University Of Washington Law School Ranking: Still The Best Law School Of Pacific Northwest

What Is the University of Washington Law School Ranking?

The University of Washington School of Law ranks around #50 among U.S. News Best Law Schools. It also earns strong specialty rankings, with top-40 placements in health care law, intellectual property, tax, and international law. UW Law consistently ranks as the leading public law school in the Pacific Northwest.

Rankings move each year, and UW Law has held a position near #50 across recent editions. Its specialty strengths track Seattle’s technology and global-health economy, which explains the top-40 placements in intellectual property, tax, health, and international law.

Compare its position against peers using the broader law school rankings guide. For applicants weighing regional options, UW Law leads the field of Washington law schools.

A rank near #50 places UW Law just outside the top tier but well inside the group of schools that feed regional and national legal markets. For in-state students, it delivers a top-50 education at a public-school price, which lifts its return on investment above many similarly ranked private programs. That value is a core reason applicants choose it over higher-sticker options.

Why Does UW Law Rank Where It Does?

UW Law ranks where it does because of strong admissions selectivity, high bar passage, solid employment outcomes, and respected faculty. Its median LSAT of 165 and low acceptance rate lift its selectivity metrics, while a first-time bar pass rate above 90% and about 96% employment at 10 months support its outcome scores.

The current U.S. News method weights employment and bar passage heavily, which favors UW Law’s outcome numbers. Peer and lawyer-judge assessment scores near 3.3 to 3.4 reflect steady national recognition. Small class sizes and a low student-to-faculty ratio round out the profile.

Rankings are one input, not a verdict. Weigh UW Law’s specialty depth and regional employment reach alongside the raw rank before you decide.

The school’s rank has held steady rather than climbed in recent years, which reflects a crowded band of strong regional schools near the #40 to #55 range. Gains in bar passage and employment help its case, while its peer-reputation score keeps it anchored near the middle of that group. Small shifts in any one metric move schools several spots in this range.

How Hard Is It to Get Into UW Law?

UW Law is selective. The 2025 entering class reported a median LSAT of 165, with a 25th-to-75th-percentile range of 162 to 167, and a median undergraduate GPA of 3.76. The recent acceptance rate was about 19.6%, down sharply from about 40% the prior cycle, which made 2025 notably more competitive.

The acceptance rate swing was large, so confirm the current-cycle figure before you benchmark your odds. The GPA percentile edges are approximate and drawn from recent cycles; the LSAT percentiles reflect the Fall 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. Roughly 202 students enrolled in the most recent first-year class.

What LSAT and GPA Do You Need for UW Law?

To be competitive at UW Law, aim for an LSAT score of 165 or higher and an undergraduate GPA of 3.76 or higher. Numbers at or above the medians strengthen an application. Applicants below the 25th-percentile marks of 162 LSAT and about 3.5 GPA need strong essays, work experience, or Washington ties.

Study the LSAT format early, and target an LSAT score above the median to improve both admission and scholarship odds. UW Law values public service, so applications that show a commitment to community work read well here.

Review the general law school admission requirements before you build your file, then follow a structured process to apply to law school so nothing slips past the deadline.

What Is UW Law’s Application Process and Deadline?

UW Law uses a rolling admissions process through the LSAC application, and applying early improves both admission and scholarship odds. A complete file includes LSAT or GRE scores, a bachelor’s degree, transcripts, a personal statement, letters of recommendation, and a resume. The school reviews applications as they arrive.

Apply as early in the cycle as possible, because rolling review rewards strong early files with better odds and more scholarship money. Submit the LSAT well before your target deadline so your score posts on time. A specific, carefully edited personal statement carries real weight when applicants share similar numbers.

How Much Does UW Law Cost?

UW Law full-time tuition is about $43,740 for 2025, with a total estimated cost of attendance near $73,926. As a public school, UW Law charges Washington residents significantly less than non-residents. It ranks among the most affordable top-50 law schools, especially for in-state students.

Residents pay a reduced rate, with recent resident tuition, while non-residents pay the higher published rate. Seattle living costs drive much of the gap between tuition and full cost of attendance. Confirm the current resident and non-resident numbers on the school’s tuition page before you budget.

Most students fund the degree with a mix of scholarships and federal loans, and UW Law graduates carry a median debt. The Gates Public Service Law Scholarship covers full tuition and expenses for five incoming students each year who commit to public service legal careers. Compare programs using the guide to law school cost and the overview of law school scholarships.

The affordability case is strongest for Washington residents, who pay far below the national private-school average while earning a top-50 credential. Lower debt at graduation gives UW graduates more career flexibility, including room to take public interest or clerkship roles that pay less at the start. That math is a major draw for in-state applicants.

What Is UW Law Known For?

UW Law is known for intellectual property and technology law, tax, Asian and comparative law, and health law, reflecting Seattle’s technology and global-health economy. It offers a three-year JD, seven LLM tracks, a PhD in law, and a Master of Jurisprudence for non-lawyers. About 60% of JD students join a clinic.

The seven LLM tracks at UW Law are:

• Tax: in-depth federal, state, international, and estate tax training, launched in 1995.
• Intellectual Property Law and Policy: tied to Seattle’s IP community and the CASRIP research center.
• Asian and Comparative Law: the school’s first graduate program, backed by the Asian Law Center.
• Global Business Law: cross-border transactional and regulatory practice.
• Health Law: linked to Seattle’s health care, biotech, and global-health sectors.
• Sustainable International Development: the first US law graduate program focused on development law.
• General Law: a flexible track for lawyers building a custom specialization.

The school’s location anchors these strengths. Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, and Nintendo sit nearby, which feeds the intellectual property and tax programs with adjunct faculty and job pipelines. Research centers include CASRIP, the Asian Law Center, the Shidler Center for Law, Commerce and Technology, and the Native American Law Center.

