Law Schools in Idaho + LSAT Prep (2026 Guide)

Among the law schools in Idaho, there is just one accredited by the ABA: the University of Idaho, the public flagship's College of Law in Moscow. Its median LSAT is 153 in the 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, so a competitive Idaho applicant targets a score in the low-to-mid 150s at the state's single, relatively accessible school.

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 admissions figure on this Idaho guide comes from the University of Idaho's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure for the fall 2025 entering class, every bar-exam detail from the National Conference of Bar Examiners, and the in-state retention figure from the ABA employment data for the Class of 2024.

What law schools are in Idaho?

Idaho is one of the smallest states in the country for legal education, with a single ABA-accredited law school, and it is worth being upfront about that. If you want to earn a law degree without leaving Idaho, your in-state option is the University of Idaho, the flagship's College of Law, seated in Moscow in the state's northern panhandle. According to the 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, the University of Idaho posted a 153 median LSAT, a 66.8 percent acceptance rate, and full-time tuition of $27,516 for the fall 2025 entering class. Because Idaho has only one law school, there is no in-state comparison to draw, so the useful work of this guide is to explain that one school's numbers in depth and to set honest expectations for an Idaho applicant. The table records the core figures.

SchoolMedian LSATAcceptance rateFull-time tuitionUniversity of Idaho15366.8%$27,516

One piece of geography is worth flagging for any Idaho applicant, because Idaho is a large and spread-out state. The University of Idaho's home campus sits in Moscow, in the northern panhandle near the Washington border, while the state's dominant legal market is Boise, in the southwest, several hours away by road. That distance shapes the student experience: a candidate who intends to build a career in the Boise legal market will study at a flagship rooted in the north of the state, and bridging that gap through summer work and networking in Boise is part of planning a University of Idaho path. This guide sticks to the figures the 2025 disclosure reports for the school and does not assert program details it did not provide, but the north-to-south geography between where the school sits and where most Idaho legal jobs are is a real consideration an Idaho applicant should weigh.

The University of Idaho's median LSAT, acceptance rate, and full-time tuition in the table above are taken from the school's own 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure for the fall 2025 entering class. Three features stand out. First, the 153 median is modest by national standards, which makes the University of Idaho reachable for applicants scoring in the low-to-mid 150s. Second, the 66.8 percent acceptance rate is high, meaning the University of Idaho admits about two of every three applicants, so the single Idaho school is comparatively accessible rather than a gatekeeper. Third, full-time tuition of $27,516 is a public-flagship price, considerably below what national private law schools charge. Put together, the picture is of an accessible, moderately priced public law school serving a small state, and for a resident who wants to study law in Idaho, the University of Idaho is both the only option and a genuinely attainable one.

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

For law school in Idaho, the number that matters is the University of Idaho's 153 median LSAT, per its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, because it is the state's only ABA-accredited school. A score at or above 153 puts an Idaho applicant at or above the middle of the admitted class, which is a competitive position at a school that admits about two-thirds of its applicants.

Consider what different scores realistically open in Idaho. A score at or above 153 sits at or above the University of Idaho median, so it is a competitive number, and paired with a solid GPA it makes for a strong Idaho application. A score a few points below 153, in the low 150s or even the high 140s, is not disqualifying at the University of Idaho, because the school's 66.8 percent acceptance rate signals a wide admitted band that reaches below the median, and, as the next section shows, the University of Idaho reads the GPA generously enough that a lower LSAT can be offset. That combination, a modest median and a high admit rate, is why the honest message for an Idaho applicant is that the state's law school is within reach for a broad range of scorers rather than reserved for a narrow top tier. What a 153-or-better score does not do is guarantee admission, since no school admits on the LSAT alone, but at the University of Idaho it places an applicant in a strong position.

On GPA, the 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure does not give this guide a published GPA median for the University of Idaho, so this page will not state one. What the disclosure does show is the shape of the GPA band, and it is wide: the distance from the 25th percentile up to the median is 0.47 of a grade point, an unusually large spread that tells you the University of Idaho admits students with a broad range of grades. The practical meaning for an Idaho applicant is that the University of Idaho does not require a high GPA to be competitive, and a lower GPA can be carried by a solid LSAT at or above the 153 median. Because the single Idaho school reads grades this generously, the LSAT is the number an Idaho applicant should focus preparation on, since lifting it a few points has an outsized effect at a school with a 153 median.

