Last updated: September 9, 2026

University of Iowa College of Law

The University of Iowa College of Law (Iowa Law) is the professional law school of the University of Iowa, a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa. Founded in 1865 — making it one of the oldest law schools west of the Mississippi River — Iowa Law is the flagship public law school of the State of Iowa. The school has been designated a "Best Value Law School" by the National Jurist every year since 2014 and is widely recognized in legal education as "The Writing Law School" for its distinctive first-year Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research program. Iowa Law consistently ranks in the top 35 nationally in U.S. News & World Report, places in the top 5 nationally for full-time, long-term bar-required employment (Class of 2024), and posts a 91.0% first-time bar passage rate that outperforms the Iowa state aggregate by approximately +8.9%. The school enrolls approximately 460 J.D. students across all three years with a tight, supportive learning environment anchored in the Iowa City academic community.

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Iowa Law at a Glance

Category	Latest information
Founded	1865 (per Wikipedia and Law School History & Milestones page; first dean William G. Hammond joined 1868)
Type	Public (University of Iowa)
ABA approval or accreditation	ABA approved (Council of the Section of Legal Education)
Location	Iowa City, Iowa
Latest U.S. News rank	#32 (tie) out of 194 (per U.S. News profile)
Latest completed applications	1,247 (Fall 2025, derived from 554 offers and 44.43% acceptance per 2025 ABA Standard 509)
Latest acceptance rate	44.43% (Fall 2025 entering class, per 2025 ABA Standard 509)
Latest LSAT median	164 (Fall 2025)
Latest GPA median	3.78 (Fall 2025)
Latest entering class	159 first-year students (Fall 2025)
Current tuition	$31,872 (resident) / $52,974 (non-resident) for 2026–27 Tuition only
Current estimated cost of attendance	~$60,754 (resident) / ~$81,856 (non-resident) for 2026–27 Tuition + Mandatory Fees + Living Allowance + Books + Personal + Transportation
Latest first-time bar passage	91.0% (overall, ranked #38 nationally per ILRG); 96% in Iowa for July 2025 examination
Latest bar-required employment	Top-5 nationally among all ABA-accredited schools (Class of 2024 per U.S. News employment outcomes ranking)
Current dean	Dean search in progress as of September 2026 (per Iowa Law homepage announcement); interim dean and permanent dean appointment not separately confirmed this turn

Introduction

The University of Iowa College of Law is the public flagship law school of the State of Iowa and one of the most established public law schools in the Midwest. Founded in 1865 by two Iowa Supreme Court justices at the urging of the Iowa bar, Iowa Law is one of the oldest continually operating law schools west of the Mississippi River. The school has been designated a "Best Value Law School" by the National Jurist every year since 2014, and is widely known as "The Writing Law School" for its distinctive first-year Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research program that prepares graduates for the rigorous legal-writing demands of clerkships and private practice. Iowa Law's Class of 2024 placed the school in the top 5 nationally for full-time, long-term, bar-required employment per U.S. News & World Report, and the school has reported a first-time bar passage rate of 91.0% — outperforming the Iowa state aggregate by approximately +8.9%. The school enrolls approximately 460 J.D. students across all three years with a tight, supportive learning environment anchored in Iowa City.

Rankings and Reputation

Overall ranking

Iowa Law is ranked #32 (tie) out of 194 ABA-accredited programs in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report "Best Law Schools" rankings. LSD.Law places Iowa at #36 nationally. The school is the flagship public law school in Iowa and one of the highest-ranked public law schools in the Plains and Upper Midwest regions.

Specialty rankings

Iowa Law's strongest specialty placements include:

Top 5 nationally for full-time, long-term, bar-required employment — Class of 2024 (per Iowa Law news release April 2026).
#38 nationally for first-time bar passage — 91.0% per ILRG aggregations.
Best Value Law School (National Jurist) — every year since 2014.
The Writing Law School — Iowa Law's distinctive first-year Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research program is nationally recognized by legal-writing faculty and practitioners.
Other 2026 specialty rankings (tax, IP, business/corporate, environmental, IP, constitutional, etc.) were not separately confirmed this turn.

Admissions: What It Takes to Get In

Entering class (Fall 2025)

The Fall 2025 entering class profile, as aggregated from the 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report and Iowa Law's September 2025 class profile release:

Completed applications: 1,247 (derived from 554 offers and 44.43% acceptance rate per ABA 509).
Offers of admission: 554.
Acceptance rate: 44.43%.
First-year class size: 159 students.
Average age: 24 years.
Gender breakdown: 56% male / 44% female.
Undergraduate majors represented: 43.
Undergraduate institutions represented: 76.

LSAT and GPA

For the Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2028):

LSAT median: 164.
LSAT 25th–75th percentile range: 161–165 (per LSAC profile and ILRG aggregation).
UGPA median: 3.78.
UGPA 25th–75th percentile range: 3.62–3.92 (per LSAC profile).