Clinics run deep here, from Innocence Project Northwest to Tribal Court Public Defense, Federal Tax, Immigration Law, and Technology Law and Public Policy. Every JD student completes at least 60 hours of public service to graduate. Lawyers seeking an advanced credential can review the Master of Laws path, and those planning the core degree can study the Juris Doctor route. Applicants drawn to its flagship fields can explore intellectual property law school, tax law school, health law school, and international law school options.

What Clinics and Journals Define UW Law?

UW Law runs a clinic program that enrolls about 60% of each JD class and publishes three student journals led by the Washington Law Review. Clinics give students courtroom and client experience before graduation, while the journals build research and editing credentials that employers and clerkship judges value.

The clinic roster covers a wide range of practice areas. Options include the Berman Environmental Law Clinic, Children and Youth Advocacy, Entrepreneurial Law, Federal Tax, Immigration Law, Innocence Project Northwest, Mediation, Technology Law and Public Policy, and Tribal Court Public Defense.

The three journals are the Washington Law Review, the flagship founded decades ago; the Washington International Law Journal, formerly the Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal; and the Shidler Journal of Law, Commerce and Technology, the school’s first online journal. Membership on a journal strengthens a resume for firm and clerkship hiring.

Where Is UW Law Located?

UW Law is located in William H. Gates Hall on the northwest corner of the University of Washington’s Seattle campus. The building opened in 2003, funded by and named after William H. Gates Sr., father of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Seattle’s technology and legal markets surround the campus.

The school organized in 1899 in two rooms of a downtown building called Old North, with John T. Condon as its first dean. It later occupied Condon Hall before moving into Gates Hall. That Seattle base ties graduates directly into Pacific Northwest firms, in-house technology roles, and government offices. Applicants comparing regional programs can review the intellectual property law and tax law practice areas that define the local market.

Gates Hall itself supports the program with a modern, light-filled design and the Marian Gould Gallagher Law Library, one of the largest law libraries in the region. The building houses classrooms, clinics, journal offices, and student spaces under one roof, which keeps the community close-knit despite the school’s national reach.

What Are UW Law’s Bar Passage and Employment Outcomes?

UW Law graduates posted a first-time Washington bar pass rate of about 92%, roughly 9 points above the state’s overall average of about 82%. About 96% of graduates were employed 10 months after graduation, with roughly 87% in jobs requiring bar admission. Most stay in the Pacific Northwest legal market.

The ultimate bar pass rate reaches about 98% within two years of graduation. UW Law pairs its curriculum with academic and bar support, which keeps first-time passage above the Washington statewide average. Applicants can compare state and national figures on the bar exam passing rate page.

Employment stays strong because of the Seattle location. Graduates move into regional firms, technology in-house roles, government offices, judicial clerkships, and public interest organizations, with about 15% entering large firms.

Employer types split across the regional economy. Seattle firms hire for corporate, litigation, and intellectual property work, while Amazon, Microsoft, and other technology companies recruit for in-house counsel roles. Government offices, the courts, and public interest groups round out the market, giving graduates a broad set of paths in one metro area.

Who Are Notable UW Law Alumni?

Notable UW Law alumni include Jeffrey Brotman, co-founder of Costco; Bill Foley, owner of the Vegas Golden Knights; Bruce Harrell, mayor of Seattle; and Carolyn Dimmick, the first woman on the Washington Supreme Court. The school has produced generations of Ninth Circuit and Washington state judges.

Other graduates include Shon Hopwood, a former federal prisoner who became a D.C. Circuit law clerk and Georgetown law professor, and Lucile Lomen, the first woman to clerk for a U.S. Supreme Court justice, in 1944. That judicial pipeline into the Ninth Circuit, the Washington Supreme Court, and the federal district courts ranks among the school’s most durable advantages for students who plan to practice in the region.

How Does UW Law Compare to Other Washington Law Schools?

UW Law is the top-ranked and most affordable of Washington’s three ABA-accredited law schools. The other two, Seattle University School of Law and Gonzaga University School of Law, are private and rank below UW Law nationally. For selectivity, cost, and outcomes, UW Law leads the state.

Seattle University offers a large part-time program and strong legal-writing recognition, while Gonzaga serves the Spokane and eastern Washington market. UW Law separates from both on median LSAT, bar passage, and national reputation, and its public tuition undercuts their private sticker prices for residents. Applicants set on Washington usually rank UW Law first.

The three schools serve different needs, so fit still matters. Seattle University suits students who want a part-time or evening path, and Gonzaga fits those tied to eastern Washington. For full-time students chasing the strongest statewide outcomes at the lowest resident cost, UW Law remains the clear front-runner.

Is UW Law Worth It?

UW Law is worth it for students who want a Pacific Northwest legal career, especially in intellectual property, tax, technology, or public interest law. Low in-state tuition, strong bar passage, and access to Seattle’s technology and legal employers give it strong value. Out-of-region applicants should weigh its outcomes against higher-ranked schools.

Compare UW Law with regional peers before you commit. Pacific Northwest options include Lewis and Clark and the University of Oregon, while stronger-ranked West Coast programs include UC Berkeley, UCLA, and USC Gould.

For applicants with Washington ties who value technology, tax, or public interest law, UW Law delivers strong value at a public-school price. Start your research from the main law school hub and the top law schools in the West region, and when you are ready to hire counsel or research firms, use the Lexinter law directory.

The decision comes down to geography and goals. Choose UW Law for a Pacific Northwest career, low resident tuition, or a specialty in IP, tax, or health law. Look elsewhere if your plan centers on a national biglaw market outside the region, where a higher-ranked school can widen your options.