The University Of Kansas School Of Law: Campus, Academics, Admission & Rankings

KU Law is one of the oldest and most established law schools in the central United States. It has trained lawyers since 1878, and today it combines a small, collegial student body with the resources of a major flagship research university.

This profile covers what KU Law is, how selective it is, what it costs, what it is known for, its bar and employment outcomes, its rankings, and how it compares with in-state rival Washburn. Prospective students weighing Midwest law schools will find the verified numbers they need to decide.

What Is the University of Kansas School of Law?

The University of Kansas School of Law is the public, ABA-accredited law school of the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. Founded in 1878, it is the state’s flagship law program and part of the only Kansas university in the Association of American Universities. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees.

KU Law sits inside Green Hall, a five-story building named for James Woods Green, the school’s founding faculty member. The building houses the Wheat Law Library, the oldest and largest law library in Kansas, with more than 400,000 volumes.

The school is deliberately small. It enrolls about 365 J.D. students and keeps a student-faculty ratio near 9 to 1, which supports small first-year sections of roughly 20 students and an open-door faculty culture. More than 8,000 KU Law alumni practice across all 50 states.

Lawrence gives KU Law a strong geographic advantage. The city sits 20 minutes from Topeka, the state capital, and 40 minutes from Kansas City, a major legal and corporate market. That location connects students to courts, agencies, and firms while keeping living costs low. Compare KU with the other law schools in Kansas.

KU Law’s history runs deep. The school began as a law department in 1878 with a single faculty member and 13 students, and it formally became the School of Law in 1893. That makes it one of the oldest continuously operating law schools between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains.

The flagship setting brings real resources. As part of the University of Kansas, an Association of American Universities member, KU Law students tap a large research university’s libraries, faculty, and joint-degree options while studying in a focused, law-only building.

How Hard Is It to Get Into KU Law?

KU Law is moderately selective, with an acceptance rate of about 39 percent for the 2025 cycle. The entering class posted a median LSAT of 162 and a median undergraduate GPA of 3.85. KU Law received 1,172 applications and admitted 458 students, and it accepts both the LSAT and the GRE.

KU Law’s numbers place it among the stronger public regional schools without the extreme selectivity of the national top 14. An applicant near the medians has a solid chance, and the middle-50 percent ranges show real room on both sides of the medians.

The middle-50 percent LSAT range runs from 158 to 164, and the middle-50 percent GPA range runs from 3.58 to 3.95. Applicants below the medians can still compete with a strong overall file, and those above the medians often earn scholarship offers.

What LSAT and GPA Do You Need for KU Law?

To be competitive at KU Law, aim for an LSAT of 162 or higher and a GPA of 3.85 or higher, which match the class medians. Scores in the 158 to 164 LSAT range and the 3.58 to 3.95 GPA range fall within the middle 50 percent. A score above the medians strengthens both admission and scholarship odds.

Target the medians first, then push higher for money. Because KU Law uses merit scholarships to compete for strong applicants, an LSAT above 164 can move a file from admitted to well-funded. Preparing seriously for the test is the highest-value step an applicant can take.

Build the rest of the file with equal care. A focused personal statement, strong letters, and relevant experience help borderline numbers, so review our guides to the LSAT preparation process, the law school personal statement, and the full law school application. An admission predictor helps you gauge your odds early.

How Much Does KU Law Cost?

KU Law is one of the best-value law schools in the country because it is a public school with low resident tuition. Kansas residents pay far less than the private-school average, and non-residents still pay below most peer programs. About 85 percent of students receive grants or scholarships, with an average award near $15,000.

Public status is the core of KU Law’s value case. Resident tuition sits well below the national private-school average, and generous merit aid lowers the real price further for strong applicants.

Scholarships reach most of the class. Roughly 85 percent of KU Law students receive grant aid, and many awards cover half tuition or more. Applicants with numbers above the medians are the most likely to receive the largest offers, which is why a high LSAT pays off twice.

Low living costs compound the tuition advantage. Lawrence offers affordable housing within walking distance of Green Hall, so total cost of attendance stays low compared with law schools in large coastal cities. See how KU fits among the most affordable law schools and review general law school cost and scholarship guidance.

What Is KU Law Known For?

KU Law is known for advocacy, business and commercial law, environmental law, international and comparative law, and tribal law. It offers a nationally competitive moot court program, 8 certificate programs, and 11 joint-degree options. Its faculty ranks among the top public law schools for scholarly impact.

The J.D. is flexible and practice-focused. Students complete 90 credit hours, choose from more than 100 upper-level courses, and can specialize through 8 certificate programs in areas like tribal law and media, law, and technology. The Juris Doctor degree at KU can be paired with 11 joint degrees, including business, social work, and journalism.

Advocacy is a signature strength. The Shook, Hardy and Bacon Center for Excellence in Advocacy anchors a moot court program that has won the National Native American Law Students Association competition 5 consecutive years. KU also fields strong transactional-law and mock-trial teams.

Faculty scholarship punches above the school’s size. KU Law ranks 43rd overall and 19th among public law schools for scholarly impact, and many professors write textbooks used nationwide. Full program details appear on the school’s official KU Law site.

What Clinics and Experiential Programs Does KU Law Offer?

KU Law offers about 10 clinics and field placements where students represent real clients under faculty supervision. Signature programs include the Legal Aid Clinic, the Project for Innocence, the Tribal Judicial Support Clinic, and the Veterans Legal Support Clinic, plus field placements in criminal prosecution, elder law, and the judiciary.

