ABA 509 DATA, 2025
New Mexico Law School Admissions: LSAT, GPA, Cost, and Jobs (2025)
The takeaway on New Mexico is simple: it's a strong deal if you're a resident and a much tougher one if you're not. Median LSAT is 157, median GPA 3.6, acceptance rate 41.4%. Non-resident sticker runs $43,192 a year against a resident rate of just $19,474.
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 | 154 | 157 | 161 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
| 2019 | 151 | 155 | 157 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
| 2015 | 150 | 154 | 157 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
The median LSAT is up 2 points since 2019 and the median GPA moved +0.1. The bar moved here.
What you get out (Class of 2024)
| Class year reported | 2024 |
| FT/LT employed, 10 months out | 85.7% |
| Biglaw (101+ lawyer firms) | 1.8% |
| Federal clerkships | 0.9% |
| Government + public interest | 37.5% |
| Bar pass rate | 81.9% |
85.7% of the 2024 class had a full-time, long-term job within 10 months, and with only 1.8% in biglaw, the resident tuition rate is what makes the debt math work here, not the non-resident sticker.
Your odds
A 157 LSAT lands you at New Mexico's median, inside the 154 to 161 middle 50%, and 41.4% acceptance keeps this from being a lock even at the median. Below 154 you're in the bottom quarter and leaning on the rest of the file. 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) | $43,192/yr |
| Resident | $19,474/yr |
| Nonresident | $43,192/yr |
| 3-year sticker total | $129,576 |
| Pays full sticker | 39.7% |
| Gets some grant | 60.3% |
60.3% of the class gets some grant money and 39.7% pays full sticker, so a score above the 161 75th percentile is the strongest position for merit aid at a school where residency already does a lot of the pricing work.
Schools like New Mexico
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 New Mexico?
The median LSAT for New Mexico's 2025 class is 157. The 25th percentile is 154 and the 75th is 161.
What GPA do you need for New Mexico?
The median GPA is 3.6. The 25th percentile is 3.1 and the 75th is 3.8.
What is New Mexico's acceptance rate?
41.4% for the 2025 cycle, based on 265 offers out of 640 applications.
How much does New Mexico cost with and without aid?
Non-resident sticker tuition is $43,192 a year against $19,474 for residents, a gap of more than 2 to 1. 60.3% of the class gets a grant, and 39.7% pays full price. 3-year non-resident sticker runs $129,576 before living costs.
What jobs do New Mexico graduates get?
85.7% of the 2024 graduating class had a full-time, long-term job within 10 months. Just 1.8% went to biglaw, while 37.5% went into government or public interest work.
Is New Mexico worth it at sticker?
At the resident rate, yes, especially given the heavy lean toward government and public interest jobs that pay steadily even if not spectacularly. At the non-resident sticker of $43,192 a year, with only 1.8% of grads in biglaw, the math is much harder to justify unless you have a specific reason to practice in New Mexico.
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.
