Dedman School of Law - Southern Methodist University
#55 in Best Law Schools
Founded in 1911, Dedman School of Law - Southern Methodist University is a Private (not-for-profit) school located in Dallas, TX. The next statements briefly introduces Dedman School of Law. The 2025 tuition data is from the school's financial office and admission and other information is based on American Bar Association (ABA) data.
- The average LSAT Score of enrolled students is 164 where the national average LSAT is 159.
- The average GPA of enrolled students is 3.83 where the national average GPA is 3.61.
- The 2025 law school tuition & fees is $63,502 where the national average law school tuition is $51,002.
- The acceptance rate at is 32.7% where the average acceptance rate is 42.3%.
- Total 725 law school students have enrolled.
- The bar exam pass rate (for first-time exam takers) is 84.9% where the average pass rate of all law schools is 77.2%.
2024 Tuition & Fees
The 2024-2025 law school tuition at Dedman School of Law - Southern Methodist University is $61,058. The law school tuition has increased by 4.00% from last year. The 2023 undergraduate tuition & fees is $64,460. The graduate school tuition & fees other than law school is $37,062.
The average living costs including room & board, books, and other personal expenses is $27,862. This amount may not include health insurance fee and exam fees and varies by student's living setting.
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law School Tuition & Fees | $44,494 | $61,058 | $63,502 |
| Law School Living Expenses | - | $27,237 | $27,237 |
| Undergraduate Tuition | $60,236 | $61,980 | $64,460a |
| Graduate Tuition | $35,802 | $36,864 | $37,062a |
| General On-campus Living Costs | $20,038 | $20,350 | $20,830a |
| General Off-campus Living Costs | $11,300 | $11,300 | $13,408a |
a The amount is not published yet by IPEDS. It is an estimated amount based on 2023 and 2024 rates.
LSAT Scores & GPA
The 2024 average LSAT score for Dedman School of Law is 164. Compared to the average LSAT of all law schools, Dedman School of Law's LSAT score is average (the average is 159).
The average GPA is 3.83, which is the around average of other law schools (average is 3.61).
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | |||
| 75th Percentile | 164 | 165 | 166 |
| 50th Percentile | 163 | 164 | 164 |
| 25th Percentile | 158 | 160 | 160 |
| GPA | |||
| 75th Percentile | 3.89 | 3.87 | 3.91 |
| 50th Percentile | 3.76 | 3.71 | 3.83 |
| 25th Percentile | 3.43 | 3.35 | 3.67 |
Acceptance Rate & Yield
The 2024 acceptance rate at Dedman School of Law is 32.7% where 2,175 applicants have applied to and 711 students have accepted to admit. The acceptance rate at Dedman School of Law is average compared to other law schools in united states (the average acceptance rate is 42.3%).
The Yield, also known as enrollment rate, is 26.3% where 187 students finally enrolled out of 711 admitted students. The yield Dedman School of Law is lower (admitted, but not enrolled) compared to other law schools (the average yield is 42.3%).
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 2,334 | 2,253 | 2,175 |
| Admitted | 780 | 764 | 711 |
| Enrolled | 224 | 221 | 187 |
| Acceptance Rate | 33.4% | 33.9% | 32.7% |
| Yield | 28.7% | 28.9% | 26.3% |
Law School Enrollment
For the academic year 2023-2024, total 725 law school students have enrolled to Dedman School of Law. 663 students have enrolled in JD (Juris Doctor degree) program and 62 students enrolled in Non-JD program.
190 first-time students have enrolled in Dedman School of Law. By gender, 85 male and 105 female first-time students newly enrolled in Dedman School of Law. With 3 pre-admitted students, there are 190 first-time law school Students at Dedman School of Law.
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Enrollment | 795 | 769 | 725 |
| JD Enrollment | 719 | 687 | 663 |
| Non-JD Enrollment | 76 | 82 | 62 |
| Non-JD Enrollment (Online) | - | - | - |
| 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 226 | 190 |
| Men | 96 | 85 |
| Women | 130 | 105 |
Bar Exam Pass Rate
For the first time bar exam takers at Dedman School of Law, the bar exam pass rate is 85.28% - 265 students have taken and 226 students have passed the exam. The pass rate is higher than Texas average bar exam pass rate (75.44%).
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Graduates | 223 | 210 | 269 |
| First-Time Bar Exam Takers Total | 189 | 230 | 265 |
| New Graduates | 173 | 188 | 251 |
| Prior Year Graduates | 11 | 37 | 12 |
| Early Exam Takers | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| No Exam Takers | 45 | 17 | 18 |
| Exam Passer | 161 | 200 | 226 |
| Exam Pass Rate | 85.18% | 86.96% | 85.28% |
| Texas Pass Rate | 0% | 77.61% | 75.44% |
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