Which Idaho law schools are splitter friendly?

Idaho has only one law school, and the University of Idaho is decidedly splitter friendly according to its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. A splitter is an applicant with a high LSAT and a lower GPA, and a splitter-friendly school forgives that lower GPA when the LSAT is strong, which is exactly the pattern the University of Idaho's numbers show.

The evidence is the GPA spread. The University of Idaho's 2025 disclosure shows a GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.47, the width from the bottom quarter of the class up to the middle. A 0.47 spread is wide, wider than the GPA bands seen at many schools, and it means the University of Idaho routinely admits students whose grades sit well below the class median. For a splitter, that is a green light: an Idaho applicant carrying a strong LSAT and a GPA that trails it fits the profile the University of Idaho admits comfortably. Combine that wide GPA band with the school's 66.8 percent acceptance rate and the 153 LSAT median, and the University of Idaho emerges as one of the more forgiving admissions profiles a splitter will encounter, because both the high admit rate and the wide GPA spread work in a high-LSAT, lower-GPA applicant's favor.

This guide does not have a reverse-splitter read for Idaho in its source data, so it does not claim that a high-GPA, low-LSAT applicant enjoys the same clear edge; the documented advantage at the University of Idaho belongs to the LSAT-strong splitter. For an Idaho applicant deciding where to invest effort, that is a useful, concrete conclusion: at the state's only law school, a strong LSAT is the single most valuable thing you can bring, both because the median sits at a reachable 153 and because the school's wide GPA band means a high score can offset grades that would sink an application at a more numbers-balanced school.

What is the legal job market like in Idaho?

Idaho's legal market is small and centered on Boise, the state capital and by far its largest city, which holds the concentration of law firms, state government legal offices, and courts that anchors the Idaho bar. Secondary activity spreads across the Treasure Valley around Boise and to smaller hubs such as Idaho Falls and Pocatello in the east and Coeur d'Alene in the north, but Boise is the gravitational center of legal employment in Idaho. The in-state retention figure in the ABA employment data for the Class of 2024 shows that the University of Idaho keeps 52 percent of its graduating class in Idaho, a slight majority, which means roughly half of each class stays to practice in the state while the other half begins careers elsewhere.

That 52 percent retention is a meaningful fact for an Idaho applicant. For a single-school state, keeping just over half of graduates in-state indicates that the Idaho market absorbs a solid share of the University of Idaho's class each year, so a student who wants an Idaho career has a realistic in-state path, with the school's alumni network and recruiting ties concentrated where they intend to work, principally the Boise market. At the same time, the fact that nearly half of each class leaves Idaho shows that a University of Idaho degree is not confined to the state, and graduates do launch careers beyond Idaho's borders. This guide will not name specific out-of-state destinations, because they were not in the source data, and it does not quote salary figures for Idaho, because none were in the source data either; an invented salary would defeat the purpose of a primary-source guide. What can be stated plainly is the structure: a small market centered on Boise, and a flagship law school that retains a slight majority of its graduates in Idaho.

Does Idaho use the NextGen bar exam?

Yes. Idaho has adopted the NextGen bar exam, and according to the National Conference of Bar Examiners it administered its first NextGen exam in July 2026. Idaho was previously a Uniform Bar Exam jurisdiction and no longer administers the legacy UBE, so for a candidate planning to sit in Idaho, the NextGen format is already the live exam rather than a future change to prepare for.

