University of Kentucky College of Law

Rendering of Future Kentucky College of Law

The University of Kentucky College of Law is an excellent choice for students interested in pursuing a legal education. The school offers good employment prospects for its graduates, especially those who stay in Kentucky or the surrounding states. In addition, UK Law's public reputation allows it to offer lower tuition rates for residents of Kentucky. As such, a school is a great option for those looking to study law in the state of Kentucky.

History

The J. David Rosenberg College of Law has a long history of providing legal education to Kentucky's leaders and outstanding lawyers. They are proud to have helped shape the legal landscape of this state and believe our current students will continue this tradition.

The University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law is one of the nation's first state law schools. It was founded in 1908 by a law program that began at Transylvania University in 1799. In 1913, the college established the nation's first law school trial practice program. Furthermore, its Kentucky Law Journal is one of the oldest student-run law reviews in the nation. The J. David Rosenberg College of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1925 and was elected to the Order of the Coif, the most prestigious national legal honorary society, in 1931.

As educators, they prepare the graduates to be responsible members and leaders of the legal profession, Commonwealth, and Nation dedicated to the highest standards of ethics, excellence, and professionalism. They engage in robust exploration and dissemination of ideas examining the law, legal institutions, and the role of law in society. As engaged citizens of the Commonwealth’s premier land-grant university, they serve their community and the profession by enhancing public understanding of the law, engaging in law reform, delivering continuing legal education, and providing legal services to the indigent.

Admissions

Admission to the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law appreciates your interest in their law school. They will do their best to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about your legal education. Whether you are just starting to think about law as a career or are currently applying, you will find plenty of useful information here.

Statistics

Admissions Stats
Class of:	2023-2024	2024-2025
25th - 50th - 75th percentile LSAT	155 - 157 - 160	155 - 158 - 160
25th - 50th - 75th percentile GPA	3.35 - 3.67 - 3.87	3.52 - 3.71 - 3.86
Acceptance rate	50.1%	48.2%
Applications received	1043	1020
Acceptances	548	492
Matriculants	152	129

For the 2024–2025 admissions cycle at the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law, the data show a slightly more competitive landscape compared to the previous year. The middle LSAT range held steady, while the median GPA rose modestly, suggesting that admitted students entered with somewhat stronger academic records overall. The acceptance rate decreased from just over half of applicants to under half, indicating greater selectivity in the most recent cycle. At the same time, both the total number of applications received and the number of offers of admission declined, reflecting a smaller applicant pool and fewer admissions extended. This trend also resulted in fewer matriculants, with the entering class size shrinking compared to the year prior. Altogether, the statistics highlight a cycle defined by tighter competition, higher academic expectations, and a more selective admissions process.

Application Requirements

The University of Kentucky Rosenberg Law School only admits first-year students in the fall semester. There is no part-time program at UK Rosenberg Law. First-year applications are accepted starting on September 1 through April 30. Applicants must apply online through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). For priority consideration with regard to scholarships, applications must be received and completed no later than March 1.

First-year application requirements include: Online application and $50.00 fee (via LSAC) Official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions (via LSAC/CAS) LSAT score(s) from the last 5 years (via LSAC/CAS) Personal Statement (via LSAC) At least 2 Letters of Recommendation (via LSAC/CAS) Resume (via LSAC/CAS) Other Optional Materials (Addenda, UK Law interest statement) (via LSAC or to UK Law Admissions)

Resume

Please submit a copy of your resume with your application. Resumes are now required, so include one with your submission. A resume will show that you are serious about the opportunity and that you have taken the time to provide a good overview of your skills and experience.

Admission Decisions and Tuition Deposit

For the 2025 admission cycle at the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law, applicants are notified of admission decisions on a rolling basis once their files are complete, meaning candidates can expect to hear back as the Admissions Committee reviews applications throughout the cycle. Admitted students are then required to secure their place in the incoming class by submitting a non-refundable tuition deposit by the stated deadline provided in their offer of admission. This deposit confirms the student’s intent to enroll and is later applied toward their first semester’s tuition. Failure to submit the deposit on time may result in forfeiting the admission offer, as the school carefully manages class size and seat availability to ensure a balanced and prepared cohort.

Amending/Updating Your Application

If you send an updated transcript or an additional letter of recommendation, you should send them through LSAC's CAS. You should be sure to update your application (before or after a decision is rendered) to ensure that it reflects any changes to the Character and Fitness questions and to be sure that it remains truthful and complete. As always, if your contact information changes, please email uklawadmissions@uky.edu.

