.4% |
| Gets some grant | 76.6% |
76.6% of the class received a grant and 23.4% paid full sticker, and a score above the 165 75th percentile is your strongest position for landing a bigger award.
What you get out (Class of 2024)
| Class year reported | 2024 |
| FT/LT employed, 10 months out | 93.8% |
| Biglaw (101+ lawyer firms) | 25.6% |
| Federal clerkships | 5.1% |
| Government + public interest | 17.6% |
| Bar pass rate | 88.2% |
93.8% of the 2024 class landed a full-time, long-term job within 10 months, 25.6% went to biglaw, 5.1% landed a federal clerkship, and against a $30,944 resident sticker, the debt math is favorable for most of the class.
Schools like Iowa
These 6 are the closest match by median LSAT, then median GPA, out of all 196 schools in the 509 master (as of 2026). Use them as your realistic comparison set, not the list of "reach" schools everyone starts with.
FAQ
What LSAT score do you need for Iowa Law School?
The median LSAT for Iowa's 2025 class is 164. The 25th percentile is 161 and the 75th is 165.
What GPA do you need for Iowa Law School?
The median GPA is 3.8. The 25th percentile is 3.6 and the 75th is 3.9.
What is Iowa Law School's acceptance rate?
44.3% for the 2025 cycle, based on 554 offers out of 1,251 applications.
How much does Iowa Law School cost with and without aid?
Nonresident sticker tuition is $52,191 a year, or $156,573 over 3 years. Iowa residents pay $30,944 a year instead. 76.6% of the class received a grant, and 23.4% paid full price.
What jobs do Iowa Law School graduates get?
93.8% of the 2024 graduating class had a full-time, long-term job within 10 months. 25.6% went to biglaw and 5.1% landed a federal clerkship.
Is Iowa Law School worth it at sticker?
Yes, for most of the class. A 93.8% FT/LT placement rate and an 88.2% bar pass rate are strong for a school with a 44.3% acceptance rate, and the $30,944 resident sticker makes the in-state math especially favorable.
Source: ABA Standard 509 Information Reports, 2015 to 2025, via LSAT Unplugged's 509 master. Verify against the school's filing before relying on it. Last updated 2026-09-30.
