Last updated: September 16, 2026

University of Kansas School of Law

University of Kansas School of Law is a public flagship law school in Lawrence, Kansas, that enrolled a first-year class of approximately 123 students in Fall 2025 from 1,172 completed applications, with a median LSAT of 162 and a median undergraduate GPA of 3.85. It is ranked #50 (tie) in the 2026 U.S. News rankings, and it earned its spot through seven consecutive years of 90%+ employment and a 94.2% first-time bar passage rate (ranked #25 nationally) for the Class of 2025. The central decision issue for admitted applicants is that KU Law pairs strong Kansas / Midwest placement and small-school mentorship at a flagship-public price tag, at a 2026-27 cost of attendance of approximately $42,000 (KS resident) or ~$58,000 (out-of-state), and it now ranks #5 in the nation for "Best Value" law schools (National Jurist).

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University of Kansas Law at a Glance

Category	Latest information
Founded	1891 (Kansas Law School charter; the law school joined the University of Kansas in 1892)
Type	Public (flagship; University of Kansas main campus)
ABA approval or accreditation	ABA approved (Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association)
Location	Lawrence, Kansas (1535 W. 15th Street, Green Hall).
Latest U.S. News rank	#50 tie (2026 edition)
Latest completed applications	1,172 (Fall 2025, 2025 ABA 509 report)
Latest acceptance rate	39.1% (Fall 2025)
Latest LSAT median	162 (Fall 2025, per LSD.Law / ABA 509)
Latest GPA median	3.85 (Fall 2025, per LSD.Law / ABA 509)
Latest entering class	123 enrolled; reported 458 admits from 1,172 applications (Fall 2025 / Class of 2029 source)
Current tuition	$884 per credit hour (KS resident); $1,133 per credit hour (entering out-of-state, 2026-27)
Current estimated cost of attendance	~$42,000 KS resident / ~$58,000 out-of-state (full-time, 2026-27)
Latest first-time bar passage	94.2% (Class of 2025; #25 nationally per ABA / KU News)
Latest bar-required employment	96% full-time (Class of 2025, per KU Career Services page)
Current dean	not independently confirmed (dean transition noted as of Fall 2026)

The admissions figures are drawn from KU Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (1,172 completed applications; 458 admits; 39.1% acceptance rate; 123 enrolled as of the August 20, 2026 Class of 2029 statistics update). The LSD.Law aggregation reports the same Fall 2025 medians (LSAT 162 / GPA 3.85). Tuition and cost data are from KU's Tuition, Fees & Residency page and KU Financial Aid's Estimated Cost of Attendance. KU Career Services reports 96% full-time employment for the Class of 2025; KU News confirms 94.2% first-time bar passage for the same class.

Introduction

The University of Kansas School of Law, founded in 1891 and joined to the University of Kansas in 1892, is the law school of the University of Kansas and the public flagship law school of Kansas. It is housed in Green Hall at 1535 West 15th Street on the western edge of the University of Kansas main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, about 40 miles west of Kansas City and roughly 25 miles east of Topeka. With a J.D. student body of roughly 370 across three years and a first-year class of 123, KU Law is one of the smaller top-50 public flagship law schools in the country.

KU Law's identity rests on three pillars: deep placement into Kansas, the Kansas City metropolitan area, and the broader Midwest legal market; a flagship public price tag that keeps debt well below the median private-school Midwestern graduate; and a seven-year consecutive record of 90%+ employment outcomes that differentiate it from other smaller flagship publics. The law school frequently ranks on "Best Value" lists (currently #5 nationally per National Jurist) and #25 nationally for first-time bar passage. Alumni cluster in the Kansas City / Topeka / Wichita markets, with growing national reach into Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Rankings and Reputation

KU Law is ranked #50 (tie) in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report law school rankings, holding a stable position for several consecutive editions. The school's reputation in Kansas and the Kansas City MSA is strong, and its national picks-up benefits from the strong bar-pass / employment story.

Overall ranking

U.S. News edition	KU Law rank
2026	50 (tie)
2025	51

The 2024 and 2023 U.S. News ranks for KU Law were not independently confirmed in the sources reviewed.

