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

The short answer to how to get into Seattle Law School is to reach the medians in Seattle University School of Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, a 159 LSAT and a 3.6 GPA. The middle 50 percent scored 155 to 162 on the LSAT and 3.22 to 3.8 in 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. The admissions figures on this page come from Seattle University School of Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report for the fall 2025 entering class, the employment figures from the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, and the bar-passage figures from Seattle U Law's ABA bar-passage report, together with the school's own published pages.

The single most distinctive fact about Seattle University School of Law is the sheer concentration of its graduates in Washington. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, Seattle U Law placed 162 of 206 graduates in Washington, a 78.6 percent top-market share and the most locally concentrated outcome of any school in this Pacific Northwest set. It is, in the plainest sense, the Puget Sound region's own law school. Two more facts frame the page: Seattle U Law is the most selective school in this group, admitting 38.93 percent of applicants in its 2025 ABA 509, and it pairs the strongest employment rate here, 91.7 percent at ten months, with a consumer-protective catch: its scholarships are conditional and can be reduced if your first-year grades fall short. The thesis of this page is that Seattle University School of Law is the natural choice for an applicant committed to practicing in Washington, provided you go in clear-eyed about the conditional-award terms.

Seattle University School of Law at a glance: LSAT, GPA, acceptance rate and cost

Seattle University School of Law posts a 159 LSAT median, a 3.6 GPA median, and a 38.93 percent acceptance rate in Seattle U Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. The 509 does not print a single annual full-time tuition figure because Seattle U Law bills per credit hour. The table below gathers the headline admissions, cost, and outcome numbers for Seattle U Law.

MetricSeattle University School of Law (fall 2025 entering class)LSAT (25th / 50th / 75th)155 / 159 / 162GPA (25th / 50th / 75th)3.22 / 3.6 / 3.8Acceptance rate38.93%Applications2,304Offers of admission897Matriculants from the applicant pool209First-year class209 (150 full-time, 59 part-time)Full-time tuitionBilled per credit hour; the 509 prints no annual full-time figureLiving expenses$34,161Share receiving grants87%Grant amount (25th / 50th / 75th)$20,000 / $30,000 / $40,000Full-tuition awards61 full-tuition, 13 above full tuitionConditional scholarshipsYesFirst-time bar passage78.74% (exam year 2024, Washington)Employed at ten months91.7% (189 of 206)

Source: Seattle University School of Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report for the fall 2025 entering class, with employment from the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 and bar passage from Seattle U Law's ABA bar-passage report. The 509 lists living expenses separately and does not publish a single combined cost-of-attendance total, and because Seattle U Law bills tuition per credit hour the 509 shows no annual full-time tuition figure, so this page does not invent one.

What LSAT and GPA do you really need to get into Seattle University School of Law?

Seattle University School of Law reports an LSAT spread of 155 to 162 and a GPA spread of 3.22 to 3.8 in its 2025 ABA 509. A 159 LSAT and a 3.6 GPA sit at both medians. Below the 155 LSAT or the 3.22 GPA you need a clear compensating strength on the other number, and because Seattle U Law is the most selective school in this group, the medians carry real weight.

Seattle U Law reports an LSAT 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of 155, 159, and 162, and a GPA 25th, 50th, and 75th of 3.22, 3.6, and 3.8 for the fall 2025 entering class, per Seattle University School of Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. The median is the fiftieth percentile: half of enrolled students scored above 159 on the LSAT and above 3.6 in GPA, and half scored below. Seattle U Law admitted 38.93 percent of applicants, the lowest acceptance rate among the Pacific Northwest schools profiled here, so its medians describe a class you have to earn your way into rather than a soft target.

The realistic read at Seattle University School of Law is that a 159 and a 3.6 put you at the center of the class, while the 25th percentiles of 155 and 3.22 mark the lower edge of comfort. Because the admit rate is under 40 percent, sitting at or below both 25th percentiles at once is a genuine disadvantage here, more so than at the more forgiving schools in the region. If your LSAT is 155 you want a GPA near or above the 3.6 median, and if your GPA is 3.22 you want an LSAT near or above 159. Lifting one number materially improves your standing at Seattle U Law.

The shape of the two bands makes Seattle University School of Law splitter friendly, and notably so. Lovare's read of the 509 spreads shows a GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.38 against an LSAT 25th-to-median spread of 4 points, both wide, so Seattle U Law tolerates a range of profiles. 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. Seattle U Law leans splitter, so a strong LSAT can offset a transcript toward the 3.22 quartile. If your grades are uneven but your LSAT is strong, Seattle University School of Law is a school where that profile has a real chance.

Is Seattle University School of Law harder to get into than its reputation?

