How to Get Into Duquesne Law School: LSAT, GPA & Admissions (2026)

The short answer to how to get into Duquesne Law School is to clear the medians from Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure: a 157 LSAT and a 3.62 GPA. The middle 50 percent scored 155 to 160 and held a 3.35 to 3.85 GPA. Clear both and you are competitive.

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. Every figure on this page comes from Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (fall 2025 entering class), the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, and the school's own published pages.

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is Pittsburgh's law school in the most literal sense the data allows. According to the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, 80.3% of Duquesne Law graduates went to work in Pennsylvania, the highest single-market share among the schools in this series and a sign of how completely the school is woven into the western Pennsylvania legal market. The value is just as concentrated: Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law reports that 96% of students receive grants and lists 81 full-tuition awards in its 2025 ABA 509, alongside an 88.74% first-time bar passage rate. The thesis of this page follows from those figures: Duquesne Law is a Pittsburgh-first, high-aid school that is a strong value for anyone who wants to practice in Pennsylvania, and it is competitive at a 157 LSAT.

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law at a glance: LSAT, GPA, acceptance rate and cost

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law posts a 157 LSAT median, a 3.62 GPA median, and a 43.23% acceptance rate in its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure. Full-time tuition and fees run $58,898, with living expenses of $24,318. Almost every student receives a grant. The table below collects Duquesne Law's headline admissions, cost, and outcome numbers.

MetricDuquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law (fall 2025 entering class)LSAT (25th / 50th / 75th)155 / 157 / 160GPA (25th / 50th / 75th)3.35 / 3.62 / 3.85Acceptance rate43.23%Applications1,432Offers of admission619Matriculants from the applicant pool183First-year class184 (154 full-time + 30 part-time)Full-time tuition and fees$58,898Living expenses$24,318Share receiving grants96%Median grant$30,000 (25th $20,000, 75th $43,000)Conditional scholarshipsNoFirst-time bar passage88.74% (exam year 2024, Pennsylvania)Employed at ten months94.3% (148 of 157)

Source: Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (fall 2025 entering class), with employment from the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 and bar passage from Duquesne Law's ABA bar-passage report. Tuition and living expenses are printed separately in the 509, which does not publish a single combined cost-of-attendance total, so this page does not invent one.

What LSAT and GPA do you really need to get into Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law?

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law reports an LSAT spread of 155 to 160 and a GPA spread of 3.35 to 3.85 in its 2025 ABA 509. A 157 and a 3.62 sit at both medians. Below the 155 LSAT or the 3.35 GPA, an applicant needs a clear compensating strength on the other number.

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law reports an LSAT 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of 155, 157, and 160, and a GPA 25th, 50th, and 75th of 3.35, 3.62, and 3.85 for the fall 2025 entering class, per its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. The median is the fiftieth percentile: half of enrolled students at Duquesne Law scored above 157 on the LSAT and above 3.62 in GPA, and half below. A median is a target, not a cutoff, but at Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law the two medians together set the center of a competitive file.

The LSAT band is tight on the low side. From the 25th percentile of 155 to the median of 157 is only two points, while from the median to the 75th of 160 is three points. That narrow lower band means Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law does not admit far below its median on the LSAT, so a score under 155 needs real support elsewhere. The GPA band is much wider, running from 3.35 at the 25th to 3.85 at the 75th, a 0.50 spread, which tells you Duquesne Law enrolls a broad range of transcripts around its 3.62 median.

Reading those two bands together, Lovare marks Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law as splitter friendly, with a GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.27 and an LSAT 25th-to-median spread of two points. A splitter-friendly school forgives a lower GPA when the LSAT is high; a reverse-splitter-friendly school forgives a lower LSAT when the GPA is high. Because Duquesne Law's LSAT band is narrow but its GPA band is wide, the practical read is that a solid LSAT at or above the 157 median gives you room on the transcript, while a sub-155 LSAT is the harder gap to close at Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law.

