Law Schools in Washington DC + LSAT Prep (2026 Guide)

Washington DC has six ABA accredited law schools, from Georgetown University to the University of the District of Columbia, spanning a median LSAT range of 151 to 171. That range means law schools in Washington DC run from among the most selective in the country to accessible. This guide covers the scores needed, tuition, the bar exam, and the market.

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 Washington DC?

Washington DC has six ABA accredited law schools, an unusually deep concentration for a single city and one of the densest legal-education markets in the country relative to its size. They range from Georgetown University, among the most selective law schools in the nation, to the University of the District of Columbia, a low-cost public option. The table below lists the median LSAT, acceptance rate, and full-time tuition for each school in Washington DC, with every figure taken from that school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure for the fall 2025 entering class.

SchoolMedian LSATAcceptance rateFull-time tuitionGeorgetown University17115.8%$83,576George Washington University16827.2%$75,420American University (Washington)16233.3%$66,990Catholic University of America (Columbus)16132.4%$61,580Howard University15624.1%$39,780University of the District of Columbia (Clarke)15137.0%$12,438

Each figure in the table above is drawn from that school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. The 509 disclosure is the annual, standardized report every ABA accredited school files, which is why it is the cleanest single source for comparing medians, acceptance rates, and tuition across law schools in Washington DC.

The spread is what makes Washington DC distinctive. At the top, Georgetown University posts a median LSAT of 171 and a 15.8% acceptance rate in its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, national-elite numbers. George Washington University follows at a 168 median and a 27.2% acceptance rate. In the middle sit American University at a 162 median and Catholic University of America at 161, with acceptance rates of 33.3% and 32.4% respectively. Howard University reports a 156 median and, notably, a more selective 24.1% acceptance rate. At the accessible end, the University of the District of Columbia reports a 151 median and a 37.0% acceptance rate, the highest admit rate among law schools in Washington DC.

Tuition varies just as widely. Georgetown University's full-time tuition of $83,576 and George Washington University's $75,420, both from their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures, sit at the premium end, while Howard University at $39,780 and especially the University of the District of Columbia at $12,438 are far lower. That $12,438 figure at the University of the District of Columbia is a genuine outlier and reflects its public mission. The practical upshot is that Washington DC offers a full ladder of options: elite national programs, strong regional schools, and an accessible, low-cost public route, all within one city.

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

In-state medians run from 151 to 171 across law schools in Washington DC, the widest range of any market in this series, so the score you need depends heavily on which schools you target. At the top, Georgetown University's 171 median from its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure is a national-elite number, and George Washington University's 168 is close behind. At the accessible end, the University of the District of Columbia's 151 median is genuinely attainable for a broad band of applicants, with Howard University's 156 sitting between the two extremes.

A median is the 50th percentile, so at each school half of the enrolled class scored at or above the listed number and half at or below. To be competitive at Georgetown University in Washington DC, you generally want an LSAT at or near 171; a score in the high 160s keeps you in range but below median. George Washington University at 168 rewards mid-to-high 160s. American University at 162 and Catholic University of America at 161 are realistic for applicants in the low 160s, and their higher acceptance rates, 33.3% and 32.4% respectively, give below-median candidates real room. Howard University's 156 median paired with a 24.1% acceptance rate means it is more selective than its median alone suggests, so treat it as a school where the full application matters. The University of the District of Columbia at 151, with a 37.0% acceptance rate, is the most accessible entry point among law schools in Washington DC.

The key advantage of a six-school market is that a given score opens a tier rather than a single door. A 171 makes you competitive across the entire District, including Georgetown University. A score in the mid-160s positions you well at George Washington University, American University, and Catholic University of America. A score in the high 150s opens Howard University and, comfortably, the University of the District of Columbia. And a low-150s score still gives you a clear target in Washington DC at the University of the District of Columbia. Unlike a single-school state, no realistic scorer is left without an in-state option here.

On GPA, the packet reports 25th-to-median GPA spreads that reveal how flexible each school is. George Washington University's spread is 0.31, Catholic University of America's is 0.22, Howard University's is 0.23, and American University's is 0.16, all from 2025 ABA 509 data. Wider spreads at George Washington University, Howard University, and Catholic University of America indicate more willingness to admit applicants whose GPA sits below the class median when the LSAT supports the file; American University's narrower 0.16 band suggests a tighter GPA profile. The packet does not publish exact median GPAs for law schools in Washington DC, so treat GPA as a factor that flexes around the LSAT rather than a fixed cutoff. Georgetown University and the University of the District of Columbia, by contrast, show their flexibility on the LSAT side rather than GPA, as the splitter section explains.