Transfers and Visits

The UK Rosenberg Law School accepts both transfer and visiting students every year. To be eligible for transfer, you must have less than 45 hours of law school work. To be a visitor, you must have completed the equivalent of the first year of law school work. However, acceptance by the Admissions Committee in no way implies that all credits from another law school will be accepted for transfer credit.

The deadline for transfer applications is June 1 for fall admission, December 1 for spring admission, and May 1 for summer admission. After applying, you will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application from UK Rosenberg Law School, giving you information on accessing the online status checker.

To be a competitive transfer applicant, you should present a 2.7 or higher grade point average (GPA) with at least 25 hours of law school work. The Admissions Committee will consider your law school record and all the other factors considered in an application for a first-year applicant. To read a fantastic article about transferring, click here.

Tuition and Financial Aid

As you prepare for the 2025 academic year at UK College of Law, expect tuition for full-time JD students to reflect residency status—significantly lower for Kentucky residents compared to out-of-state enrollees. The College estimates that nearly all students benefit from financial support, with merit scholarships and aid typically averaging around $12,000 per student, making legal education there more attainable than the headline price might suggest. Institutions at large, including law schools, offer a mix of aid options such as federal assistance and alternative loan resources, ensuring students can access a tailored mix of funding.

Cost of Attendance

Prospective students entering the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2025 should anticipate total costs that extend beyond tuition, encompassing expenses like housing, meals, books, transportation, and personal needs. The College's cost of attendance varies notably by residency status, with Kentucky residents benefiting from lower overall expenses compared to out-of-state students. These estimates reflect comprehensive annual budgeting that helps students and financial aid offices assess affordability and plan accordingly.

Estimated 2025 Cost of Attendance – UK College of Law
Category	Kentucky Resident	Out-of-State Student
Total Cost of Attendance¹	$50,152	$74,806
Tuition & Fees²	$26,938	$51,592
Other Expenses (living, books, etc.)²	Included above	Included above

¹ Total cost includes prorated estimates for housing, meals, books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses. ² Tuition & Fees for 2025 are estimated at $26,938 for Kentucky residents and $51,592 for out-of-state students.

Financial Aid

The United Kingdom has a central office for all federal financial aid. You can contact the Office of Student Financial Aid (SFA) at 859.257.3172 or visit the 128 Funkhouser Building on UK's main campus to apply for federal financial aid. To be eligible for federal financial aid, you must meet the following conditions:

You will be enrolled in a degree program to obtain a degree offered by the UK You are enrolled in at least 5 credit hours You are a US citizen or an eligible non-citizen (See the FAFSA) Filling out the FAFSA online is the most suitable way to apply for assistance and includes built-in "edits" that help filers avoid common mistakes. You must complete the application and list the University of Kentucky in Step 6. The University of Kentucky's Title IV code is 001989.

Federal Loans

The maximum loan amount a student can receive from the Federal Direct Loan program per year is $20,500. If the student disagrees with the need assessment made by the SFA, they can find instructions to appeal here. A Federal Direct Loan is a type of federal loan assistance that must be repaid. To be eligible for a Direct Loan, you must be enrolled at least half-time, which is five credit hours for law students. Repayment begins six months after you cease to be enrolled at least half-time. You may either pay the interest quarterly or have it capitalized (added to the principal amount of the loan). Perkins Loans of varying amounts up to $4,000 are also available for qualifying students. An independent student's maximum Direct Loan amount is $20,500 per year.

Federal Graduate/Professional PLUS Loans

Private and Federal Graduate/Professional PLUS loans are available if you need more funds than what you are awarded under the federal loan programs listed above. The Graduate/Professional PLUS loan program is available to students enrolled at least half-time. For law students, half-time status is five credit hours. You can borrow up to the amount of your cost of attendance minus other financial aid. To apply for a Graduate/Professional PLUS loan, you can go to StudentLoans.gov. This website allows you to apply for the loan, receive an immediate notification of the credit check, sign a promissory note, and complete entrance counseling. The current interest rate is 7.9% fixed. A Graduate/Professional PLUS borrower may receive a deferment while enrolled at least half-time. The repayment period begins 60 days after the final loan disbursement of the academic year unless deferred. This loan does not have a six month grace period.

Work Study

Suppose you are interested in working through the Federal Work-Study program. In that case, you must complete the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and indicate your interest in Federal Work Study in question 31. If eligible, your work-study award will be included in your financial aid award package. Please get in touch with your financial aid counselor if you receive an award package without work-study but would like to work through the program.

Entrance Counseling

First-time borrowers of the Federal Direct Loan in the UK must complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and entrance counseling. These steps can be completed electronically at StudentLoans.gov. The electronic signature of the Master Promissory Note requires the pin number assigned to you by the federal government when you complete the FAFSA. The loan will be released once all requirements have been satisfied.