Specialty rankings

KU Law's recognized strengths include Trial Advocacy (top-30 nationally), Intellectual Property, and Public-Interest Law. KU Law consistently ranks #25 nationally for first-time bar passage (94.2% for the Class of 2025) and is ranked #5 nationally for "Best Value" by National Jurist. Specific current-edition U.S. News specialty rank numbers were not independently confirmed in the sources reviewed.

Admissions: What It Takes to Get In

Entering class (Fall 2025)

Admissions metric	Fall 2025
Completed applications	1,172
Offers of admission	458
Acceptance rate	39.1%
Enrollees from applicant pool	123 (per Class of 2029 / KU Profile update)
Total in first-year class	123
Yield (enrollees / offers)	~26.9% (calculated)

KU Law's own Class Profile page reports the same Fall 2025 stats: enrolled 123, median LSAT 164, median GPA 3.80, 17.8% diversity, with Kansas Residents comprising the largest share, and 90+ undergraduate institutions represented.

LSAT and GPA

Statistic	25th percentile	Median	75th percentile
LSAT	not separately published	162 (LSD.Law aggregation) / 164 (KU Class Profile)	not separately published
Undergraduate GPA	not separately published	3.85 (LSD.Law aggregation) / 3.80 (KU Class Profile)	not separately published

LSD.Law and KU's own profile use slightly different aggregations; LSD.Law pulls from the ABA 509 report (Fall 2025) and KU's Class Profile reflects the most recent Class of 2029 update.

KU Law accepts the LSAT (LSAC); the GRE is not generally used as a substitute.

Interpreting the numbers

KU Law's 162-164 median LSAT places it in the upper-middle tier of public flagship law schools. A 39.1% acceptance rate is meaningfully higher than at the very top publics — KU admits a broader band of applicants. No LSAT or GPA guarantees admission; KU Law emphasizes a holistic review that weighs work experience, the personal statement, a Kansas / KU connection, and demonstrated service.

Application timing

The application fee is $60 (KU has periodically waived fees; applicants should confirm). KU Law runs a rolling admissions process: applications open in early September, priority scholarship deadline March 1, and final Regular Decision deadline May 1 (for the Fall 2027 cycle). Notification is rolling through spring, with a deposit deadline of approximately May 1.

Cost, Scholarships, and Debt

Tuition

Tuition for the 2026-27 academic year is $884 per credit hour for Kansas residents and $1,133 per credit hour for entering out-of-state students. The KU Estimated Cost of Attendance page lists the 2026-27 out-of-state law tuition at $751.10 per credit hour for some cohorts (fall/spring semester rates vary slightly). Using 30 credit hours / yr as a reasonable baseline:

KS resident: ~$26,520 tuition + mandatory fees.
Out-of-state entering: ~$33,990 tuition + mandatory fees.

Tuition is materially lower for Kansas residents because KU Law is public. State residency laws allow non-KS students to apply for in-state residency after one full academic year of living in Kansas.

Cost of attendance

Expense	2026-27
Tuition (KS resident, ~30 credit hrs)	$26,520
Tuition (out-of-state entering, ~30 credit hrs)	$33,990
Mandatory student fees	~$1,200-$1,800
Books & supplies	~$1,500
Housing & food (est.)	~$11,000
Personal & transport (est.)	~$2,500
Loan fees (est.)	~$1,500
Total estimated COA (KS resident)	~$42,000
Total estimated COA (out-of-state entering)	~$58,000

The line-item breakdown was assembled from KU's Tuition, Fees & Residency page and KU Financial Aid's Estimated Cost of Attendance; the totals above are best-available estimates for an entering 1L student.

Financial aid

KU Law awards a mix of need-based and merit-based aid. Per LSD.Law and KU News, scholarship coverage is substantial (the school consistently ranks #5 nationally for "Best Value"). Federal Direct Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS loans are available, and the school offers a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) for graduates entering public interest, government, or non-profit legal work.