Because Washington DC offers six schools across a 20-point median range, your LSAT strategy should be tiered. Identify the schools whose medians match or sit just above your target score, then treat every additional point as leverage that moves you up a tier and improves scholarship odds. A retake that lifts you from the high 150s into the low 160s, for example, can shift your realistic set from the University of the District of Columbia and Howard University to include American University and Catholic University of America among law schools in Washington DC.

Which Washington DC law schools are splitter friendly?

A splitter is an applicant with a high LSAT and a lower GPA; a reverse splitter has the opposite, a strong GPA paired with a lower LSAT. Schools that admit these lopsided profiles are worth identifying, and Washington DC's six schools split cleanly into two groups on this measure, based on their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures.

Four of the District's schools read as splitter friendly, meaning they will look past a softer GPA when the LSAT is strong. George Washington University shows the widest GPA flexibility with a 25th-to-median GPA spread of 0.31; Howard University follows at 0.23, Catholic University of America at 0.22, and American University at 0.16. If your profile is a high LSAT with a lower GPA, these four law schools in Washington DC are your natural targets, with George Washington University the most accommodating of the group and American University the least, given its narrower band.

Two schools read as reverse-splitter friendly, meaning they show unusual flexibility on the LSAT and can reward a strong GPA paired with a lower score. Georgetown University has an LSAT 25th-to-median spread of 5 points, wide for a school at its level, which signals that a compelling application with a high GPA can offset an LSAT below its 171 median. The University of the District of Columbia shows an LSAT 25th-to-median spread of 4, consistent with its accessible profile and its willingness to admit reverse splitters. If your GPA is your strength and your LSAT lags, Georgetown University and the University of the District of Columbia are the law schools in Washington DC most likely to weigh your record favorably.

This two-sided pattern is a real advantage of applying in Washington DC. Whether your numbers tilt toward a strong LSAT or a strong GPA, the District has schools whose 2025 ABA 509 spreads suggest they will consider your profile. Splitters should concentrate on George Washington University, Howard University, Catholic University of America, and American University, while reverse splitters should look hardest at Georgetown University and the University of the District of Columbia among law schools in Washington DC.

What is the legal job market like in Washington DC?

Washington DC is one of the largest and most distinctive legal markets in the United States. As the seat of the federal government, it concentrates work that exists nowhere else at the same scale: federal agencies and the departments, the federal courts, regulatory and administrative practice, government affairs, and a dense cluster of large national law firms with Washington offices, alongside a deep public-interest and nonprofit sector. For law students, that means an unusual breadth of practice areas within a single metro, which is a core reason applicants target law schools in Washington DC.

Retention data from ABA Class of 2024 employment shows how much of each school's class stays in the DC market. George Washington University keeps 45% of its class in the DC market, the highest of the reported schools; Georgetown University keeps 39%; Catholic University of America keeps 37%; and Howard University keeps 31%. These are substantial shares given that the District's schools, especially Georgetown University and George Washington University, place graduates nationally as well. The packet does not report a DC-market retention figure for American University or the University of the District of Columbia, so this guide does not state one for those two schools.

Read carefully, the retention numbers tell a coherent story. Even the highest figure, 45% at George Washington University, means more than half of that class practices outside the immediate DC market, which reflects how national these schools are: graduates fan out to New York, to home states, and to firms and clerkships across the country. At the same time, a 31% to 45% band staying in the District is a strong in-market pipeline for a city of Washington DC's size, and it means alumni networks from law schools in Washington DC are dense within the federal and regional legal community.

The broader market extends beyond the District's borders into the surrounding region, commonly called the DMV, which includes the Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia. Many DC-market jobs sit in Arlington, Alexandria, and the Maryland suburbs even when they are functionally part of the Washington legal economy. The packet does not provide salary figures for Washington DC, so this guide does not estimate earnings; for compensation data, consult each employer and the schools' detailed employment reports rather than any national average. What is clear is that Washington DC offers a scale and variety of legal work that few markets can match, which is a central draw of studying at law schools in Washington DC.

Does Washington DC use the NextGen bar exam?

Yes. According to the NCBE, Washington DC has adopted the NextGen bar exam, with its first NextGen administration scheduled for February 2028. The District is currently a Uniform Bar Exam jurisdiction, so until that transition it administers the UBE, and it will move to the NextGen exam at the February 2028 sitting. The NCBE has confirmed that the legacy UBE and its Multistate Bar Examination component end after the February 2028 administration, which makes the District's changeover coincide with the national sunset of the older format.

For applicants planning a timeline, the implication is straightforward. If you graduate from a law school in Washington DC and sit the bar before 2028, you will most likely take the current UBE that the District administers. If your bar sitting falls at or after February 2028, plan for the NextGen exam, the NCBE's redesigned test built around integrated legal skills rather than the older segmented structure. The bar you take is set by when you sit it in Washington DC, not by when you enrolled.