That early timing settles the transition question for Idaho. A graduate sitting for the Idaho bar in 2026 or later is preparing for the NextGen exam, not the older Multistate Bar Examination and Uniform Bar Exam structure that Idaho has moved past. The National Conference of Bar Examiners has confirmed that the legacy Uniform Bar Exam and the Multistate Bar Examination will end nationally after the February 2028 administration, so every state is on a countdown to NextGen, and Idaho has simply arrived ahead of the deadline by giving its first NextGen exam in July 2026. For an Idaho candidate, the practical instruction is to build a bar-preparation plan around the NextGen format from the outset and to confirm the current sitting dates and any transitional details with the Idaho State Bar, since bar authorities publish the exact schedule each cycle. Bar-exam format is the one area of this Idaho guide sourced to the National Conference of Bar Examiners rather than the ABA disclosure, and Idaho's NextGen status comes directly from that body.

Where can you take the LSAT in Idaho?

LSAT test centers are available in Idaho's major population centers, most prominently the Boise metro, the state's largest, along with the surrounding Treasure Valley cities of Meridian and Nampa, and in eastern Idaho around Idaho Falls and Pocatello. Moscow, in the northern panhandle, is the university town that hosts the University of Idaho. In addition to any physical test center, the LSAT is offered in a remote-proctored format, so an Idaho test taker can often sit the exam from home rather than travel, which matters in a geographically large, sparsely populated state where a center may be a long drive away.

The specific list of open LSAT centers in Idaho changes from one administration to the next, so instead of printing addresses that may be outdated by the time you register, this guide points Idaho test takers to LSAC's official test-center list, which shows the current in-person and remote options for each sitting. Register early in the cycle, because in a small state the number of physical Idaho seats is limited, and the remote-proctored option is a genuinely useful fallback for an Idaho candidate who cannot reach a Boise-area center conveniently. Confirming your Idaho test date and format on LSAC's official list ahead of the deadline is the most reliable way to secure the seat you want.

Which Idaho universities feed law school?

Idaho's undergraduate feeders into law school are led by the state's public universities: the University of Idaho in Moscow, which also houses the state's only law school and carries a natural pre-law pipeline, Boise State University in the capital, the largest university in the state by enrollment, and Idaho State University in Pocatello. These three public institutions sit in Idaho's main population centers and are the common starting points for Idaho residents who plan to continue into law school, whether at the University of Idaho or elsewhere.

They are named here as common pre-law feeders based on their size and prominence within Idaho higher education, not on any specific placement statistic, because the source data for this guide does not include school-by-school undergraduate-origin counts for Idaho law students. What can be said plainly is that an Idaho resident has several solid in-state undergraduate paths toward a law degree, with the University of Idaho and Boise State University the most prominent. An applicant deciding where to complete a pre-law degree in Idaho should prioritize grades, LSAT preparation, and a coherent application over any assumption that a particular Idaho university confers an admissions edge, particularly since the state's single law school reads the LSAT so heavily.

Frequently asked questions about law school in Idaho

How many law schools are in Idaho?

Idaho has one ABA-accredited law school, the University of Idaho College of Law, seated at the public flagship in Moscow. Its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure reports a 153 median LSAT, a 66.8 percent acceptance rate, and full-time tuition of $27,516. Because Idaho has just one law school, it is among the smallest states in the country for legal education, and an in-state applicant has a single option.

What is the only ABA law school in Idaho?

The only ABA-accredited law school in Idaho is the University of Idaho College of Law, part of the state's public flagship in Moscow. Per its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, it posted a 153 median LSAT and a 66.8 percent acceptance rate for fall 2025. It is both the state's only law school and, given that high admit rate, a comparatively accessible one for Idaho applicants.

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

You need a score in the low-to-mid 150s to be competitive for law school in Idaho, because the University of Idaho, the state's only school, has a 153 median LSAT in its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. A score at or above 153 places an Idaho applicant at or above the middle of the class, and given the school's 66.8 percent acceptance rate, even a slightly lower score stays in a realistic range.

What is the acceptance rate at the University of Idaho?

The University of Idaho admitted 66.8 percent of its applicants for the fall 2025 entering class, according to its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. That is a high acceptance rate, meaning the state's only law school admits about two of every three applicants. For an Idaho applicant, that accessibility is the headline: the University of Idaho is reachable for a broad range of candidates rather than reserved for top scorers.

How much does law school cost in Idaho?