Exit Counseling

Exit counseling is a requirement for all Federal Direct Loan borrowers who withdraw, graduate, or drop below half-time attendance. The online session helps you understand your rights and responsibilities and prepares you for repayment. It's important to complete exit counseling to make sure you're aware of your options and what to expect.

Alternative Loans

The University of Kentucky provides students with information about alternative loans as a resource to make an informed decision about funding their education. Before you explore alternative loan options, research and use all federal and state financial aid funds available to you. As you consider different loan programs, keep in mind what is most important to you so that you can select the program that best meets your needs. Remember that choosing an alternative loan is a long-term decision – it will be with you for many years after graduation. Being informed now could save you time, difficulties, and money. Please click on the Alternative Loan Comparison Chart to access a comprehensive comparison chart of all lenders used by the University of Kentucky students within the last three years. The University of Kentucky does not recommend one lender over another and has no agreements or arrangements with any specific lender. You are not limited to the lenders listed on the Comparison Chart and are free to borrow from any lender of your choice.

Scholarships

Merit Scholarships

The UK Rosenberg Law School awards scholarships to students who have demonstrated merit based primarily on their LSAT score and cumulative GPA as determined by the Law School Admissions Council's Credential Assembly Service. You will automatically be considered for merit scholarships if admitted to UK Rosenberg Law. Merit scholarships are available for both resident and nonresident candidates.

Diversity Scholarships

The UK Rosenberg Law School offers scholarships based on a broad definition of diversity, which includes, but is not limited to, educational disadvantage, socioeconomic status, minority status, or other contributions to the diversity of the UK Rosenberg Law community. With your admission to UK Rosenberg Law, you will be automatically considered for diversity scholarships based on your application. However, you may add an addendum to supplement your application addressing your contribution to diversity. Diversity scholarships are available for both resident and nonresident candidates.

UK Fellowships

The Charles T. Wethington Jr. Fellowship, the W.L. Matthews Jr. Fellowship, and the Otis A. Singletary Fellowship are all fellowships offered to UK undergraduates who continue their graduate or professional education in the UK. These fellowships are awarded based on academic achievement and contributions to the UK as an undergraduate, ranging in value from $12,000 to $20,000. The deadline for each fellowship can be found here, and UK's Graduate Fellowship Office handles the application process. If you have any questions about UK fellowships, contact the Graduate School directly at 859.257.4613.

The Bert Combs Scholars and Ashland Inc. Legal Scholars

The Bert Combs Scholarship is a scholarship that is given to the best and brightest law school applicants, from both residents and non-residents. The scholarship is in memory of Bert Thomas Combs, Kentucky's 50th governor. The Combs Scholar receives a three-year scholarship that includes resident tuition (excluding fees) plus an annual stipend. The scholarship is given to only the candidates who apply by February 1 and are interviewed.

The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund

The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund is intended to help encourage minority students to apply to law school and provide financial assistance. The Scholarship Fund will award $5,000.00 of financial assistance each year to a scholarship recipient attending an ABA-accredited law school. Twenty awards will be made across all ABA-accredited law schools, and the scholarship may be renewable for two additional years. Completed scholarship applications must be received, not postmarked, by the deadline indicated.

Outside Scholarships

The UK Rosenberg College of Law maintains a list of scholarships sent to us from other organizations. You can find this list by visiting our website. Additionally, you visit the website FastWeb for more information on financial aid.

Scholarship Retention

Students who maintain a GPA of 2.2 or higher will keep their scholarships. The University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law does not award scholarships conditional on law school academic performance other than requiring a student to remain in good academic standing with a 2.2 GPA or better. Therefore, the scholarship retention data sheet will not be posted.

Academics & Curriculum

Like students at most law schools, UK Law students enroll in a prescribed set of foundational courses during their first year, including Torts, Property, and Legal Writing. After this first year, students are mostly free to choose from among the many elective courses the school offers to complete their 90-credit-hour degree requirement. These courses are offered in various legal areas, among them Constitutional Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Tax Law. Students looking to broaden their legal education at UK Law can aim for one of the school's joint-degree programs: the JD/MBA, JD/MPA, and the JD/MA in Diplomacy and International Commerce. Those hoping to gain practical lawyering experience at the school, meanwhile, will have plenty of opportunity to do so through the school's five externship programs: a judicial clerkship externship, an externship at the Fayette Commonwealth Attorney's Office, an externship at the Federal Correctional Institute in Lexington, an externship with the Kentucky Innocence Project, and finally an externship with the US Attorney's Office in Lexington. Other opportunities are also available for students who wish to take their legal education outside of the traditional classroom setting, including law journals, mock trial teams, and moot court competitions.