The District's current status as a UBE jurisdiction carries a meaningful portability benefit, and it is especially relevant here because so many graduates of law schools in Washington DC practice across state lines. A UBE score earned in the District can, subject to each jurisdiction's own rules and score requirements, be transferred to other UBE states, which is valuable for graduates heading to New York, Maryland, Virginia, or beyond. As the country moves to NextGen and the legacy UBE ends after February 2028, the NCBE is coordinating how scores and admissions work across jurisdictions, so anyone sitting the exam around the 2028 transition in Washington DC should confirm the current rules with the District's Committee on Admissions before committing to a test date.

The bottom line for law schools in Washington DC is that bar planning is a scheduling exercise with a portability upside. Know your expected graduation date, check it against the February 2028 NextGen start that the NCBE has set for the District, and prepare for whichever exam your sitting falls under. Because each of the District's six schools reports its own outcomes, the individual school's bar-preparation resources and pass-rate history are the most relevant benchmarks, and you should request those figures directly, since the disclosures cited in this guide do not include Washington DC bar passage rates.

Where can you take the LSAT in Washington DC?

LSAT test centers are available across the Washington DC metro area, but the specific locations offered change from cycle to cycle, so the reliable move is to consult LSAC's official test-center list at lsac.org when you register rather than relying on any fixed address. LSAC also administers the LSAT in a remotely proctored online format, which is a convenient option for candidates anywhere in the District or its suburbs.

Washington DC is a single, compact city, but its testing footprint extends into the surrounding region commonly known as the DMV, which spans the District, the Maryland suburbs in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, and Northern Virginia around Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax. That density means candidates for law schools in Washington DC generally have more in-person options nearby than applicants in rural single-school states, but seats still fill, so check the current LSAC list and register early. Because the metro is transit-connected, many candidates can reach a center across the DC line in Maryland or Virginia as easily as one inside the District.

Whichever format you choose, treat the logistics of the LSAT in Washington DC as part of your preparation. Confirm the test date against your application timeline, secure your seat or online slot as soon as registration opens, and build your study calendar backward from the sitting. Because the District's schools span a wide median range from 151 to 171, a strong, well-timed LSAT is the single most important lever for moving up the tier of law schools in Washington DC that are realistic for you.

Which Washington DC universities feed law school?

Washington DC is home to several major universities, and their undergraduate programs are natural pre-law feeders into legal education both in the District and nationally. Georgetown University, George Washington University, American University, Howard University, the Catholic University of America, and the University of the District of Columbia all enroll undergraduates in political science, government, history, and related fields that traditionally lead to law school. Because these same institutions host the District's law schools, the city has an unusually tight connection between undergraduate pre-law study and legal education.

Washington DC's status as the national capital also makes it a magnet for pre-law talent from across the country. Students drawn to government, policy, and international affairs cluster in the District for internships on Capitol Hill, at federal agencies, and at nonprofits, and many of them go on to law school. That national pull means the applicant pool for law schools in Washington DC is not limited to local undergraduates; it draws from universities nationwide whose graduates want to study law in the country's political and legal center.

It is worth noting the general nature of this section: naming Washington DC's universities as common pre-law feeders reflects the city's higher-education landscape, not a specific placement statistic. The packet does not attribute a placement rate to any Washington DC university, and neither does this guide. What matters for an applicant is that a pre-law path to the District can begin at any accredited undergraduate program, and that each of the law schools in Washington DC evaluates candidates on their LSAT, GPA, and application, not on which university they attended as an undergraduate.

Frequently asked questions about law school in Washington DC

How many law schools are in Washington DC?

Washington DC has six ABA accredited law schools: Georgetown University, George Washington University, American University, the Catholic University of America, Howard University, and the University of the District of Columbia. That is a deep concentration for a single city, which is why law schools in Washington DC span a full range from national-elite to accessible and low-cost, all within one metro.

What is the easiest law school to get into in Washington DC?

By acceptance rate, the University of the District of Columbia is the most accessible of the law schools in Washington DC, reporting a 37.0% acceptance rate and a 151 median LSAT in its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure. American University at 33.3% and Catholic University of America at 32.4% are the next most accessible by admit rate. Georgetown University, at 15.8%, is by far the most selective in the District.

What is the best law school in Washington DC?

By admissions selectivity, Georgetown University is the strongest of the law schools in Washington DC, with a 171 median LSAT and a 15.8% acceptance rate in its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, national-elite numbers. George Washington University follows at a 168 median. Best is ultimately about fit and goals, but on the packet's metrics Georgetown University sits at the top of the District.

What LSAT score do you need for law school in Washington DC?

It depends on the school, because medians for law schools in Washington DC run from 151 to 171 in the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. Georgetown University wants an LSAT near 171 and George Washington University near 168, while American University sits at 162 and Catholic University of America at 161. Howard University's median is 156 and the University of the District of Columbia's is 151, the most accessible target in the District.

How much does law school cost in Washington DC?