Debt perspective

As a public flagship, KU Law offers meaningfully lower debt loads than the median private-school graduate of any peer. KS-resident tuition of ~$26,520 / yr (COA ~$42k) keeps graduate debt materially below the peer range; for out-of-state entering students, the 2026-27 COA tops out at ~$58,000. KU's "Best Value" ranking and strong public-sector placement support manageable debt service.

Employment Outcomes

Employment (Class of 2025)

KU Law's Class of 2025 posted 96% full-time employment at 10 months, continuing a seven-year streak of 90%+ employment and exceeding 90% for the sixth consecutive year. KU regularly reports overall graduate employment over 90%; the Class of 2025 96% figure is the most recent verified data point. The largest placement categories are Kansas / Kansas City private firms, state agencies, federal clerkships, and Midwest public-interest organizations.

Employment metric	Class of 2025
Legal-employment rate	96% full-time (Class of 2025)
School-funded positions	not separately reported

The detailed ABA category table (exact firm-size distribution, clerkship counts, bar-required by jurisdiction, and unemployment figures) was not machine-readable in the sources reviewed; it is therefore not reproduced here. Applicants should consult KU Law's official Class of 2025 ABA Employment Summary for those line items.

What these numbers mean

A 96% full-time employment rate, plus seven consecutive years of 90%+ outcomes and a 94.2% first-time bar passage rate, places KU Law in the upper-middle tier of public flagship law schools for graduate outcomes. KU Law's identity is state-anchored: most graduates place in Kansas and the Kansas City MSA (a metropolitan area of ~2.2M that bridges Kansas and Missouri), with growing national reach into Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Bar passage

Bar statistic	2025 graduates
First-time bar passage rate (Class of 2025)	94.2% (per KU News / KU Career Services — #25 nationally)
First-time pass, Kansas bar	>90% (per KU Career Services)
Ultimate bar passage (2-year average)	~95% (per ABA disclosures estimate)

KU's 94.2% first-time bar rate ranks 25th among ABA-approved schools — well above the national state average of roughly 80-85%.

Where graduates go

KU Law's graduates primarily enter law practice in the Kansas City MSA (overland Park, Leawood, downtown Kansas City, downtown Kansas City MO), Topeka, Wichita, and Lawrence, with additional placement across the Midwest (St. Louis, Omaha, Denver, Oklahoma City, Dallas-Fort Worth). Of recent classes, the largest employer categories are private firms (Midwest boutiques, regional mid-size firms, and BigLaw Kansas City offices), government (state, federal, and judicial clerkships), and public interest.

Academics and Programs

The J.D. requires a standard first-year curriculum followed by broad upper-level electives. KU Law's modest size supports a rigorous but tightly knit academic community with strong faculty-student contact.

Curriculum and special strengths

KU Law offers deep strength in Trial Advocacy, Intellectual Property, and Public-Interest Law, supported by a distinguished faculty and centers including the school's Tribal Law & Government Center (a signature program serving Native American / Indigenous legal scholarship). KU Law offers J.D. certificates in several specialty areas. The school's location in Lawrence — home of the University of Kansas main campus — supports strong cross-disciplinary ties with the broader KU research enterprise.

Clinics and experiential learning

KU Law operates a comprehensive clinical program with in-house clinics covering Criminal Defense, Children's Advocacy, Domestic Violence, Immigration, Media Law, and Small Business / Community Development, along with externships that place students with state and federal judges (Kansas Supreme Court, Kansas Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas), the Kansas Attorney General, the Kansas City-area federal and state courts, and major Kansas City firms.

Student Life and Location

Living in Lawrence

KU Law is housed in Green Hall at 1535 West 15th Street on the western edge of the KU campus in Lawrence, Kansas — about 40 miles west of Kansas City and roughly 25 miles east of Topeka. The setting offers direct access to the Kansas City legal market, the Kansas state government in Topeka, and the KU undergraduate campus (~30,000 students). Lawrence itself is a quintessential college town — walkable, bikeable, and consistently ranked among the most livable small cities in Kansas. Cost of living is low compared with major metros. Winters in Lawrence can be cold; summers are warm and humid.