Full-time tuition at the University of Idaho, the state's only law school, is $27,516 per its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. That is a public-flagship price, well below what national private law schools charge. Living costs and scholarships, which vary by student, are not included in that Idaho tuition figure, so an applicant should weigh the total cost of attending law school in Idaho separately.

Is it hard to get into law school in Idaho?

Relatively speaking, no. The University of Idaho, the state's only ABA law school, admitted 66.8 percent of applicants for fall 2025 with a modest 153 median LSAT, per its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. Both figures point to an accessible school, and its wide 0.47 GPA spread means grades below the median are not disqualifying. Idaho is one of the more attainable states in which to gain law school admission.

Does Idaho use the NextGen bar exam?

Yes. According to the National Conference of Bar Examiners, Idaho adopted the NextGen bar exam and administered its first NextGen exam in July 2026. Idaho was formerly a Uniform Bar Exam state and no longer gives the legacy UBE. The older UBE and Multistate Bar Examination end nationally after the February 2028 administration, so Idaho candidates are already preparing for the NextGen format.

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

As a general rule, a J.D. from any ABA-accredited law school qualifies a graduate to sit for the Idaho bar, so you do not have to attend the University of Idaho to become an Idaho lawyer. Idaho sets its own character-and-fitness and admission requirements, so confirm the current rules with the Idaho State Bar before you rely on them. This is general guidance, not a figure from the disclosure.

What is the University of Idaho's bar passage rate?

The University of Idaho's specific bar-passage rate was not part of the source data for this guide, so this page states that absence rather than invent a number. The University of Idaho publishes its own first-time and ultimate bar-passage rates in its ABA disclosures, so an Idaho applicant who wants that figure should consult the school's ABA bar-passage report directly for the most recent exam year.

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

Program-format detail, including whether the University of Idaho offers a part-time or evening division, was not included in the source data for this guide, so this page states that absence rather than assert a schedule that might be wrong. An applicant who needs a part-time or evening option in Idaho should confirm current program formats directly with the University of Idaho, the state's only ABA law school.

Where can you take the LSAT in Idaho?

LSAT test centers operate in Idaho's larger population centers, chiefly the Boise metro and the surrounding Treasure Valley, with additional activity around Idaho Falls and Pocatello, and remote-proctored testing is also available to Idaho candidates from home. Because the open centers in Idaho change each administration and physical seats are limited in a small state, check LSAC's official test-center list for current options and register early.

Is the University of Idaho splitter friendly?

Yes. The University of Idaho is clearly splitter friendly, showing a wide GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.47 in its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, which means the state's only law school admits students with grades well below the class median when the LSAT is strong. For an Idaho applicant with a high LSAT and a lower GPA, that wide band, paired with a 66.8 percent acceptance rate, is a genuine advantage.

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

No. You do not have to attend the University of Idaho to practice law in Idaho; a degree from any ABA-accredited law school, followed by passing the Idaho bar and meeting the state's admission requirements, lets you practice in Idaho. Attending the in-state school can help with local connections in the Boise market, but it is not required. Confirm the current rules with the Idaho State Bar.

Do University of Idaho graduates stay in Idaho?

About half do. Per the ABA Class of 2024 employment data, the University of Idaho keeps 52 percent of its graduating class in Idaho, a slight majority, while the rest begin their careers elsewhere. For an applicant whose goal is an Idaho career centered on the Boise market, that retention rate shows a realistic in-state path, with the school's network concentrated where most graduates who stay end up working.

Can you get into the University of Idaho with a 150 LSAT?

Quite possibly. A 150 sits three points below the University of Idaho's 153 median, per its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, but with a 66.8 percent acceptance rate and a wide 0.47 GPA spread, the state's only law school admits from a broad band that reaches below the median. Paired with a solid GPA, a 150 is a realistic Idaho application, especially given the school's splitter-friendly profile.

Sources

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

American Bar Association required disclosures, the University of Idaho 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (median, acceptance rate, and tuition): https://www.abarequireddisclosures.org/

National Conference of Bar Examiners, NextGen adoption and bar-exam status for Idaho: https://www.ncbex.org/

LSAC official LSAT test-center list for Idaho administrations: https://www.lsac.org/

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