Is Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law harder to get into than its reputation?

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is a touch more accessible than the middle of its LSAT band. Lovare's band analysis places Duquesne Law 35th most selective of the 56 ABA schools whose median LSAT is within two points of its 157, using acceptance rate from the 2025 ABA 509. That is squarely where a 157 applicant should be competitive.

Reputation places Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law as a well-established regional school with deep Pittsburgh roots, and the selectivity data fits that picture without overstating it. Lovare built a peer band of the 56 ABA law schools whose median LSAT falls within two points of Duquesne Law's 157, that is a median of 155 to 159, then ranked them by acceptance rate from the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law comes in 35th most selective of the 56, which places it below the middle of a large band.

Read that constructively rather than as a knock. A 43.23% acceptance rate and a below-median band position mean Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is exactly the kind of school where an applicant at or near its 157 LSAT and 3.62 GPA medians has a genuine, realistic shot rather than a long-odds gamble. With 619 offers made against 1,432 applications, Duquesne Law admits a healthy share of its pool. For a candidate whose numbers sit in the mid-150s, Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is a well-matched target, and one where a score above the median can start to pull the rich grant aid the school is known for.

How much does Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law cost, and how much scholarship money will you get?

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law lists full-time tuition and fees of $58,898 in its 2025 ABA 509, plus $24,318 in living expenses. Grants reach 96% of students, with a median award of $30,000. A median-grant recipient nets about $28,898 in tuition and fees before living costs, and the awards are not conditional.

Start with the sticker. Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure lists full-time tuition and fees at $58,898, plus $24,318 in living expenses. The 509 prints tuition and living separately and does not publish a single combined cost-of-attendance total, so any all-in annual number quoted elsewhere is someone's arithmetic rather than a figure Duquesne Law reports, and this page will not manufacture one.

Aid at Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is nearly universal. According to the same 509, 96% of students receive grant aid, with awards at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles of $20,000, $30,000, and $43,000. Duquesne Law reports 81 full-tuition awards and 3 awards above full tuition, a large count of full rides for a class this size. Against the $58,898 sticker, a student on Duquesne Law's median grant of $30,000 nets about $28,898 in tuition and fees before living costs, using figures from the 2025 ABA 509 disclosure. Because almost everyone receives something, the effective price at Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is well below the sticker for the typical student.

The aid is also stable. Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law does not use conditional scholarships, so an award is not tied to a first-year class-rank or GPA threshold and cannot be cut if your grades slip. That matters: at a school with conditional aid, a first-year award can shrink after a hard semester, but at Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law the grant quoted at admission is the grant you keep for all three years. Combined with 96% grant reach and 81 full-tuition awards, that stability is the core of the school's value case.

What are your real chances off the Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law waitlist?

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law does not disclose waitlist offers or admits, and no ABA report does. The honest proxy is implied yield: 183 matriculants against 619 offers is a 29.6% yield in the 2025 ABA 509. That is a moderate yield, so Duquesne Law fills much of its class from first-round offers while leaving some room for waitlist movement.

Here is the reasoning in full. Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law enrolled 183 matriculants from 619 offers in its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, an implied yield of 29.6%. No ABA disclosure, Duquesne Law's included, publishes how many applicants are admitted off the waitlist or how many accept, so implied yield is the honest proxy for waitlist movement. When roughly three in ten admitted students enroll, a school fills most of its class from first-round offers but still leaves some room that a waitlist can fill.

A 29.6% yield is moderate, which puts Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law between the extremes. It is higher than a school that yields a fifth of its offers and leans hard on its waitlist, and lower than a school that yields close to half and barely moves its list. For a waitlisted applicant to Duquesne Law, that means real but limited hope: some cycles will see movement, others little. Send a concise letter of continued interest naming Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law as a top choice, add any new score or grades, and keep another acceptance in hand.