Journals

The Kentucky Law Journal is one of the oldest law reviews in the US, and it is edited entirely by students.

Externships

The College offers several externship opportunities for students to work under the guidance of practicing attorneys for academic credit. The specific course descriptions can be found in the College of Law Catalog and are reprinted below. Each externship requires 100 hours of work during the semester for two pass/fail credits. The Innocence Project Externship must be taken for an entire academic year, fall and spring, for four credits. Students must receive both pay and academic credit for the same work. However, if you work more than 100 hours in an externship, you may be paid for the amount of work over 100 hours. The Legal Clinic is three hours of graded credit. The Clinic Director may select former clinic students to participate in Advanced Legal Clinic for two hours of pass-fail credit in the spring of a student’s third year.

Legal Clinic

The Legal Clinic allows students to apply their knowledge of the law to real-world scenarios, developing skills such as problem-solving, legal research, interviewing, and more. The Clinic is a great way to get a taste of what practicing is like and can help you decide if a career in law is right for you.

Quality of Life

The Lexington Campus of the UK is located in downtown Lexington and has over 100 buildings. The campus consists of a graduate school, a University hospital, and 16 colleges. The Graduate School offers 90 master's and 61 doctoral degree programs. Enrollment on the central campus is more than 26,000 and includes students from every state and more than 100 foreign countries. The W.T. Young Library is a state-of-the-art research facility completed in 2000. The College of Law benefits from having available the research and instructional facilities of a major university and the amenities of a large university campus.

Law Building

The College of Law is located in the center of the University of Kentucky's Lexington campus. It has all the necessary facilities for quality legal education and is a medium-sized law school with around 388 full-time students and 34 full-time faculty members. The UK is large enough to offer a diverse curriculum yet small enough to foster friendly relationships among students, faculty, and administrators. The Law Library is part of the Law Building and contains over a third of a million volumes. It is arranged to give students easy access to all necessary research materials. Its staff is dedicated to providing the best possible service to UK Law's students and faculty.

Lexington is an ideal city for law students looking for a high quality of life. The city provides all the amenities one could need without the hassles of larger metropolitan cities. In addition, Lexington has numerous bars, clubs, and restaurants to suit all tastes. Students at UK Law are given plenty of opportunities to meet and socialize through the many events sponsored by the school's Student Bar Association.

Employment Prospects & Bar Passage

Graduates of the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law enter the job market with strong outcomes, as nearly all secure employment soon after graduation. The majority obtain full-time roles, with many joining law firms of varying sizes, while others find success in state and federal clerkships. Additional career paths include positions in government agencies, corporate and business sectors, and nonprofit or public interest organizations, reflecting the broad versatility of a UK Law degree. Overall, the school maintains a reputation for producing practice-ready attorneys who transition smoothly into the legal profession.

Bar Passage

The College of Law also delivers consistently solid bar exam performance. Roughly three-quarters of its graduates pass the bar exam on their first attempt, a rate that aligns closely with national averages across accredited law schools. Historically, UK graduates have performed particularly well on the Kentucky Bar Exam, demonstrating the program’s emphasis on academic rigor and bar readiness. This level of preparation supports the strong employment outcomes by ensuring that most graduates not only secure positions but also meet the licensing requirements to practice law successfully.

Synopsis

The University of Kentucky College of Law is a well-respected law school in the Bluegrass State. This distinction makes it a great choice for those looking for employment opportunities in Kentucky, as well as for residents of the state who want to attend a good law school at a fraction of the price of private law schools.

Contact Information

University of Kentucky
J. David Rosenberg College of Law
Admissions Office
209 Law Building
620 S. Limestone
Lexington, KY 40506-0048

p: 859.257.1678
f: 859.323.1061
Email: law@uky.edu
Email: uklawadmissions@uky.edu
https://law.uky.edu/admissions

Summary

Established	1799
Location	Lexington, KY
Dean	Paul Salamanca
2025 US News Ranking	68th
LSAT Median Score	158
GPA Median Score	3.71
Bar Passage Rate	74.2% (2025)
Employment Rate	88.4% (2025)
Cost	"$26,756 (in-state, full-time), $51,410 (out-of-state, full-time)"
Average Debt	$88,282
Application Deadline	April 15, 2025

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Reference

University of Kentucky College of Law
https://law.uky.edu/
Rank #68
LSD Law
LSAC Guide
How to Learn to Do Well on a Law School Exam
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The Guide to Law School Loans
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