Interpreting the numbers

Iowa Law is a moderately selective public law school with a 44.43% acceptance rate — the highest of any top-35 program reviewed in this series — placing it firmly in the mid-tier of public law schools but with strong top-tier employment outcomes. Applicants at or above the 75th percentile in either dimension (LSAT ≥165 or GPA ≥3.92) have the strongest admission and merit scholarship outcomes. Iowa Law's "numbers-plus" admission approach explicitly considers graduate-level or post-baccalaureate success, law-related and professional work experience, public service, leadership, and overcoming adversity — applicants should factor these softs into their application strategy.

Application timing

For the 2026–2027 application cycle (Fall 2027 entry), rolling admissions timeline per Iowa Law:

Applications open: September 1, 2026.
Last LSAT for best scholarship opportunities: November 2026.
Early December 2026: Apply by early December for best scholarship access.
January 2027: Last suggested LSAT for admissions.
Final application deadline: May 1, 2027.
First deposit ($250): April 1, 2027 (for students accepted before March 15).
Second deposit ($150): June 1, 2027.
Mandatory orientation: Mid-August 2027.
Application fee: not separately confirmed this turn.
LSAT scores are valid per LSAC policy (five years).
Iowa Law uses LSAC's Credential Assembly Service and accepts the LSAT (no GRE substitute identified in this turn).

Cost, Scholarships, and Debt

Tuition

For the 2026–27 academic year, tuition at Iowa Law is reported as:

Resident tuition (Billed expense): $31,872.
Non-resident tuition (Billed expense): $52,974.
Mandatory Fees (Billed expense): $2,623.
An alternate figure of $34,495 (resident) / $55,597 (non-resident) appears on the Iowa JD tuition-aid page; the U.S. News tuition figure is $33,489 (in-state) / $54,736 (out-of-state).

Cost of attendance

The 2026–27 estimated cost of attendance for the J.D. program at Iowa Law (residents):

Tuition: $31,872
Mandatory Fees: $2,623
Housing & Meals (Living Expenses): $19,461
Books & Supplies: $1,800
Personal: $3,744
Transportation: $1,254
Records and Documents Fee (first semester only): $250
Total: ~$60,754 (resident) plus first-semester $250 records fee.

Non-resident cost is ~$81,856 (adding $21,102 for the higher non-resident tuition).

Financial aid

Iowa Law's Financial Aid Office provides scholarships, grants, and federal aid. Specific median grant dollar amounts, percentage of students receiving grants, and conditional scholarship policies for the 2025 cohort were not separately confirmed from the ABA Standard 509 endpoint this turn.

Debt perspective

Iowa Law has been designated a "Best Value Law School" by the National Jurist every year since 2014. Specific 2025 graduate debt averages were not confirmed in this turn.

Employment Outcomes

Employment (Class of 2025)

For the Class of 2025, Iowa Law's published employment outcomes include:

Top 5 nationally for full-time, long-term, bar-required employment — per U.S. News 2026 release and Iowa Law April 2026 announcement.
The school reports that "more than 90%" of bar-passing graduates achieve full-time, long-term employment.
Specific 10-month Class of 2025 employment percentages were not separately confirmed this turn beyond the top-5 ranking.

What these numbers mean

Iowa Law's top-5 national placement for full-time bar-required legal employment is a strong signal that graduates are entering legal careers with the credentials, writing skills, and bar-passage success needed for sustained practice. This is a notable counterweight to Iowa Law's mid-tier academic median (164 / 3.78) — the school is producing high-utility graduates despite admitting a broader range of applicants than elite-tier programs.

Bar passage

Overall first-time bar passage: 91.0% (Class of 2025, per ILRG; ranked #38 nationally).
Iowa Bar passage: 96% (44 of 46 graduates passed the July 2025 Iowa bar examination, per Iowa Law release).
Iowa Law outperforms the state of Iowa's overall bar pass rate by approximately +8.9% per ILRG.

Where graduates go

Iowa Law's strongest placement markets are Iowa (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Davenport), the broader Midwest (Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Omaha, Kansas City, Chicago suburbs, Saint Louis), and federal government. Iowa Law has a long-standing pipeline to Iowa firms (e.g., the state's largest firms), federal clerkships, and public-sector legal roles. Specific geographic distribution percentages for the Class of 2025 were not separately confirmed in this turn.

Academics and Programs

Curriculum and special strengths

Iowa Law's J.D. program is the traditional three-year, full-time course of study with a distinctive first-year writing emphasis. First-year students complete core doctrinal subjects and the now nationally recognized Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research program that anchors Iowa Law's "Writing Law School" identity. Upper-level students select from a deep elective catalog and may pursue specialized concentrations. Iowa Law's signature intellectual strengths include:

Legal Writing and Analysis — Iowa Law is widely recognized as a national leader in legal-writing pedagogy, with alumni often serving as faculty in legal-writing programs at other schools.
Iowa Law Review and other journals — flagship law-review publication and specialty journals provide research and writing opportunities.
Advocacy and Trial Programs — multiple moot court, mock trial, and transactional-advocacy opportunities.

