Law Schools in Arizona + LSAT Prep (2026 Guide)

Arizona has two ABA accredited law schools: Arizona State University (O'Connor) and the University of Arizona (Rogers). Their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures report median LSAT scores from 163 to 165, so a competitive Arizona applicant is generally aiming for the mid 160s, with the University of Arizona sitting at the more reachable end of that range.

By Ali Unar, Georgetown Law, Founder of Lovare Institut. Ali Unar is a Georgetown Law student and the founder of Lovare Institut, an admissions and LSAT-prep practice built on primary-source law school data. Verified August 2026.

What law schools are in Arizona?

Arizona has exactly two ABA accredited law schools, which makes it a compact legal education market compared with larger states. Both are public universities, and both post median LSAT scores in the mid 160s, so Arizona does not offer a low-scoring safety school the way a bigger state does. The table below lists every ABA law school in Arizona with the median LSAT, acceptance rate, and full-time tuition reported in each school's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure.

SchoolMedian LSATAcceptance rateFull-time tuitionArizona State University (O'Connor)16519.8%$28,390University of Arizona (Rogers)16327.9%$26,490

Every median LSAT, acceptance rate, and full-time tuition figure in the table above comes from that school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure for the fall 2025 entering class. Arizona State University (O'Connor) posts the higher median in Arizona at 165 and the more selective acceptance rate at 19.8 percent, while listing full-time tuition of $28,390. The University of Arizona (Rogers) sits just behind at a 163 median with a more forgiving 27.9 percent acceptance rate and the lower full-time tuition of $26,490. Both of Arizona's ABA law schools are public universities, and both report full-time tuition that runs well below the sticker price at many private law schools nationally, which is one reason the two Arizona schools tend to be strong value options for in-state and regional applicants.

Because Arizona has only these two ABA law schools, the choice inside the state is less about a long ladder of options and more about fit between two similar public programs. Arizona State University (O'Connor) is the more selective and slightly more expensive of the pair, and the University of Arizona (Rogers) is the more accessible and slightly cheaper, according to their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. Applicants who want to stay in Arizona for law school are therefore comparing two schools that are close on paper but separated by two LSAT points at the median and about eight points of acceptance rate.

Put in dollars and odds, the two Arizona schools trade off in a way applicants can use. The University of Arizona (Rogers) pairs the state's lower full-time tuition of $26,490 with its higher 27.9 percent acceptance rate, so it is both the cheaper and the more attainable option on paper, according to its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure. Arizona State University (O'Connor) asks a modestly higher $28,390 in full-time tuition and admits a smaller 19.8 percent of applicants, but it carries the state's top median LSAT at 165. For most Arizona applicants the sensible approach is to apply to both, since the two schools sit close enough that a single application cycle can reasonably target the pair rather than forcing an early choice between them.

What LSAT and GPA do you need for law school in Arizona?

Median LSAT scores at Arizona's two law schools run from 163 to 165, per their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. Arizona State University (O'Connor) sits at the top with a 165 median, and the University of Arizona (Rogers) is the most accessible in the state at 163. A score in the mid 160s makes an applicant competitive somewhere in Arizona, and a score below that still leaves real options at the University of Arizona.

Read the two Arizona numbers together and the picture is straightforward. A 165 sits exactly at Arizona State University (O'Connor)'s median in its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, so a score at or above 165 makes an applicant competitive at the state's more selective school, though competitive is not the same as admitted. A 163 matches the University of Arizona (Rogers)'s median in the same disclosure. Applicants scoring in the 163 to 165 band are therefore in range for both Arizona law schools, while those a point or two higher move into a stronger position for admission and for scholarship consideration at either school.

A lower score does not close Arizona off. The University of Arizona (Rogers) reports the more forgiving 27.9 percent acceptance rate, so it is exactly where an applicant scoring below the median finds a realistic path, particularly with a strong undergraduate record. The honest read for Arizona is that a sub-163 LSAT narrows the field to one primary in-state option rather than eliminating the state, and that the two schools together cover a fairly tight LSAT band rather than a wide ladder from safety to reach.

Because the two Arizona medians sit only two points apart, the state rewards a focused LSAT push. Moving from a 163 to a 165, the distance between the University of Arizona (Rogers)'s median and Arizona State University (O'Connor)'s median in their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures, can shift an applicant from the center of one school's class to the center of the other's. For an Arizona-focused applicant, that means even a modest score gain has an outsized effect on where they land in the state, and it is often worth an additional LSAT sitting to clear the 165 mark when Arizona State University (O'Connor) is the goal.

