ABA 509 DATA, 2025
Southern Methodist Law School Admissions: LSAT, GPA, Cost, and Jobs (2025)
SMU's median LSAT is 167, the median GPA a 3.8, and the school admits 24.6% of applicants. Get in and 36.8% of the 2024 class landed at a firm of 101 lawyers or larger, against tuition of $60,844 a year.
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 | 163 | 167 | 168 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.9 |
| 2019 | 155 | 161 | 163 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.8 |
| 2015 | 156 | 161 | 163 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
The median LSAT is up 6 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 | 97.2% |
| Biglaw (101+ lawyer firms) | 36.8% |
| Federal clerkships | 2.4% |
| Government + public interest | 8.5% |
| Bar pass rate | 84.9% |
97.2% of the 2024 class landed a full-time, long-term job within 10 months and 36.8% went to firms of 101 lawyers or larger, so the $182,532 three-year sticker gets paid back quickly for most of this class.
Your odds
At 167 on the LSAT and a 3.8 GPA, you're right at SMU's median, with a quarter of admits scoring 168 or higher. Fall to 163 or below and you're in the bottom quarter, where a 24.6% acceptance rate turns unforgiving fast. 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) | $60,844/yr |
| 3-year sticker total | $182,532 |
| Pays full sticker | 5.9% |
| Gets some grant | 94.1% |
94.1% of the class received a grant, and a score at or above the 168 75th percentile is the strongest position for merit aid, since only 5.9% pay full sticker.
Schools like Southern Methodist
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 Southern Methodist Law School?
The median LSAT for SMU's 2025 class is 167, up 6 points from 2015. The 25th percentile is 163 and the 75th is 168.
What GPA do you need for Southern Methodist Law School?
The median GPA is 3.8. The 25th percentile is 3.5 and the 75th is 3.9.
What is Southern Methodist Law School's acceptance rate?
24.6% for the 2025 cycle, based on 747 offers out of 3,038 applications.
How much does Southern Methodist Law School cost with and without aid?
Sticker tuition is $60,844 a year, or $182,532 over 3 years before living costs. 94.1% of the class receives a grant, so only 5.9% pays that full price.
What jobs do Southern Methodist Law School graduates get?
97.2% of the 2024 graduating class had a full-time, long-term job within 10 months. 36.8% went to firms with 101 or more lawyers, and 2.4% landed a federal clerkship.
Is Southern Methodist Law School worth it at sticker?
For most admitted students, yes. A 94.1% grant rate, a 97.2% placement rate, and a 36.8% biglaw share make the $182,532 sticker a strong return. Even the 5.9% paying full price are landing biglaw jobs at a rate that covers it.
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.