Student body

With a J.D. student body of roughly 370 across three years and a first-year class of 123, KU Law is one of the smaller top-50 public flagship law schools, which produces a close-knit, collegial community with strong faculty contact. Students run a number of journals (including the Kansas Law Review) and a wide range of organizations. There is no part-time / evening J.D. division; the J.D. is full-time and residential.

How KU Law Compares

Choose KU Law if

You target Kansas, the Kansas City MSA, or the broader Midwest legal market.
You want a flagship public price tag with low KS-resident tuition (~$26.5k/yr) and total COA under $45k.
You value a small flagship with strong faculty mentorship and a seven-year track record of 90%+ employment.
You are interested in tribal-law / public-interest practice (KU has signature programs) or trial advocacy.

Consider alternatives if

You want elite coastal BigLaw placement (NY, DC, SF) — consider top-14 national schools such as Cornell Law School or top-tier flagships.
You want a larger ecosystem within a Top-25 public flagship — consider flagship publics in higher-ranked markets (University of Iowa, University of Wisconsin, University of Minnesota).
You are seeking a wider course selection — KU's smaller enrollment means fewer electives than very top schools.

The TLS Verdict

KU Law is a stable mid-tier Kansas public flagship law school with strong Sunflower-State and Kansas City MSA placement: 1,172 completed applications, 39.1% acceptance, 162-164 LSAT / 3.80-3.85 GPA median profile (depending on aggregation source), 96% full-time 10-month employment for the Class of 2025, and a 94.2% first-time bar passage rate (#25 nationally). KU's seven-year streak of 90%+ employment and #5 "Best Value" ranking per National Jurist confirm strong flagship-public outcomes at one of the lowest tuition prices in the region. The Tribal Law / Indigenous Law programs and Lawrence campus location differentiate KU Law from other regional flagships and support strong public-interest / government pipelines into Kansas and the Kansas City metro. KS-resident tuition of ~$26,520 / yr (COA ~$42k) keeps debt strikingly low for the tier. For applicants targeting Kansas / Kansas City practice, public-interest or tribal-law careers, and a flagship public law school experience in a quintessential college town, KU Law is among the strongest choices in its national tier.

Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is it to get into KU Law?

Selective but accessible for the tier: for Fall 2025, KU Law accepted 39.1% of applicants (458 admits from 1,172 completed applications).

What LSAT score is competitive for KU Law?

The median LSAT for the Fall 2025 entering class was 162 (LSD.Law aggregation) to 164 (KU Class Profile). The middle-50% percentile range was not separately published. Scores at or above the median are competitive, but no score guarantees admission given the holistic review.

What GPA do KU Law applicants typically have?

The median undergraduate GPA for the Fall 2025 entering class was 3.80 (KU Class Profile) to 3.85 (LSD.Law aggregation). Middle-50% percentile ranges were not separately published.

Does KU Law give scholarships?

Yes, broadly. KU Law offers both need-based and merit-based aid; the school consistently ranks #5 nationally for "Best Value" per National Jurist.

What is KU Law's bar passage rate?

For the Class of 2025, the first-time bar passage rate was 94.2% (#25 nationally), placing KU well above the national state average of roughly 80-85%. KU's two-year ultimate bar pass rate is approximately 95%.

Is KU Law good for public-interest and tribal-law practice?

Yes. KU's Tribal Law & Government Center is a signature program; public-interest placement and government placement are steady. The Kansas City MSA and Topeka state-capital locations support strong externship pipelines.

Does KU Law offer a part-time / evening J.D.?

No. The J.D. is full-time and residential; KU Law does not offer an evening or part-time J.D. division.

What is KU Law best known for?

KU Law is best known for its #25 national rank on first-time bar passage (94.2% Class of 2025), its #5 "Best Value" national ranking (National Jurist), its Tribal Law & Government Center, and its seven-year streak of 90%+ graduate employment.

Contact and Key Links

University of Kansas School of Law
Green Hall
1535 West 15th Street
Lawrence, Kansas 66045-2230

Admissions Phone: (785) 864-4550

Admissions Email: [email protected]

Official links

TLS Forum Links

Sources

The University of Kansas School of Law

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