On GPA, this Arizona data set is anchored by LSAT medians rather than by a published GPA median for each school, so this guide does not quote a GPA median it was not given. What the data does show is how each Arizona school treats the two numbers relative to one another, which is the splitter question addressed in the next section. The practical takeaway is that an applicant to Arizona should treat the LSAT medians of 163 and 165 as the spine of the target and use GPA strength to push a borderline file over the line at whichever Arizona school matches their splitter profile.

Which Arizona law schools are splitter friendly?

Both Arizona law schools show a usable spread, and interestingly they lean in opposite directions. The University of Arizona (Rogers) is splitter friendly, with a GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.24, while Arizona State University (O'Connor) is reverse-splitter friendly, with an LSAT 25th-to-median spread of 7 points, both computed from their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. That gives Arizona applicants a clear routing rule depending on which of their two numbers is the stronger one.

The terms matter here. A splitter carries a high LSAT with a below-median GPA, and a reverse-splitter carries a high GPA with a below-median LSAT. The University of Arizona (Rogers), being splitter friendly, lets its GPA range run about 0.24 below the median from the 25th percentile, which means a strong LSAT can offset a GPA that dips below the school's center. If your LSAT is your strong number in Arizona, the University of Arizona (Rogers) is the school that gives that LSAT the most room to carry a lower GPA.

Arizona State University (O'Connor) runs the other pattern. Its LSAT spread of 7 points from the 25th percentile to the median tells you the school will go meaningfully below its 165 LSAT median for the right file, and the applicants who benefit are typically reverse-splitters whose undergraduate record is well above average. If your GPA is your strong number in Arizona, Arizona State University (O'Connor) is the school more willing to look past an LSAT that sits below its median. The clean summary for Arizona is that a high-LSAT, lower-GPA applicant should look hardest at the University of Arizona (Rogers), and a high-GPA, lower-LSAT applicant should look hardest at Arizona State University (O'Connor), because the two schools' spreads in the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures reward opposite strengths.

What is the legal job market like in Arizona?

Arizona's legal market is anchored by Phoenix, the state's largest metropolitan area and its dominant legal hub, with Tucson as the significant secondary market. Both Arizona law schools keep a majority of their graduates in the state, though to different degrees. According to ABA Class of 2024 employment data, Arizona State University (O'Connor) keeps 68 percent of its class in Arizona, and the University of Arizona (Rogers) keeps 57 percent in Arizona.

That difference is worth reading closely. Arizona State University (O'Connor) sits in the Phoenix metro, the center of gravity for Arizona's legal employers, and its 68 percent in-state retention in the ABA Class of 2024 employment data reflects a class that mostly plugs into the Phoenix market. The University of Arizona (Rogers), based in Tucson, keeps a smaller 57 percent in Arizona, which means a larger share of its graduates leaves the state, often for nearby regional markets. For an applicant whose goal is to practice in Arizona, both schools are strong in-state bets, but Arizona State University (O'Connor) shows the tighter link to the Phoenix job market in the data.

This guide does not quote salary figures for Arizona, because none are in the underlying data and inventing them would be worse than useless. What the retention numbers do support is a clear planning point: a law degree from either Arizona school functions first as an Arizona credential, with Arizona State University (O'Connor) leaning more heavily into the state's Phoenix-centered market and the University of Arizona (Rogers) sending a somewhat larger share of graduates outward. Anyone set on building a career in Phoenix or elsewhere in Arizona should weigh that in-state retention edge alongside the admissions numbers.

Does Arizona use the NextGen bar exam?

Yes. According to the NCBE, Arizona has adopted the NextGen bar exam, with its first NextGen administration scheduled for July 2027. Arizona currently administers the Uniform Bar Exam, and it will transition to NextGen in July 2027, which makes Arizona one of the earlier adopters among the states. The legacy UBE and the MBE end after the February 2028 administration, per the NCBE.

For anyone timing law school and the bar in Arizona, that 2027 date is the detail to plan around. Arizona is a current UBE jurisdiction, so candidates sitting for the Arizona bar before July 2027 take the UBE in its established form. From the July 2027 administration onward, Arizona shifts to the NextGen exam, a redesigned test that the NCBE is phasing in nationally. Because Arizona's first NextGen administration lands in July 2027, students who graduate around that window should confirm which version of the exam applies to their specific sitting.

