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University of Oregon School of Law

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Last updated: October 6, 2026

University of Oregon School of Law

The University of Oregon School of Law is the public law school of the State of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon, that enrolled a first-year class of 187 students in Fall 2025 from 1,850 completed applications, with a median LSAT of 160 and a median undergraduate GPA of 3.62. It is ranked #91 in the 2026 U.S. News rankings and remains the top-ranked law school in Oregon, and it reports that 100% of its Class of 2025 graduates were employed within ten months of graduation. The central decision issue for admitted applicants is that Oregon Law pairs a nationally elite legal writing and environmental law program, and the lowest in-state cost of any law school in the Pacific Northwest, with a bar-passage record that has trailed the state average in recent administrations, at a 2026–27 cost of attendance of $71,916 for Oregon residents and $85,200 for non-residents.

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Oregon Law at a Glance

Category Latest information
Founded 1884
Type Public (University of Oregon)
ABA approval or accreditation ABA approved (1923; Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar)
Location Eugene, Oregon (with a UO Portland campus)
Latest U.S. News rank #91 (2026 edition); #1 in Oregon, #2 in the Pacific Northwest
Latest completed applications 1,850 (Fall 2025)
Latest acceptance rate 54.97% (Fall 2025)
Latest LSAT median 160 (Fall 2025)
Latest GPA median 3.62 (Fall 2025)
Latest entering class 187 (Fall 2025)
Current tuition $50,076 resident / $62,330 non-resident (2026–27, tuition and fees)
Current estimated cost of attendance $71,916 resident / $85,200 non-resident (2026–27)
Latest first-time bar passage 79.2% (LawHub, 2025 first-time takers); 85.1% (U.S. News profile, 85.06% school-reported for calendar 2025)
Latest bar-required employment 100% overall employment rate, Class of 2025 (school-reported); 90.1% JD employment rate (LSD.law/ABA data)
Current dean Jennifer W. Reynolds

The admissions figures are drawn from third-party tabulations of Oregon Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (1,850 applications, 54.97% acceptance rate, 186–187 enrolled, median LSAT 160, median GPA 3.62), because the school's consumer-information page routes the 509 data through a PDF rather than publishing it in machine-readable form. The school's own class-profile page is current and reports the Class of 2028 profile as of April 7, 2026 (187 enrolled, median LSAT 160, 25th and 75th percentiles of 157 and 162, median GPA 3.62, 25th and 75th percentiles of 3.32 and 3.79). Tuition and cost data are from the University of Oregon Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarship's 2026–27 law student cost-of-attendance budget. Jennifer W. Reynolds, a member of the faculty since 2009 who holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, was named permanent dean following a national search after serving as interim dean.

Introduction

Oregon Law.jpeg


The University of Oregon School of Law was established in 1884 and was approved by the American Bar Association in 1923. It is the only state-funded law school in Oregon, occupies the John E. Jaqua Law Library and Knight Law Center at 1221 University of Oregon in Eugene, and reports a J.D. enrollment of 457. The school also operates a campus in Portland at 2800 NE Liberty Street, which supports its externship and practice-oriented offerings in the state's largest legal market. The school is approved by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association.

Oregon Law's identity rests on three pillars: a legal research and writing program that has been ranked in the national top 10 for 15 consecutive years and has repeatedly held the No. 1 spot; one of the oldest and most respected environmental and natural resources law programs in the country; and public-university value in a state with no competing law school. Its graduates dominate the Oregon bench and bar, and its alumni include a U.S. Senator, federal appellate and district judges, and a cabinet secretary.

Rankings and Reputation

Oregon Law is ranked #91 in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report law school rankings, a position the school announced as national recognition while noting its continued standing as the top-ranked law school in Oregon and the second-ranked school in the Pacific Northwest. Its reputation rests less on overall rank than on specific programmatic strengths: the Legal Research and Writing program has been ranked No. 1 nationally and has placed in the top 10 for 15 consecutive years, and the school is ranked #11 nationally in Dispute Resolution and #16 nationally for the most graduates entering public interest jobs.

Overall ranking

U.S. News edition Oregon Law rank
2026 91
Prior edition 78 (school-reported, prior ranking cycle)

The school's own announcements describe a climb to #67 in an earlier cycle from #72, and a #78 position in a subsequent cycle; the current edition places the school at #91. Because Oregon Law's rankings announcements and the third-party trackers do not align cleanly on cycle labels, prior-year ranks other than the current edition were not independently reconciled in the sources reviewed and are listed above only as the school reported them. Applicants should treat movement within the 65–95 band as immaterial to Oregon Law's practical career outcomes, which are driven by its writing and environmental programs, its Oregon monopoly, and its public tuition rather than overall rank position.

