The University of Missouri – Kansas City

Published February 2010, last updated June 2010

Styling itself as “the urban law school with a small liberal arts feel,” this campus of the University of Missouri is located just south of downtown Kansas City. An affordable program, the school boasts several famous alumni – mostly notably Harry S. Truman, 33^rd president of the United States.

Admission and Tuition

Like the majority of its Tier 3 peers, UMKC is not particularly selective when it comes to admission: in Fall 2009, 437 out of 914 full-time applicants were accepted, yielding an acceptance rate of nearly 48%. Of those 437 accepted, 155 opted to enroll, giving the school a matriculation rate of approximately 35%. Statistics for full time matriculants were also rather typical. The LSAT ranged from a 25^th percentile of 152 to a 75^th of 156; the GPA range for the same quartiles was 3.03-3.58. One noticeable aspect of UMKC is an apparent lack of diversity – almost three-quarters of the students are white, and about 6 out of every 10 are male.

Since UMKC is a public school, tuition rates vary according to a student’s residency status. For Missouri residents, 2009-2010 tuition was $14,252; for out-of-state residents, the cost jumps to $27,262. This relatively low cost is one of the greatest benefits UMKC has to offer.

Academics

Like most third-tier schools, UMKC is not known for being particularly outstanding or innovative academically. As is the case with most law schools, the first year course load is predetermined: Contracts I & II, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, Torts, Property I & II, Constitutional Law, and two semesters of legal writing and researching. Classes are graded on a rather brutal curve, with a median GPA of only 2.68. Perhaps due to the stress of competition, more than 7% of first-year students at UMKC decided not to return for their second year.

One thing that does distinguish the UMKC from its peers is the relatively low student-to-faculty ratio of 13.2. Dedicated students report that it is quite easy to develop a close relationship with a professor; especially since UMKC offers highly qualified second-and-third year students the opportunity to work as paid research assistants. In addition to the flagship journal, The UMKC Law Review, students are also encouraged to submit articles to the Urban Lawyer and Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Quality of Life

Though sometimes thought of by big-city inhabitants as being “in the middle of nowhere,” Kansas City is actually the second-largest metropolitan area in Missouri, trailing only that of St. Louis. The city is home to shopping centers, museums, and two major-league sports teams; all things considered, Kansas City is one of the most culturally vibrant and fun cities of the Great Plain States. Luckily for UMKC students, the law school is located only a few miles south of downtown. Students also enjoy the benefit of a very low cost-of-living, which is only 80% the national average. UMKC truly is, in this respect at least, the best of both worlds – cheap housing without sacrificing entertainment or interest.

After Graduation

UMKC has one of the best employment rates of any school in the third tier: 95.6% of graduates are employed within nine months of graduation. The majority of graduates stayed to work in Missouri, with only about 12% traveling outside the Midwest. 92.3% of those who stayed in Missouri passed the bar exam – a high total, but only about three percent higher than the state average.

Though jobs are plentiful, salaries are relatively meager. Even in the private sector, the median salary of UMKC alumni was only $62,500 annually. The only truly “biglaw” market relatively nearby – Chicago – is nearly impossible to enter, owing to intense competition from higher ranked schools all over the nation. That said, almost three-quarters of graduates found jobs in the private sector, with the majority working at small-to-midsized Missouri law firms. 16.5% of 2008 grads held government jobs – an extremely high percentage, especially for a third-tier school. Though clerkships were difficult to come by in 2007 (6.4% of grads), 2008 saw the percentage tick up to 11.3%, though only 1.6% of those with a federal judge.

Conclusion

As with most Tier 3 schools, potential applicants should be aware that a degree from UMKC is hardly a “sure thing” as far as post-graduate job prospects are concerned. However, there are certainly upsides. Tuition is cheap, especially for Missouri residents, and almost all graduates quickly find employment. For an applicant willing to stay in Missouri (where only Washington University outranks UMKC), and practice at a smaller law firm, UMKC can be a good use of both time and money. But one interested in working in another state or outside the private sector would probably be best-served elsewhere.

Fast Facts:

University of Missouri-Kansas City
School of Law
5100 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110-2499
law@umkc.edu

Ranking: Tier 3
2009 Median GPA: 3.30 (FT), 2.88 (PT)
2009 Median LSAT: 154 (FT), 154 (PT)
Number of 1Ls: 155 (FT), 9 (PT)
2009-2010 Full-Time Tuition: $14,242 (In-State), $27,262 (Out-of-State)
% Employed 9 Months after Graduation: 97.2%
Median Private Sector Salary: $62,500 (Class of 2008, 66% reporting)