2026 CLASS PROFILE AND ABA 509 DATA
South Dakota Law School Admissions: LSAT, GPA, Cost, and Jobs (2026)
What matters first at South Dakota is the price tag, not the 62.6% acceptance rate: in-state tuition is $12,076 a year, one of the cheapest on this list. The median LSAT is 152, the median GPA a 3.5, and 45.1% of the class still pays full sticker.
The 2026 entering class
South Dakota Law School's 2026 entering class had a median LSAT of 152, the same as 2025. The median GPA was 3.63. The school hasn't published its 25th and 75th percentiles yet.
Source: the school's own 2026 class profile, 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 | 149 | 152 | 156 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
| 2019 | 147 | 152 | 154 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.8 |
| 2015 | 144 | 147 | 151 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
The median LSAT is up 0 points since 2019 and the median GPA moved +0.1.
What you get out (Class of 2024)
| Class year reported | 2024 |
| FT/LT employed, 10 months out | 92% |
| Biglaw (101+ lawyer firms) | 1.3% |
| Federal clerkships | 9.3% |
| Government + public interest | 20% |
| Bar pass rate | 67.3% |
92.0% of the 2024 class landed a full-time, long-term job within 10 months, and 9.3% went to federal clerkships, an unusually high share, so at in-state tuition of $12,076 a year, the debt math is about as easy as this list gets.
What it costs
| Sticker tuition (2025) | $32,184/yr |
| Resident | $12,076/yr |
| Nonresident | $32,184/yr |
| 3-year sticker total | $96,552 |
| Pays full sticker | 45.1% |
| Gets some grant | 54.9% |
54.9% of the class received a grant, and a score at or above the 156 75th percentile is the strongest position for merit aid, since 45.1% pay full sticker.
Your odds
At 152 on the LSAT and a 3.5 GPA, you're right at South Dakota's median, with a quarter of admits scoring 156 or better. Below 149 puts you in the bottom quarter, though a 62.6% acceptance rate keeps the door open wide. 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.
Schools like South Dakota
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 South Dakota Law School?
The median LSAT for South Dakota's 2025 class is 152. The 25th percentile is 149 and the 75th is 156.
What GPA do you need for South Dakota Law School?
The median GPA is 3.5. The 25th percentile is 3.2 and the 75th is 3.8.
What is South Dakota Law School's acceptance rate?
62.6% for the 2025 cycle, based on 253 offers out of 404 applications.
How much does South Dakota Law School cost with and without aid?
In-state tuition is $12,076 a year and nonresident tuition runs $32,184, working out to $96,552 over 3 years at the sticker rate. 54.9% of the class receives a grant, and 45.1% pay full price.
What jobs do South Dakota Law School graduates get?
92.0% of the 2024 graduating class had a full-time, long-term job within 10 months. Only 1.3% went to firms with 101 or more lawyers, but 9.3% landed a federal clerkship, well above what most schools on this list post.
Is South Dakota Law School worth it at sticker?
At the in-state rate, yes without much debate: $12,076 a year against a 92.0% placement rate is hard to beat. The 45.1% paying full sticker should weigh that price against in-state options closer to home before committing.
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.