Seattle University School of Law sits just past the middle of its selectivity band, and in absolute terms it is the most selective school in this Pacific Northwest group. Lovare's analysis of the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures ranks Seattle U Law 27th most selective of the 48 ABA law schools whose median LSAT falls within two points of its 159, while its 38.93 percent acceptance rate is genuinely selective on its face.

To test reputation against selectivity, Lovare built a peer band of the 48 ABA law schools whose median LSAT lands within two points of Seattle U Law's 159, that is, a median of 157 to 161, then ranked them by acceptance rate from the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. Seattle University School of Law comes in 27th most selective of the 48, a little past the midpoint, so within its band it is slightly less selective than the typical school posting the same 159 median. That within-band position, however, sits on top of a low absolute admit rate, which is the number an applicant feels.

The acceptance-rate detail is what distinguishes Seattle U Law from the more forgiving schools nearby. A 38.93 percent acceptance rate, from Seattle University School of Law's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, means the school admitted fewer than two of every five applicants, extending 897 offers against 2,304 applications, the largest applicant pool in this group, to fill a first-year class of 209. High demand drives that selectivity: many applicants want a Seattle-based JD, and the school can be choosier than its regional peers as a result.

The honest verdict is that Seattle University School of Law is about as selective as its reputation suggests, and more selective than the other Pacific Northwest schools profiled here. Its standing as the region's high-volume metropolitan law school lines up with a sub-40-percent admit rate. For you, that means a file at or above the 159 and 3.6 medians is the safe target, and clearing both medians matters more at Seattle U Law than at the region's easier admits.

How much does Seattle University School of Law cost, and how much scholarship money will you get?

Seattle University School of Law bills tuition per credit hour, and its 2025 ABA 509 prints no single annual full-time tuition figure, so this page does not compute one. The 509 does list $34,161 in living expenses. Eighty-seven percent of students receive grants, with a median award of $30,000, but the awards are conditional: Seattle U Law can reduce a first-year scholarship if your grades fall below its threshold.

The cost side of Seattle University School of Law comes with an important structural note. Seattle U Law bills tuition on a per-credit-hour basis, and its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure does not print a single annual full-time tuition number. Any all-in yearly tuition figure quoted elsewhere is therefore someone's multiplication rather than a figure Seattle U Law reports, and this page will not invent one. What the 509 does state is the living-expense allowance of $34,161, which is high and reflects the Seattle metropolitan cost of living, and it is a budgeting input separate from tuition. Confirm the current per-credit rate and your expected credit load with the school before you model a total.

On aid, the reach is broad. According to the same 509, 87 percent of Seattle University School of Law students receive grant aid, with awards at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles of $20,000, $30,000, and $40,000. Seattle U Law reports 61 full-tuition awards and 13 awards above full tuition, so a meaningful number of students attend at or below zero net tuition. The median award of $30,000 is substantial, and the volume of full-ride packages is a real strength.

Here is the consumer warning that belongs in bold terms. Seattle U Law's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure reports that Seattle University School of Law uses conditional scholarships, which means an award can be tied to a first-year class-rank or GPA threshold and can be cut if your grades fall below that line. Law school grades are curved, so a fixed share of every first-year class necessarily lands in the lower half regardless of effort, and a student counting on a renewable award can lose part of it through no failure of diligence. Before you accept a Seattle U Law scholarship, get the exact renewal condition in writing, ask what percentage of first-year students kept the full award last year, and budget for the possibility that the discount shrinks after year one. This is the single most important financial question to resolve at Seattle University School of Law, because the sticker you actually pay depends on it.

What are your real chances off the Seattle University School of Law waitlist?

Seattle University School of Law does not disclose waitlist offers or admits, and no ABA report does. The honest proxy is implied yield: 209 matriculants against 897 offers is a 23.3 percent yield in Seattle U Law's 2025 ABA 509. That is a low yield, so Seattle U Law relies on a large offer volume and its waitlist can genuinely move in some cycles.

Here is the reasoning in full. Seattle University School of Law enrolled 209 matriculants from 897 offers in its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, an implied yield of 23.3 percent. No ABA disclosure, Seattle U Law's included, publishes how many applicants are admitted from the waitlist or how many accept, so implied yield is the honest proxy for waitlist movement. When fewer than one in four admitted students enroll, a school is casting a wide net and cannot predict its class precisely, which leaves more room for late movement than a high-yield school has.

A 23.3 percent yield is low, and that shapes expectations for a waitlisted applicant to Seattle University School of Law in a hopeful direction. Low yield means most admitted students decline, so Seattle U Law leans on a large volume of offers and, in cycles where its first-round yield runs light, may turn to the waitlist to fill remaining seats. That is not a promise, since the school can simply make more offers up front, but it does mean a Seattle U Law waitlist spot carries more real hope than it would at a school that yields close to half its offers.