The broader transition sets a firm end date on the old format. The NCBE has stated that the legacy UBE and the MBE end after the February 2028 administration, so the UBE era is closing across jurisdictions, not only in Arizona. The practical guidance for an Arizona applicant starting law school now is to expect the NextGen exam to be the format in place by the time they graduate, since Arizona's adoption is already dated to July 2027 and the legacy exams wind down after February 2028. This section reflects NCBE status as of this guide's August 2026 verification, and bar-exam plans should always be confirmed with the Arizona board of bar examiners before a candidate relies on them.

Where can you take the LSAT in Arizona?

LSAT test centers are available in Arizona's major metros, primarily the Phoenix metropolitan area, including cities such as Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Tempe, and Chandler, and the Tucson area in the south of the state. Because the specific list of test centers and the mix of in-person and remotely proctored options change every testing cycle, the reliable move is to check LSAC's official test-center list at lsac.org rather than to rely on any fixed address.

Arizona's two largest metros, greater Phoenix and greater Tucson, are also home to the state's two law schools, so most Arizona applicants can find an LSAT testing option reasonably close to where they live or study. LSAC administers the LSAT on a set schedule of dates each cycle, and it offers both test-center and remote-proctored formats, but the availability of any given center in Phoenix or Tucson can shift from one administration to the next. That is why this guide points Arizona test-takers to LSAC's own current list rather than printing a center address that may not be offered next cycle.

The practical plan for an Arizona test-taker is to register early through LSAC for the administration that fits their application timeline, confirm the current Phoenix or Tucson options at the time of registration, and choose the format that suits them. Registering early matters in Arizona for the same reason it does everywhere: popular dates and nearby seats fill, and a test-taker who waits can be pushed to a less convenient date or a remote option they did not want. LSAC's official test-center list at lsac.org is the authoritative source for what is available in Arizona in any given cycle.

Which Arizona universities feed law school?

Arizona's largest universities are common starting points for students headed to law school. Arizona State University and the University of Arizona are the state's two major public research universities and its most prominent pre-law feeders, and Northern Arizona University adds a third statewide option. These institutions send undergraduates into law programs in Arizona and across the country, drawing on political science, history, business, and other pre-law-friendly majors.

It is worth noting that Arizona's two flagship undergraduate universities share their names with the state's two law schools, since Arizona State University (O'Connor) and the University of Arizona (Rogers) are the law colleges within those same institutions. That overlap makes it natural for strong undergraduates at Arizona State University and the University of Arizona to consider staying within the same university system for law school, though a large share of any pre-law class ultimately applies nationally. Grand Canyon University and other Arizona institutions also enroll pre-law students who go on to apply to law schools inside and outside the state.

This guide names these Arizona universities as common feeders based on their scale and prominence as general knowledge, and it deliberately does not attribute a specific placement statistic to any of them, because no such figure is in the underlying Arizona data set. What an Arizona pre-law student should take from this is that attending a large Arizona university puts the usual pre-law resources within reach, advising, LSAT preparation, and a pipeline of applicants who have gone before, but that admission to either Arizona law school still comes down to the LSAT and GPA numbers discussed earlier rather than to the undergraduate institution's name.

Frequently asked questions about law school in Arizona

How many law schools are in Arizona?

Arizona has two ABA accredited law schools: Arizona State University (O'Connor) and the University of Arizona (Rogers). Both are public universities, and both post median LSAT scores in the mid 160s, at 165 and 163 respectively in their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. That makes Arizona a compact legal education market, with two similar public options rather than a long ladder of schools spanning many score levels.

What is the easiest law school to get into in Arizona?

By acceptance rate, the University of Arizona (Rogers) is the more accessible of the two Arizona law schools, admitting 27.9 percent of applicants against Arizona State University (O'Connor)'s 19.8 percent, according to their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. The University of Arizona also posts the lower median LSAT in Arizona, at 163 versus 165, so an applicant with numbers below the state's top is generally more competitive there.

What is the best law school in Arizona?

Best depends on your goals, but by the 2025 ABA 509 numbers, Arizona State University (O'Connor) posts the state's highest median LSAT at 165 and its most selective acceptance rate at 19.8 percent. The University of Arizona (Rogers) follows closely at a 163 median. For a student targeting the Phoenix market, Arizona State University (O'Connor) also shows the higher in-state retention of the two Arizona schools.

What LSAT score do you need for law school in Arizona?

Median LSAT scores at Arizona's law schools run from 163 to 165, per their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures, so a score in the mid 160s makes an applicant competitive in the state. A 165 sits at Arizona State University (O'Connor)'s median and a 163 at the University of Arizona (Rogers)'s median. A lower score still leaves a realistic path at the University of Arizona, the more accessible of the two Arizona options.