One honest note on the class figures. Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure lists 183 matriculants from the applicant pool and a first-year class of 184, made up of 154 full-time and 30 part-time students. The near match between the two totals means the class fills almost entirely from this cycle's pool. The 29.6% implied yield is computed from the 183 pool matriculants against the 619 offers, which is the correct comparison for reasoning about this cycle's waitlist odds at Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law.

Where do Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law graduates actually work?

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is one of the most in-state-concentrated schools in the country. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, 80.3% of graduates went to work in Pennsylvania and 84.1% across the top three markets. Large firms of 101 or more lawyers took 17.2%, and 1.3% won federal clerkships.

Lead with the concentration, because it defines a Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law degree. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, Duquesne Law placed 126 of its graduates in Pennsylvania, 3 in Maryland, and 3 in Virginia. That is an 80.3% top-market share and an 84.1% top-three share, meaning four in five graduates practice in Pennsylvania and the rest scatter thinly. Few ABA schools send so large a share of a class into a single state, and for Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law that state is Pennsylvania, centered on Pittsburgh.

Why lead with concentration rather than the raw employment rate? Because the rate is strong but common at the top of the market. Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law reported 148 of 157 graduates employed at ten months, or 94.3%, in the same ABA Employment Summary, an excellent figure that many peers share. The 80.3% Pennsylvania share is what tells you whether the school fits your plan. If you want to build a career in Pittsburgh or elsewhere in Pennsylvania, Duquesne Law is deeply networked exactly there. If your goal is a distant national market, the concentration is a candid warning that the school's reach runs local.

On firm size and clerkships, Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is solid for its band. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows 17.2% of Duquesne Law graduates entering large firms of 101 or more lawyers and 1.3% taking federal clerkships. The large-firm share is respectable for a regional school and reflects Pittsburgh's base of sizable firms, while the clerkship share is modest. An applicant drawn to Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law for Pittsburgh private practice will find the numbers pointed the right way.

When are Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law's application deadlines?

This page's sources do not specify Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law's application deadlines or its Early Decision terms. Both should be confirmed directly on Duquesne Law's admissions page rather than taken from any date this page cannot verify. The guidance here is dated: it reflects what was verifiable in August 2026.

Because the school's Early Decision terms are not confirmed here for the current cycle, Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law applicants should treat the school's own admissions page as the authority on deadlines, decision rounds, and whether any early or binding option exists. Duquesne Law also runs both full-time and part-time tracks, and those can carry different timelines, so confirm the calendar for the program you want. Cycle dates shift from year to year, so verify the current timeline on Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law's site before you plan around it.

The numbers still support a timing strategy. Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law drew 1,432 applications and extended 619 offers for a first-year class of 184, per its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure. Because 96% of students receive grants and 81 full-tuition awards are in play, the scholarship stakes reward an early, complete application even when the admissions decision itself is attainable. Apply to Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law when your file is ready and your LSAT is at its best, and confirm the current dates on the school's site.

Frequently asked questions about getting into Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law

Is a 157 LSAT good enough for Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law?

A 157 is exactly the LSAT median at Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, per its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, where the middle 50 percent scored 155 to 160. A 157 puts you at the fiftieth percentile, competitive but not a lock. Pair it with a GPA at or above the 3.62 median and you are a strong candidate at Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law.

What GPA do you need for Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law?

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law reports a GPA median of 3.62, with a 25th to 75th range of 3.35 to 3.85, in its 2025 ABA 509. Aim for 3.62 or higher. Because Duquesne Law has a wide GPA band but a narrow LSAT band, a range of transcripts fits the class as long as the LSAT holds up at Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law.

What is Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law's acceptance rate?

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law admitted 43.23% of applicants for the fall 2025 class, extending 619 offers against 1,432 applications, according to its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. Among schools at the same 157 median LSAT, that rate places Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law below the middle of its band at 35th of 56, an accessible target for a mid-150s applicant.

How many people apply to Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law?