Specialty rankings

  • Legal Research and Writing: #1 nationally, and in the top 10 nationally for 15 consecutive years (school-reported).
  • Dispute Resolution: #11 nationally (school-reported).
  • Most Graduates in Public Interest Jobs: #16 nationally (school-reported).
  • Environmental and Natural Resources Law: a nationally recognized program and one of the oldest in the country; a specific current U.S. News specialty rank was not retrieved in a machine-readable form in the sources reviewed.
  • The school publishes its specialty-rank claims on its homepage and rankings announcements; specific rank numbers for other categories were not independently confirmed.

Admissions: What It Takes to Get In

Entering class (Fall 2025)

Admissions metric Fall 2025
Completed applications 1,850
Acceptance rate 54.97%
Enrollees 187
Total in first-year class 187

Detailed offer counts were not published in machine-readable form in the sources reviewed; the acceptance rate is derived from the application count and offers reported in third-party 509 tabulations. Admissions are rolling, and the school's JD program requires 90 credits. Oregon Law also offers an Advanced Degree program for international and non-J.D. students and undergraduate law-related programs.

LSAT and GPA

Statistic 25th percentile Median 75th percentile
LSAT 157 160 162
Undergraduate GPA 3.32 3.62 3.79

Interpreting the numbers

Oregon Law's profile sits in the middle of the accredited-school distribution: a 160 median LSAT and 3.62 median GPA place the school above most public law schools in the Pacific Northwest and roughly comparable to schools ranked in the 85–100 band nationally. The 54.97% acceptance rate means the school admits a deliberately broad band of applicants, with a 25th-percentile LSAT of 157 and a 25th-percentile GPA of 3.32. The entering class is notably diverse on two axes the school tracks: 86% are first-generation law students and 21% are students of color, with 22% self-identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community. No LSAT or GPA guarantees admission given holistic review.

Application timing

The application fee, priority deadline, and financial aid deadline were not published in machine-readable form on the pages retrieved for this profile; the school's admissions page should be consulted directly. The school operates a rolling process, and the class-profile data above was published as of April 7, 2026 for the entering Class of 2028.

Cost, Scholarships, and Debt

Tuition

Item Oregon Resident Non-Resident
Tuition and fees, 2026–27 (full-time, two semesters) $50,076 $62,330
U.S. News reported tuition, full-time $49,982 $62,237
Third-party reported tuition (ILRG) — $59,495

The tuition and fees figure includes mandatory fees all students must pay. It does not include course fees or the one-time matriculation fee. Incoming students should add a computer allowance of $1,650, a matriculation fee of $570, and an event fee of $400 in their first term.

Cost of attendance

Expense Oregon Resident 2026–27 Non-Resident 2026–27
Tuition and fees (full-time, two semesters) $50,076 $62,330
Living expenses — housing and food $17,262 $17,262
Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment $1,434 $1,434
Miscellaneous personal expenses $2,674 $2,674
Transportation $470 $1,500
Estimated total $71,916 $85,200

The cost-of-attendance figures are estimates for planning purposes and are set by the university's Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships; the living-expenses allowance is built from monthly estimates of $1,400 for housing and $518 for food. The budget represents the maximum financial-aid eligibility, including loans and scholarships. Students beginning their first term should additionally budget for the one-time items listed under Tuition above. Requests for additional school-related expenses — childcare, computer purchase, study abroad, disability-related costs, and bar examination expenses — are reviewed case by case, and the university may recognize certain costs of obtaining a first professional credential, including the bar exam, so long as they are incurred while the student remains enrolled.

Financial aid

The number of grant recipients, the median grant amount, and the 25th and 75th percentile grant figures were not published in machine-readable form on the pages retrieved for this profile. Because Oregon Law's grant dollars are distributed against resident tuition of $50,076, the effective net cost for Oregon residents receiving a mid-range award is materially below the sticker price; applicants should consult the school's 509 report and financial aid pages directly for award distribution data.

