Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School
#193 in Best Law Schools
Founded in 1972, Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School is a Private (not-for-profit) school located in Lansing, MI. The next statements briefly introduces Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. 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 148 where the national average LSAT is 159.
- The average GPA of enrolled students is 3.07 where the national average GPA is 3.61.
- The 2025 law school tuition & fees is $46,240 where the national average law school tuition is $51,002.
- The acceptance rate at is 46.2% where the average acceptance rate is 42.3%.
- Total 472 law school students have enrolled.
- The bar exam pass rate (for first-time exam takers) is 37.3% where the average pass rate of all law schools is 77.2%.
2024 Tuition & Fees
The 2024-2025 law school tuition at Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School is $44,140. The law school tuition has increased by 4.76% from last year.
The average living costs including room & board, books, and other personal expenses is $22,838. 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 | $41,290 | $44,140 | $46,240 |
| Law School Living Expenses | $19,408 | $19,408 | $19,408 |
| Graduate Tuition | $14,440 | $15,080 | $15,080a |
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 Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School is 148. Compared to the average LSAT of all law schools, Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School's LSAT score is lower (the average is 159).
The average GPA is 3.07, which is the lower of other law schools (average is 3.61).
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | |||
| 75th Percentile | 151 | 151 | 151 |
| 50th Percentile | 148 | 148 | 148 |
| 25th Percentile | 146 | 146 | 146 |
| GPA | |||
| 75th Percentile | 3.28 | 3.33 | 3.42 |
| 50th Percentile | 2.99 | 3 | 3.07 |
| 25th Percentile | 2.61 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
Acceptance Rate & Yield
The 2024 acceptance rate at Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School is 46.1% where 1,207 applicants have applied to and 557 students have accepted to admit. The acceptance rate at Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School 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 26.2% where 146 students finally enrolled out of 557 admitted students. The yield Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School is lower (admitted, but not enrolled) compared to other law schools (the average yield is 42.3%).
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 1,430 | 1,352 | 1,207 |
| Admitted | 700 | 651 | 557 |
| Enrolled | 184 | 191 | 146 |
| Acceptance Rate | 49.0% | 48.2% | 46.1% |
| Yield | 26.3% | 29.3% | 26.2% |
Law School Enrollment
For the academic year 2023-2024, total 472 law school students have enrolled to Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. 431 students have enrolled in JD (Juris Doctor degree) program and 41 students enrolled in Non-JD program.
146 first-time students have enrolled in Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. By gender, 64 male and 82 female first-time students newly enrolled in Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Enrollment | 706 | 575 | 472 |
| JD Enrollment | 655 | 529 | 431 |
| Non-JD Enrollment | 51 | 46 | 41 |
| Non-JD Enrollment (Online) | - | - | - |
| 2023 | 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Full time | Part time | Total | Full time | Part time | |
| Total | 191 | 30 | 161 | 146 | 57 | 89 |
| Men | 102 | 12 | 71 | 77 | 26 | 38 |
| Women | 108 | 18 | 90 | 82 | 31 | 51 |
Bar Exam Pass Rate
For the first time bar exam takers at Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, the bar exam pass rate is 36% - 250 students have taken and 90 students have passed the exam. The pass rate is lower than Michigan average bar exam pass rate (71.36%).
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Graduates | 329 | 429 | 247 |
| First-Time Bar Exam Takers Total | 294 | 393 | 250 |
| New Graduates | 208 | 289 | 146 |
| Prior Year Graduates | 86 | 104 | 104 |
| Early Exam Takers | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No Exam Takers | 121 | 140 | 101 |
| Exam Passer | 135 | 149 | 90 |
| Exam Pass Rate | 45.92% | 37.91% | 36% |
| Michigan Pass Rate | 76.02% | 73.05% | 71.36% |
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