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law received 1,432 applications for the fall 2025 entering class, made 619 offers, and enrolled 183 matriculants from the pool for a first-year class of 184, per its 2025 ABA 509. That class splits into 154 full-time and 30 part-time students, so Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law serves both tracks from the same cycle.

How much does Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law cost?

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law lists full-time tuition and fees of $58,898, plus $24,318 in living expenses, in its 2025 ABA 509. Duquesne Law does not publish a single cost-of-attendance total in the 509, so tuition and living are best read separately rather than summed into an invented all-in figure for Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law.

Does Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law give scholarships?

Yes, at a very high rate. Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law reports that 96% of students receive grant aid, with awards of $20,000, $30,000, and $43,000 at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles, plus 81 full-tuition awards and 3 above full tuition, per its 2025 ABA 509. Those awards are not conditional, so a Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law grant cannot be cut for grades.

What is Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law's bar passage rate?

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law posted an 88.74% first-time bar passage rate for exam year 2024, with Pennsylvania as the largest jurisdiction, according to its ABA bar-passage report. Its ultimate pass rate for the 2022 cohort was 95.12%. Both figures are strong and show that nearly all Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law graduates who sit for a bar exam ultimately pass.

Where do Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law graduates work?

Overwhelmingly in Pennsylvania. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law placed 126 graduates in Pennsylvania, 3 in Maryland, and 3 in Virginia, an 80.3% top-market share and 84.1% across the top three. Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is one of the most Pittsburgh-centered and Pennsylvania-centered schools in the country.

Can a splitter get into Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law?

Yes, on the strength of the LSAT. Lovare reads Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law as splitter friendly, with a GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.27 and a narrow LSAT spread of two points in the 2025 ABA 509. Because the LSAT band is tight, a strong LSAT at or above 157 gives the most room on the transcript at Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law.

How selective is Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law compared with schools at the same LSAT?

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is 35th most selective of the 56 ABA schools whose median LSAT is within two points of its 157, ranked by acceptance rate in the 2025 ABA 509, per Lovare's analysis. That below-middle standing means Duquesne Law is more accessible than most schools posting the same median LSAT, a good match for a mid-150s applicant.

Is Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law worth it?

For a Pennsylvania career, the value is strong. Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law pairs a $58,898 sticker with 96% grant reach, 81 full-tuition awards, an 88.74% first-time bar pass rate, and 80.3% of graduates working in Pennsylvania, per its 2025 ABA 509 and the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024. For a Pittsburgh-focused applicant, Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is a high-value choice.

What is Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law's first-year attrition rate?

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law reports first-year academic attrition of 4.0% in its 2025 ABA 509, meaning a small share of first-year students were dismissed for academic reasons in the reported year. That is a low figure, and because Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law does not use conditional scholarships, a hard first year does not also threaten a student's grant.

Does Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law have a part-time program?

Yes. Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law's fall 2025 first-year class of 184 includes 30 part-time students alongside 154 full-time students, per its 2025 ABA 509. That part-time track lets working students earn the degree on a longer schedule, and applicants should confirm the separate part-time timeline and requirements with Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law directly.

What LSAT and GPA give the best shot at a Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law scholarship?

Scores above the medians. Because Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law reports 81 full-tuition awards and a 75th-percentile grant of $43,000 in its 2025 ABA 509, an LSAT above the 157 median toward 160 paired with a GPA above 3.62 toward the 3.85 upper quartile positions you for the largest awards, including a full ride, at Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law.

Sources

Every figure on this page is drawn from primary disclosures, listed here so readers can verify each one directly.

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (fall 2025 entering class): https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/AnnualQuestionnaire/GenerateIndividualDisclosure509Report?schoolId=131&year=2025

Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law ABA bar-passage report: https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/BarPassageOutcomes/GenerateIndividualBarPassageReport?schoolId=131&year=2025

ABA Employment Summary, Class of 2024: https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/EmploymentOutcomes/GenerateIndividualEQSummaryReport?schoolId=131&year=2024

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