Hands-on practice is built into the degree. Students take live-client clinics, field placements, and skills simulations, then sharpen advocacy through moot court and mock trial. This experiential core produces graduates ready to practice on day one.

The clinics also serve the public. KU Law students provided more than 2,300 hours of free legal services in the 2025-2026 year, and the school maintains a Pro Bono Honor Roll. These programs run out of Green Hall, home to the Wheat Law Library and the school’s clinic offices.

What Is KU Law’s Bar Passage Rate?

KU Law’s first-time bar passage rate for the Class of 2025 was 94.2 percent, one of the 25 best rates in the country that year. This sits well above the Kansas statewide average of about 80.6 percent. All KU Law students also receive a free post-graduation bar preparation course.

Bar results are a consistent KU Law strength. The 94.2 percent first-time rate for the Class of 2025 continues a long record of strong outcomes and outpaces both the Kansas and national averages. Careful curriculum design and a dedicated bar-prep program drive these results.

The free bar-prep support lowers a major cost. KU Law provides every graduate a post-graduation bar preparation course and a Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination prep course at no charge, which saves students thousands of dollars. Review general bar passage rate context and how to prepare for the bar exam.

What Are KU Law’s Employment Outcomes?

KU Law reported that 97 percent of the Class of 2025 was employed within 10 months of graduation, including 96 percent in full-time, long-term law jobs. This marked the 12th consecutive year KU Law posted employment and graduate-study rates of 90 percent or higher.

Employment strength is durable, not a one-year spike. The 90-percent-plus streak across 12 years shows KU Law graduates reliably find work, most of it in positions that require bar admission. Graduates place heavily in Kansas City, Topeka, and across the Midwest.

Salaries reflect the regional market. KU Law graduates earn solid starting pay for the Midwest, with the highest figures in private practice and corporate roles.

How Is KU Law Ranked?

KU Law ranks in the top-50 tier of U.S. law schools in recent U.S. News rankings and is consistently the highest-ranked law school in Kansas. It also ranks 43rd overall and 19th among public law schools for faculty scholarly impact. Specialty strengths include dispute resolution and environmental law.

KU Law is the clear in-state leader. It ranks well ahead of Washburn among Kansas law schools and lands in the top third of ABA-accredited programs nationally. Rankings shift each year, so treat the exact number as a snapshot.

Specialty rankings highlight real strengths. KU Law draws recognition in dispute resolution and environmental law, and its faculty scholarly-impact rank confirms a research-active program. Compare KU against national peers using our law school rankings guide and the broader law school hub.

How Do You Become a Lawyer in Kansas After KU Law?

To become a lawyer in Kansas, graduate from an ABA-accredited law school like KU Law, pass the Uniform Bar Examination with a score of at least 266, pass the MPRE with a score of at least 80, and clear a character and fitness review. The Kansas Board of Law Examiners administers admission under the Kansas Supreme Court.

The path follows 5 clear steps. To practice law in Kansas, complete these stages. They are earning a bachelor’s degree, passing the LSAT, earning a J.D. from an ABA-accredited school, passing the Kansas bar exam and MPRE, and clearing character and fitness review.

Kansas uses the Uniform Bar Examination. A passing UBE score is 266, and the score transfers to other UBE jurisdictions, which gives KU Law graduates mobility across many states. Kansas will adopt the NextGen bar exam in July 2028, so plan around the format for your graduation year.

The state controls admission through its courts. The Kansas Judicial Branch and Board of Law Examiners handle applications, testing, and character review. For general licensing steps, see our guides to the bar exam, its requirements, and how to become a lawyer.

KU Law vs. Washburn: Which Kansas Law School Is Right for You?

KU Law and Washburn are the only two law schools in Kansas. KU Law ranks higher nationally, posts stronger admissions numbers, and leads in scholarly impact, while Washburn emphasizes practical training and legal writing. KU suits students seeking the flagship brand and Kansas City reach; Washburn suits those wanting hands-on focus in Topeka.

Both schools deliver strong bar outcomes and Kansas job access, so the choice turns on fit. KU Law offers a higher national profile, a research-active faculty, and proximity to Kansas City. Washburn, founded in 1903 in Topeka, is known for legal writing and clinical training.

Read the full peer profile of Washburn University School of Law before deciding. Applicants also weigh regional neighbors like the University of Iowa College of Law and schools across Missouri and Nebraska.

Is the University of Kansas School of Law Worth It?

Yes, the University of Kansas School of Law is worth it for students targeting Kansas and Midwest legal careers. It combines low public tuition, a first-time bar pass rate above 94 percent, employment above 90 percent for 12 straight years, and the state’s strongest legal brand. The value case is especially strong for Kansas residents.

KU Law delivers high outcomes at low cost. Few schools match its blend of affordable public tuition, strong bar and employment numbers, and flagship reputation. For students who want to practice in the region, the return on investment is compelling.

The fit is clearest for regional careers. KU Law places graduates heavily in Kansas City, Topeka, and the Midwest, so students aiming at those markets gain the most. Applicants set on coastal biglaw should weigh national options, but for Kansas and neighboring states, KU Law is a leading choice. Ready to plan your path? Explore more legal career resources at Lexinter.

The debt math favors KU Law graduates. Because low public tuition and wide scholarship aid hold down borrowing, KU Law students often finish with lighter debt than peers at private schools, and strong employment helps them repay it. Lower debt gives graduates more freedom to take public-interest or government roles.