Clinics and experiential learning

Iowa Law operates in-house clinics (specific clinic names not separately confirmed from the Iowa Law website this turn) along with externship and practicum offerings. Specific clinic names and credit hour requirements were not separately confirmed in this turn.

Student Life and Location

Living in Iowa City

Iowa City is a classic university town in eastern Iowa on the Iowa River, located roughly 30 minutes from Cedar Rapids, 90 minutes from the Quad Cities, and 2.5 hours from Des Moines and Chicago suburbs. The University of Iowa campus blends traditional college-town amenities with the cultural resources of a major research university — the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Hancher Auditorium, and the Iowa Arts Festival. Cost of living is moderate and well below coastal or major metropolitan legal markets. Iowa sustained a 96% bar-passage rate among Iowa Law graduates who sat for the July 2025 Iowa bar exam, demonstrating the Iowa-market pipeline.

Student body

Total J.D. enrollment: approximately 460 across all three years. The school has a tight, supportive student body drawn heavily from Iowa, the Midwest, and select national feeder regions. The Class of 2025 was 56% male / 44% female with 43 majors from 76 undergraduate institutions — reflecting Iowa Law's broad appeal across academic backgrounds.

How Iowa Law Compares

Choose Iowa Law if

You want the "Best Value Law School" designation that has held every year since 2014.
You are looking for top-5 nationally in full-time, long-term, bar-required employment.
You want training at "The Writing Law School" — Iowa Law's distinctive writing program prepares graduates for high-quality legal practice.
You are targeting the Iowa or broader Midwest legal market.
You have an LSAT in the 161–168 range and GPA above 3.62 and want strong employment outcomes from a public law school.

Consider alternatives if

You are targeting elite coastal BigLaw (New York Top-14 firms, California, Boston) as your primary outcome — schools with deeper coastal pipelines may serve better.
You want a part-time or evening J.D. program — Iowa Law is a full-time program.
You want a major metropolitan legal market in your day-to-day student experience — Iowa City is a smaller city.
You want elite-tier median credentials (LSAT ≥170, GPA ≥3.95) — Iowa Law's median is more accessible.

The TLS Verdict

Iowa Law offers a unique combination: "Best Value" status since 2014, the distinctive "Writing Law School" identity, top-5 national placement in full-time bar-required employment, and 91.0% first-time bar passage at moderate public-school tuition (resident $31,872 / non-resident $52,974). For applicants targeting Iowa or the broader Midwest — and especially those who value rigorous legal-writing training — Iowa Law is among the strongest public-law-school values in the country. Applicants seeking elite coastal BigLaw should weigh alternatives, but applicants with a clear regional fit, an interest in legal writing, or a desire for high employment outcomes at a moderate price should consider Iowa Law a top target. Note: Iowa Law is conducting a dean search as of September 2026; applicants should monitor the school's progress.

Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is it to get into Iowa Law?
The Fall 2025 entering class had an acceptance rate of approximately 44.43%, with a median LSAT of 164 and median GPA of 3.78, per the 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosures. Iowa Law is one of the more accessible top-35 programs.

What LSAT score is competitive for Iowa Law?
The median LSAT for the Fall 2025 entering class is 164 (25th–75th percentile: 161–165). Strong applicants should be at or above the median; applicants near or above 167 have the strongest admission and scholarship outcomes.

What GPA do Iowa Law applicants typically have?
The median UGPA for the Fall 2025 entering class is 3.78 (25th–75th percentile: 3.62–3.92).

Does Iowa Law give scholarships?
Iowa Law offers merit-based and need-based aid; specific median grant dollar amounts, percentage of students receiving grants, and conditional scholarship policy for the 2025 cohort were not separately confirmed in this turn.

What is Iowa Law's bar passage rate?
For the Class of 2025, Iowa Law had a 91.0% first-time bar passage rate (overall; ranked #38 nationally per ILRG), outperforming the state of Iowa's overall bar pass rate by approximately +8.9%.

Is Iowa Law good for full-time bar-required legal jobs?
Yes — Iowa Law ranked in the top 5 nationally for full-time, long-term, bar-passage-required employment for the most recent graduating class (Class of 2024) per U.S. News & World Report. The school reports more than 90% of bar-passing graduates in such positions.

Does Iowa Law offer a part-time J.D.?
No — Iowa Law offers only a full-time, three-year J.D. program.

What is Iowa Law best known for?
Its "Writing Law School" identity (Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research program); the "Best Value Law School" designation by the National Jurist every year since 2014; top-5 national placement in full-time bar-required employment; and 91.0% first-time bar passage.

Contact and Key Links

University of Iowa College of Law
Boyd Law Building
130 Byington Road
Iowa City, IA 52242

Admissions Phone: (319) 335-9035

Admissions Email: [email protected]

TLS Forum Links

Sources

The University of Iowa College of Law

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