How much does law school cost in Arizona?

Full-time tuition at Arizona's law schools is $28,390 at Arizona State University (O'Connor) and $26,490 at the University of Arizona (Rogers), according to their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. Both figures are the full-time tuition reported in those disclosures, and both run below the sticker price at many private law schools nationally, which makes the two Arizona public schools comparatively strong value options.

Does Arizona use the NextGen bar exam?

Arizona has adopted the NextGen bar exam, with its first NextGen administration set for July 2027, according to the NCBE. Arizona currently administers the Uniform Bar Exam and transitions to NextGen in July 2027, making it an earlier adopter than many states. The legacy UBE and MBE end after the February 2028 administration, so students entering law school in Arizona now should plan for the NextGen format.

Can you take the bar in Arizona with an out-of-state degree?

Generally yes. A degree from any ABA accredited law school, whether in Arizona or another state, ordinarily qualifies a graduate to sit for the Arizona bar, so you do not have to attend an Arizona law school to practice in Arizona. Arizona currently administers the Uniform Bar Exam and moves to NextGen in July 2027, per the NCBE. Confirm current admission requirements with the Arizona board of bar examiners.

Which Arizona law school has the best bar passage?

This Arizona data set does not include school-level bar passage rates for Arizona State University (O'Connor) or the University of Arizona (Rogers), so this guide does not report one. What the data does cover for Arizona is median LSAT, acceptance rate, full-time tuition, in-state retention, and the state's NextGen bar timeline. For current bar passage figures, consult each Arizona school's ABA disclosures directly.

Are there part-time or evening law programs in Arizona?

The Arizona figures in this guide cover full-time tuition and median LSAT for Arizona State University (O'Connor) and the University of Arizona (Rogers) and do not specify part-time or evening tracks, so this guide does not claim one exists. If a part-time or evening schedule is important to you in Arizona, confirm program format directly with each school rather than assuming availability from the full-time data shown here.

Where can you take the LSAT in Arizona?

LSAT test centers in Arizona are concentrated in the state's largest metros, the Phoenix area and the Tucson area. Because specific centers and remote options change each testing cycle, check LSAC's official test-center list at lsac.org for what is available in Arizona at the time you register. Both of Arizona's law school cities offer testing options, so most Arizona applicants can find a reasonably nearby seat.

Which Arizona law schools are splitter friendly?

In Arizona, the University of Arizona (Rogers) is splitter friendly, with a GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.24, meaning a strong LSAT can offset a lower GPA there. Arizona State University (O'Connor) is reverse-splitter friendly, with an LSAT 25th-to-median spread of 7 points, so a strong GPA can offset a lower LSAT. Both reads come from the schools' 2025 ABA 509 disclosures.

What is the difference between Arizona's two law schools?

Arizona State University (O'Connor) posts a 165 median LSAT, a 19.8 percent acceptance rate, full-time tuition of $28,390, and 68 percent in-state retention, while the University of Arizona (Rogers) posts a 163 median, a 27.9 percent acceptance rate, tuition of $26,490, and 57 percent retention. So the Arizona State option is more selective with tighter ties to the Phoenix market, and the University of Arizona option is more accessible and slightly cheaper. These figures come from the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures and ABA Class of 2024 employment data.

Is it worth going to law school in Arizona?

For a student aiming at the Arizona market, the value case is solid. Both Arizona law schools report full-time tuition in the high 20,000s of dollars in their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures, below many private law schools nationally, and both keep a majority of graduates in Arizona per ABA Class of 2024 employment data. This guide does not quote Arizona salary figures, but the combination of moderate public tuition and strong in-state retention supports the value of an Arizona degree for in-state careers.

Do you have to go to law school in Arizona to practice there?

No. You can practice in Arizona with a degree from an ABA accredited law school anywhere, not only from an Arizona school, provided you meet Arizona's bar admission requirements. That said, both Arizona law schools keep a majority of their graduates in the state, 68 percent for Arizona State University (O'Connor) and 57 percent for the University of Arizona (Rogers) in ABA Class of 2024 employment data, so an Arizona degree does tie closely to the Arizona market.

Sources

The median LSAT, acceptance rate, and full-time tuition figures for every law school in Arizona come from each school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, published through the ABA disclosure portal at https://www.abarequireddisclosures.org/. The NextGen and Uniform Bar Exam status for Arizona comes from the NCBE at ncbex.org. In-state retention figures reflect ABA Class of 2024 employment data. Verified August 2026.

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