Tuition among law schools in Washington DC varies widely in the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures, from $12,438 at the University of the District of Columbia to $83,576 at Georgetown University. In between sit Howard University at $39,780, Catholic University of America at $61,580, American University at $66,990, and George Washington University at $75,420. These are tuition figures only and exclude living costs, so confirm total cost of attendance with each school.

Does Washington DC use the NextGen bar exam?

According to the NCBE, Washington DC has adopted the NextGen bar exam and will first administer it in February 2028. Until then the District remains a Uniform Bar Exam jurisdiction, so it currently administers the UBE. The legacy UBE and MBE end after the February 2028 administration, so whether you take the UBE or NextGen in Washington DC depends on when your bar sitting falls.

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

Yes. Washington DC admits graduates of ABA accredited law schools from any state to sit its bar exam, so an out-of-state degree does not prevent you from practicing in the District. Washington DC is currently a UBE jurisdiction and transitions to NextGen in February 2028 per the NCBE, so confirm the current exam, deadlines, and admission requirements with the District's admissions authorities before you plan a sitting.

Which Washington DC law school has the best bar passage?

Washington DC has six ABA law schools, but the disclosures cited in this guide cover medians, acceptance, and tuition, not Washington DC bar passage rates, so this guide does not rank them on bar passage. Each school reports its own first-time and ultimate bar passage in its ABA 509 disclosure, so request those figures directly from Georgetown University, George Washington University, American University, Catholic University of America, Howard University, or the University of the District of Columbia.

Are there part-time or evening law programs in Washington DC?

The packet used for this guide does not specify which of the law schools in Washington DC offer part-time or evening programs, so this guide does not claim any specific school does. Program format matters for working applicants, so anyone needing a part-time or evening option in Washington DC should confirm directly with each school, such as Georgetown University or George Washington University, whether an evening or part-time track is available.

Where can you take the LSAT in Washington DC?

LSAT test centers are available across the Washington DC metro area, including the District itself and the surrounding Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia, but the exact centers change each cycle. Check LSAC's official test-center list at lsac.org when you register. The remotely proctored online LSAT is also available and is a convenient option for candidates anywhere in the Washington DC region.

Which Washington DC law schools are splitter friendly?

Among law schools in Washington DC, George Washington University, Howard University, Catholic University of America, and American University read as splitter friendly on their 2025 ABA 509 GPA spreads, with George Washington University the most flexible at a 0.31 gap. Georgetown University and the University of the District of Columbia read as reverse-splitter friendly, showing wider LSAT spreads, so they can reward a strong GPA paired with a lower LSAT.

Do you have to go to law school in Washington DC to practice there?

No. You do not have to attend law schools in Washington DC to practice in the District; graduates of any ABA accredited school may sit the DC bar. That said, several District schools keep a strong share of graduates in the DC market, including George Washington University at 45% and Georgetown University at 39% per ABA Class of 2024 data, so the in-city schools offer dense local networks in Washington DC.

Which Washington DC law school keeps the most graduates in the DC market?

Among the law schools in Washington DC with reported figures, George Washington University keeps the largest share of its class in the DC market at 45%, per ABA Class of 2024 data. Georgetown University keeps 39%, Catholic University of America 37%, and Howard University 31%. The packet does not report a DC-market retention figure for American University or the University of the District of Columbia, so this guide does not state one for those two.

Is Georgetown the only elite law school in Washington DC?

Georgetown University posts the highest median among law schools in Washington DC at 171 with a 15.8% acceptance rate in its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, but George Washington University is close behind at a 168 median. Together they anchor the top of the District, while American University at 162 and Catholic University of America at 161 form a strong middle tier in Washington DC.

How affordable is the University of the District of Columbia?

Very affordable by national standards. The University of the District of Columbia reports full-time tuition of $12,438 in its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, by far the lowest among law schools in Washington DC and a genuine outlier reflecting its public mission. Paired with a 151 median LSAT and a 37.0% acceptance rate, it is the most accessible and lowest-cost entry point into legal education in the District.

Sources

Medians, acceptance rates, and tuition for law schools in Washington DC come from each school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, published on the ABA Required Disclosures portal at https://www.abarequireddisclosures.org/. Bar exam status for Washington DC, including its NextGen adoption and February 2028 first administration, comes from the National Conference of Bar Examiners at https://www.ncbex.org/. LSAT test-center information is maintained by LSAC at https://www.lsac.org/.

Plan your Washington DC application with a data-backed evaluation

With six schools spanning a 151 to 171 median range, the right strategy is knowing exactly which tier your numbers open. If you want a read on how your LSAT and GPA stack up against Georgetown University, George Washington University, and the rest of the District's schools, start here. Get your free the District of Columbia law school profile evaluation and turn the data in this guide into a personalized plan for law schools in Washington DC.