Scholarships at Oregon Law are merit-based and, based on the school's disclosure practice in prior reporting cycles, are not conditioned on law school academic performance beyond maintaining good academic standing. The financial aid deadline should be confirmed with the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Debt perspective

  • Average indebtedness of 2025 J.D. graduates who incurred law school debt: not available in the sources reviewed.
  • Proportion who borrowed: not available in the sources reviewed.
  • Loan repayment assistance program (LRAP): not confirmed in the sources reviewed.
  • Approximate three-year full-price cost (tuition and fees only): ≈ $150,228 for Oregon residents, ≈ $186,990 for non-residents. On the full 2026–27 student budget, three years would total ≈ $215,748 resident and ≈ $255,600 non-resident before any grant.

The absence of confirmed debt and LRAP figures is a material gap for applicants weighing public-interest and government careers — a category in which Oregon Law already places an above-average share of graduates (ranked #16 nationally for graduates entering public interest jobs). The school's 509 report and consumer-information page should be consulted for the loan summary tables.

Employment Outcomes

Employment (Class of 2025)

Oregon Law reports that 100% of its 2025 J.D. graduates were employed within ten months of graduation, which the school describes as its overall employment rate for the class. The school's outcomes page separately reports the Class of 2025 distribution as 17% judicial clerkships and 58% private employment. A third-party tabulation of the ABA data from the same cycle reports a 90.1% JD employment rate.

Employment metric Class of 2025
Overall employment rate, 10 months after graduation 100% (school-reported)
JD employment rate (alternate tabulation) 90.1% (LSD.law / ABA data)
Judicial clerkships 17% of the class (school-reported)
Private employment 58% of the class (school-reported)

The spread between the 100% school-reported figure and the 90.1% third-party figure reflects different measures: the school's headline figure covers all graduates in any employment, while ABA-derived JD employment rates typically count full-time, long-term positions requiring bar admission or a J.D. advantage and exclude graduates who are unemployed, seeking, or not seeking. The detailed ABA category table — bar-passage-required versus JD-advantage counts, firm-size distribution, clerkship and government counts, school-funded positions, and unemployment figures — is published in the school's Employment Summary for 2025 Graduates and was not machine-readable in the sources reviewed; applicants should consult that summary and the ABA Employment Outcomes portal for the line items.

What these numbers mean

A 100% aggregate employment figure and a 17% judicial clerkship share are strong results for a school in this ranking band, and they reflect Oregon Law's structural advantage as the state's only public law school: the Oregon bench, district attorney offices, legal aid organizations, and the Portland and Eugene bar all recruit from a single in-state school. The honest caveat is that the aggregate rate and the ABA-derived JD rate diverge by roughly ten points, and the composition matters — a 58% private-employment share in a small state market means most private-practice graduates enter small and mid-sized Oregon firms rather than large national firms. Graduates who leave Oregon compete without a strong regional brand.

Bar passage

Bar statistic Value
First-time, 2025 first-time takers 79.2% (LawHub)
First-time, calendar year 2025 (school-reported cohort) 85.06% — 150 applied, 131 passed (CompareLawSchools tabulation)
First-time bar passage (U.S. News profile) 85.1%
Average first-time passage among U.S. states (U.S. News profile) 77.1%
Ultimate bar passage (2-year average, U.S. News profile) 92%
First-time, 2023 report (school-reported cohort) 81.55% (103 takers, 84 passers) vs. 73.32% state average — a +8.23 point differential
ILRG national bar-passage rank, first-time takers #77 nationally (85.1%), outperforming the state average by +8.7 points

The bar figures for Oregon Law require careful reading because the measures differ sharply. LawHub's 79.2% figure for 2025 first-time takers is the most conservative; the school's own 2025 calendar-year cohort figure is 85.06% (150 takers, 131 passers); and the U.S. News composite is 85.1% against a 77.1% average first-time rate across U.S. states. The school's own 2023 first-time bar admission report lists 103 takers and 84 passers, an 81.55% first-time rate against a 73.32% state average — a differential of +8.23 points. Beginning with the 2025 Bar Admission Outcome report, the school changed how it presents this data. Wikipedia lists a 90% bar pass rate without specifying the cohort or administration, and that figure should not be relied upon without the underlying report. The consistent signal across measures is that Oregon Law performs above the national state average but has not posted the near-universal first-time rates that some peer schools report.

The school attributes part of its bar results to curricular integration, including its ranked legal writing program and bar-focused upper-level coursework.