If you land on the Seattle University School of Law waitlist, the play is the standard one: send a concise letter of continued interest naming Seattle U Law as a top choice, add any new LSAT score or improved grades, and keep another acceptance in hand. Given the low yield, a Seattle U Law waitlist spot is worth working actively rather than writing off, because the school's own offer patterns leave the door meaningfully open.

Where do Seattle University School of Law graduates actually work?

In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, Seattle University School of Law concentrated its graduates in Washington to an unusual degree, placing 162 of 206 there, or 78.6 percent, with California and the District of Columbia next. The top three markets accounted for 83.0 percent. Large firms of 101 or more lawyers took 9.7 percent, the highest large-firm share in this group, and 1.0 percent won federal clerkships.

Seattle University School of Law is the most locally anchored school in this set, and the employment data makes that unmistakable. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, Seattle U Law placed 162 of its graduates in Washington, 6 in California, and 3 in the District of Columbia. That 78.6 percent top-market share and 83.0 percent top-three share means roughly four in five graduates practice in Washington, a concentration higher than at any other school profiled here. If your goal is Seattle and the broader Puget Sound legal market, Seattle U Law is aimed directly at it; if you want to practice outside the Pacific Northwest, the concentration is a clear warning that this degree travels less well beyond Washington.

The overall employment rate is a genuine strength. Seattle University School of Law reported 189 of 206 graduates employed at ten months, or 91.7 percent, in the same ABA Employment Summary, the strongest ten-month rate among the schools profiled here. Combined with the deep Washington concentration, that tells a coherent story: Seattle U Law places a high share of its class, and it places them close to home.

On firm size and clerkships, Seattle University School of Law shows the strongest large-firm pipeline in this group, though it remains a regional school at heart. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows 9.7 percent of Seattle U Law graduates entering large firms of 101 or more lawyers and 1.0 percent entering federal clerkships. The large-firm share is the highest among the Pacific Northwest schools profiled here, reflecting the presence of sizable firms in the Seattle market, but it still describes a minority of the class. Most Seattle U Law graduates build careers in small and midsize firms, government, and business across Washington, so treat a large-firm seat as a real but competitive target rather than the default.

When are Seattle University School of Law's application deadlines?

This page's sources do not publish Seattle University School of Law's application calendar, and Seattle U Law's Early Decision terms are not confirmed here for the current cycle. Confirm the current regular deadlines and any Early Decision terms directly on the school's admissions site. The guidance here is dated: verified August 2026.

The primary sources behind this page, the 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, and Seattle U Law's ABA bar-passage report, report admissions, cost, and outcome figures but not the cycle-by-cycle application calendar. For that reason this page does not state a specific regular-decision deadline for Seattle University School of Law, and it does not state specific Early Decision terms, because those terms are not confirmed here. The honest instruction is to verify the current deadlines and any binding Early Decision terms on Seattle U Law's own admissions page before you rely on them, rather than trust a date this page cannot source.

As general practice across law schools rather than a published Seattle U Law rule, applying earlier in a cycle tends to help, because more seats and more scholarship money are available before a class fills. That matters at Seattle University School of Law, which is the most selective school in this group and draws the largest applicant pool, so an early, complete file with a strong LSAT competes for both admission and the larger, though conditional, awards. Take your strongest LSAT before you apply, and treat Seattle U Law's admissions page as the authority on the exact dates, verified as of August 2026.

Frequently asked questions about getting into Seattle University School of Law

Is a 159 LSAT good enough for Seattle U Law?

A 159 is exactly the LSAT median at Seattle University School of Law, per Seattle U Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, where the middle 50 percent scored 155 to 162. Because Seattle U Law admitted 38.93 percent of applicants, a 159 gives you a solid, competitive file rather than a lock. Pair it with a GPA near the 3.6 median to sit comfortably at the center of the class.

What GPA do you need for Seattle U Law?

Seattle University School of Law reports a GPA median of 3.6, with a 25th-to-75th range of 3.22 to 3.8, in its 2025 ABA 509. Aim for 3.6 or higher. The 3.22 quartile is the lower edge of comfort, and because Seattle U Law is the most selective school in this group, a GPA that low pairs best with an LSAT at or above the 159 median.

What is Seattle U Law's acceptance rate?

Seattle University School of Law admitted 38.93 percent of applicants for the fall 2025 class, extending 897 offers against 2,304 applications, according to Seattle U Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. That is the lowest acceptance rate among the Pacific Northwest schools profiled here. Lovare ranks Seattle U Law 27th most selective of the 48 schools within two points of its 159 median.