Where graduates go

Oregon Law graduates practice predominantly in Oregon, with the Portland metropolitan area and the Eugene–Springfield area the largest destinations, followed by Washington State and California. The school reports that 58% of the Class of 2025 entered private employment and 17% obtained judicial clerkships, with the balance in government, public interest, and business roles. Exact state-by-state counts for the Class of 2025 were not published in machine-readable form in the sources reviewed; the ABA Employment Summary for 2025 graduates contains the geographic distribution table.

Academics and Programs

The J.D. requires 90 credits. Oregon Law's placement within a large public research university supports interdisciplinary work, and its two campuses — the Knight Law Center in Eugene and the UO Portland campus — allow students to build externship and practice experience in both the state capital region and Oregon's largest legal market. The school also offers an Advanced Degree (LL.M.) program and undergraduate law-related programs.

Curriculum and special strengths

Legal research and writing is the school's signature academic strength: Oregon Law's Legal Research and Writing program was ranked No. 1 nationally and has held a top-10 national ranking for 15 consecutive years.

Environmental and natural resources law is the school's other historic strength, supported by one of the oldest programs of its kind in the country and by the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation. The Appropriate Dispute Resolution Program is ranked #11 nationally. The Center for Law and Entrepreneurship and the Small Business Clinic support transactional and startup-focused training.

Student scholarship is published in three journals: the Oregon Law Review (the flagship general journal), the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation, and the Oregon Review of International Law.

Clinics and experiential learning

Oregon Law's clinical and experiential offerings include:

  • Environmental Law Clinic
  • Pacific Northwest Natural Resources Clinic
  • Small Business Clinic
  • Criminal defense clinics (newly funded)

Faculty

Faculty counts for the 2025 reporting cycle were not published in machine-readable form in the sources retrieved for this profile. One item from the school's 2025 Standard 509 report is available and notable: 17.31% of non-full-time faculty are people of color — a disclosure made in connection with the school's return to compliance with ABA Standard 509, following an ABA notice issued in September regarding the report. Applicants should consult the full 509 report for full-time and non-full-time faculty counts, student-faculty ratio, and library data.

Student Life and Location

Living in Eugene

Oregon Law occupies the John E. Jaqua Law Library and Knight Law Center on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, a city of roughly 175,000 in the Willamette Valley about two hours south of Portland. Eugene offers a materially lower cost of living than Portland or Seattle — reflected in the school's living-expenses allowance of $17,262 for housing and food — along with access to the Pacific Northwest outdoors and an unusually strong public-interest and environmental culture. The trade-off is market size: Eugene's legal market is small and anchored by the university, local government, and regional firms, so students targeting substantial private-practice or BigLaw work generally look to Portland (via the school's UO Portland campus), Seattle, or California. Winters are wet and overcast; the Willamette Valley is mild compared with the mountains to the east.

Student body

With a first-year class of 187 and a total J.D. enrollment of 457, Oregon Law is a mid-sized public law school with a distinctly mission-driven student body. The entering class reports 86% first-generation law students, 21% students of color, and 22% self-identifying members of the LGBTQ+ community, drawn from 105 undergraduate institutions. Wikipedia lists J.D. enrollment at 457, which matches the school's reported figure.

How Oregon Law Compares

Choose Oregon Law if

  • You want the strongest legal writing program in the country: ranked No. 1 nationally and in the top 10 for 15 consecutive years.
  • You intend to practice in Oregon, where the school is the only state-funded law school and functions as the primary feeder to the bench, district attorney offices, legal aid organizations, and the Portland and Eugene bars.
  • You want environmental or natural resources law, or dispute resolution: the school holds a #11 national ranking in dispute resolution and one of the oldest environmental law programs in the United States.
  • You are drawn to public-interest, government, or nonprofit practice — the school ranks #16 nationally for graduates entering public interest jobs.
  • Cost matters and you qualify for Oregon residency: at $50,076 in tuition and fees, Oregon Law is the lowest-cost law school option in the Pacific Northwest for residents, with a total cost of attendance of $71,916.
  • You want a public research university setting with two campuses and an unusually high first-generation student population.

Consider alternatives if

  • You want large-firm practice in a major market — the University of Washington School of Law, Berkeley Law, and Stanford Law School place far more graduates into large firms, and the University of Washington has a stronger Seattle pipeline.
  • You are targeting federal clerkships or a research-intensive academic career.
  • You want a consistently high first-time bar passage rate — Oregon Law's LawHub figure of 79.2% for 2025 first-time takers has at times trailed both peer schools and the state average, though other measures of the same class are higher.
  • You need a part-time or evening J.D. — Oregon Law's Fall 2025 entering class was full-time.
  • You want confirmed debt and loan-repayment-assistance figures before committing; neither could be verified for Oregon Law in the sources reviewed.
  • You want a large national alumni network and coast-to-coast portability — Oregon Law's network is concentrated in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

The TLS Verdict

The University of Oregon School of Law is the dominant law school in its state and one of the strongest public value propositions on the West Coast. As Oregon's only state-funded law school, it charges residents $50,076 in tuition and fees — a total cost of attendance of $71,916 — while holding the No. 1 national ranking in legal writing for 15 consecutive years, a #11 national ranking in dispute resolution, a #16 national rank for graduates entering public interest jobs, one of the oldest environmental law programs in the country, and an unmatched position in the Oregon legal market. A 17% judicial clerkship share for the Class of 2025 and a school-reported 100% overall employment rate round out a genuinely strong outcomes picture.

The trade-offs are real and should be weighed explicitly. Bar passage is the weakest link: LawHub reports 79.2% for 2025 first-time takers, and while the school's own calendar-year cohort figure (85.06%) and the U.S. News composite (85.1%) are stronger and above the national state average, the school's record here is less consistent than its writing and environmental rankings would suggest. Placement is regional and concentrated in small and mid-sized Oregon firms, graduates leaving the Pacific Northwest compete without a strong national brand, and neither average debt nor LRAP status could be confirmed in the sources reviewed — a significant gap given the school's public-interest orientation.

Target applicant: an Oregon resident or someone committed to practicing in the Pacific Northwest, who prioritizes a top-ranked legal writing program, environmental or dispute-resolution specialization, and low public tuition over national reach, and who is prepared to prepare seriously and independently for the bar exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is it to get into Oregon Law?

Moderately selective for a public law school: for Fall 2025, Oregon Law's acceptance rate was 54.97% against 1,850 completed applications, with 187 students enrolling.

What LSAT score is competitive for Oregon Law?

The median LSAT for the entering class was 160, with a middle-50% range of 157 to 162. Scores at or above 160 are competitive; no score guarantees admission given holistic review.

What GPA do Oregon Law applicants typically have?

The median undergraduate GPA was 3.62, with a middle-50% range of 3.32 to 3.79.

Does Oregon Law give scholarships?

Yes, on a merit basis, though the number of grant recipients and the median award were not published in machine-readable form on the pages retrieved. Because awards are applied against resident tuition of $50,076, a mid-range scholarship produces a materially lower net cost for Oregon residents. Applicants should consult the school's 509 report and financial aid pages for award distribution data.

What is Oregon Law's bar passage rate?

The measures diverge. LawHub reports 79.2% first-time passage for 2025 first-time takers. The school's own calendar-year 2025 cohort figure is 85.06% (150 applied, 131 passed), and the U.S. News profile reports 85.1% first-time against a 77.1% average across U.S. states, with a 92% ultimate two-year rate. The school's 2023 first-time report listed 81.55% (103 takers, 84 passers) against a 73.32% state average, a +8.23 point differential, and ILRG ranks the school #77 nationally for first-time bar passage at 85.1%, +8.7 points above the state average.

Is Oregon Law good for BigLaw?

Not as a default pipeline. Oregon Law's graduates cluster in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, with 58% of the Class of 2025 entering private employment — concentrated in small and mid-sized regional firms rather than large national firms. The University of Washington School of Law, Berkeley Law, and Stanford Law School are stronger large-firm pipelines on the West Coast.

Does Oregon Law offer a part-time J.D.?

No part-time or evening division was identified for the Fall 2025 entering class. The school does operate two campuses — the Knight Law Center in Eugene and UO Portland — and offers an Advanced Degree program alongside the J.D.

What is Oregon Law best known for?

Its No. 1-ranked legal research and writing program (in the top 10 nationally for 15 consecutive years), its environmental and natural resources law program, its #11-ranked dispute resolution program, its #16 national rank for graduates entering public interest jobs, and its position as Oregon's only state-funded law school.

Contact and Key Links

University of Oregon School of Law
1221 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1221
Office: Knight Law Center

Knight Law Center Phone: 541-346-1559

UO Portland Campus: 2800 NE Liberty Street, Portland, OR 97211-5949 — 503-412-0468

ABA Accreditation Contact: Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, 321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654 — 312-988-6738

Official links

TLS Forum Links

Sources

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