How many people apply to Seattle U Law?

Seattle University School of Law received 2,304 applications for the fall 2025 entering class, the largest pool in this group, made 897 offers, and enrolled 209 matriculants for a first-year class of 209 that splits into 150 full-time and 59 part-time students, per Seattle U Law's 2025 ABA 509. That demand is why Seattle U Law's acceptance rate sits below 40 percent.

How much does Seattle U Law cost?

Seattle University School of Law bills tuition per credit hour, and its 2025 ABA 509 prints no single annual full-time tuition figure, so this page does not compute one. The 509 does list living expenses of $34,161, reported separately from tuition and high by regional standards. Confirm the current per-credit rate and your expected credit load with Seattle U Law before you model an annual cost.

Does Seattle U Law give scholarships?

Yes, but they are conditional. Seattle University School of Law reports that 87 percent of students receive grants, with awards of $20,000, $30,000, and $40,000 at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles, plus 61 full-tuition and 13 above-full-tuition awards, per Seattle U Law's 2025 ABA 509. Because the awards are conditional, part of a first-year grant can be cut if your grades fall below the school's threshold.

What is Seattle U Law's bar passage rate?

Seattle University School of Law posted a 78.74 percent first-time bar passage rate for exam year 2024, with Washington as the largest jurisdiction, according to Seattle U Law's ABA bar-passage report. Its ultimate pass rate, measured two years out for the 2022 cohort, was 89.64 percent. The ultimate figure shows most Seattle U Law graduates who sit for a bar exam eventually pass.

Where do Seattle U Law graduates work?

Overwhelmingly in Washington. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows Seattle University School of Law placed 162 of 206 graduates in Washington, 6 in California, and 3 in the District of Columbia, a 78.6 percent top-market share and 83.0 percent across the top three. Seattle U Law is the strongest choice in this group for an applicant set on practicing in the Seattle area.

Can a splitter get into Seattle U Law?

A splitter has a real path. Lovare reads Seattle University School of Law as splitter friendly, with a wide GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.38 against an LSAT spread of 4 points in the 2025 ABA 509. That means Seattle U Law forgives a lower GPA when the LSAT is high, so a strong-LSAT applicant with a GPA toward the 3.22 quartile is a viable candidate despite the school's sub-40-percent admit rate.

How selective is Seattle U Law compared with schools at the same LSAT?

Seattle University School of Law is just past mid-pack for its band. Lovare's analysis of the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures ranks Seattle U Law 27th most selective of the 48 schools whose median LSAT sits within two points of its 159. Within its band it is slightly less selective than the typical school, but its 38.93 percent absolute admit rate is the lowest in this Pacific Northwest group.

Is Seattle U Law worth it?

For a Seattle-area career, the case is strong on outcomes. Seattle University School of Law reports a 91.7 percent ten-month employment rate and a 78.6 percent Washington concentration in the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, plus the highest large-firm share in this group. The main caution is financial: Seattle U Law's scholarships are conditional, so confirm the renewal terms before you enroll.

What LSAT and GPA give the best shot at a Seattle U Law scholarship?

Scores above the medians. Because Seattle University School of Law reserves its 61 full-tuition and 13 above-full-tuition awards for the strongest files, an LSAT above the 159 median toward the 162 upper quartile, paired with a GPA above 3.6 toward the 3.8 quartile, positions you for the top of Seattle U Law's grant range, where the 75th-percentile award reaches $40,000. Remember that the award, once granted, is conditional.

Are Seattle U Law scholarships guaranteed for all three years?

No. Seattle University School of Law reports in its 2025 ABA 509 that it uses conditional scholarships, meaning a first-year award can be tied to a class-rank or GPA threshold and reduced if your grades fall below it. Because grades are curved, some students lose part of the award. Ask Seattle U Law for the exact renewal condition and last year's retention rate in writing before enrolling.

How is the first year at Seattle U Law?

Seattle University School of Law reports first-year academic attrition of 4.0 percent in its 2025 ABA 509, the highest among the schools profiled here though still modest. That means a small but real share of first-year students leave Seattle U Law for academic reasons. For an incoming student it signals a rigorous first year, which pairs with the conditional-scholarship terms as a reason to take grades seriously from day one.

Sources

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

Seattle University School of Law 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (fall 2025 entering class): https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/AnnualQuestionnaire/GenerateIndividualDisclosure509Report?schoolId=183&year=2025

Seattle University School of Law ABA bar-passage report: https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/BarPassageOutcomes/GenerateIndividualBarPassageReport?schoolId=183&year=2025

ABA Employment Summary, Class of 2024: https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/EmploymentOutcomes/GenerateIndividualEQSummaryReport?schoolId=183&year=2024

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