Law Schools in Texas + LSAT Prep (2026 Guide)

Texas has 10 ABA accredited law schools, from the University of Texas at Austin at the top to Texas Southern University (Marshall) at the most accessible end, and their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures span median LSAT scores from 150 to 172. With that range, Texas offers a realistic option at nearly every score level.

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 Texas?

Texas has 10 ABA accredited law schools, a count that matches its size and gives the state real depth at every LSAT level, from a 172 median at the top to a 150 median at the most accessible end. The Texas field mixes public flagships, private universities, and access-focused programs across the state's largest cities. The table below lists every ABA law school in Texas with the median LSAT, acceptance rate, and full-time tuition reported in each school's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure.

SchoolMedian LSATAcceptance rateFull-time tuitionUniversity of Texas at Austin17214.0%$38,236Texas A&M University16912.1%$32,634Southern Methodist University (Dedman)16724.6%$60,844Baylor University16420.6%$48,275University of Houston16323.0%$31,326Texas Tech University15925.6%$22,590South Texas College of Law Houston15533.7%$42,960St. Mary's University15326.0%$44,910University of North Texas at Dallas15324.2%$18,761Texas Southern University (Marshall)15033.1%$19,202

Every median LSAT, acceptance rate, and full-time tuition figure in the table above comes from that school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure for the fall 2025 entering class. At the top of the Texas table, the University of Texas at Austin posts the state's highest median LSAT at 172, while Texas A&M University is actually the most selective in the state by acceptance rate at 12.1 percent, tighter than the University of Texas at Austin's 14.0 percent, even though Texas A&M University sits three points lower at a 169 median. Southern Methodist University (Dedman) follows at a 167 median and carries the highest full-time tuition in Texas at $60,844.

The middle and lower reaches of the Texas table show the state's range. Baylor University sits at a 164 median and the University of Houston at 163, both strong regional options, with the University of Houston a notable public value at $31,326 in full-time tuition. Texas Tech University follows at 159, then South Texas College of Law Houston at 155, St. Mary's University and the University of North Texas at Dallas both at 153, and Texas Southern University (Marshall) at 150. The University of North Texas at Dallas and Texas Southern University (Marshall) report the state's lowest full-time tuition, at $18,761 and $19,202 respectively, making them the most affordable ABA options in Texas.

As in many large states, Texas splits along public and private lines on cost. The public law schools cluster at the low end of tuition: the University of North Texas at Dallas at $18,761, Texas Southern University (Marshall) at $19,202, Texas Tech University at $22,590, the University of Houston at $31,326, and Texas A&M University at $32,634 all report full-time tuition under $40,000 in their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. The private options run higher, led by Southern Methodist University (Dedman) at $60,844, Baylor University at $48,275, St. Mary's University at $44,910, and South Texas College of Law Houston at $42,960. For a cost-conscious Texas applicant, that split makes the public schools the natural first look, and several of them, including Texas A&M University and the University of Houston, also post the state's higher median LSATs.

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

Median LSAT scores across Texas law schools run from 150 to 172, per their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. The University of Texas at Austin sits at the top at 172, and Texas Southern University (Marshall) is the most accessible by median at 150, with South Texas College of Law Houston posting the state's highest acceptance rate at 33.7 percent. Because Texas spans more than twenty LSAT points, nearly every score has a realistic home somewhere in the state.

Walk the Texas ladder and the targets sharpen. A 172 places an applicant at the University of Texas at Austin's median, and a 169 matches Texas A&M University, so the high 160s and low 170s is the range for the state's two most selective schools. A 167 matches Southern Methodist University (Dedman), the mid 160s around 164 is competitive at Baylor University, and 163 matches the University of Houston. A score near 159 sits at Texas Tech University's median and clears the medians at the schools below it, according to the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures.

Lower scores keep Texas open, which is the value of a market this deep. A 155 matches South Texas College of Law Houston, a 153 matches both St. Mary's University and the University of North Texas at Dallas, and a 150 sits at Texas Southern University (Marshall)'s median. Both South Texas College of Law Houston and Texas Southern University (Marshall) admit roughly a third of applicants, at 33.7 and 33.1 percent, so an applicant in the low-to-mid 150s or even at 150 has real Texas options. The honest read for Texas is that a lower LSAT changes which Texas schools are in reach rather than removing the state from the table.

On GPA, this Texas data set is anchored by each school's LSAT median rather than a published GPA median, so this guide does not quote a GPA median it was not given. What the disclosures do show is how each Texas school weights GPA against the LSAT, which is the splitter question addressed next. The practical approach for a Texas applicant is to target the LSAT medians above, then use the splitter reads to decide whether a strong GPA or a strong LSAT is the number more likely to carry a borderline file at a given Texas school.

Which Texas law schools are splitter friendly?

Texas is a strongly splitter-friendly state, with several schools that reward a high LSAT and two that reward a high GPA, computed from the 2025 ABA 509 spreads. Splitter friendly, meaning a strong LSAT can offset a below-median GPA, are Baylor University with a GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.28, the University of Houston at 0.23, Texas Tech University at 0.28, St. Mary's University at 0.35, and Texas Southern University (Marshall) at 0.34. Reverse-splitter friendly, meaning a strong GPA can offset a below-median LSAT, are the University of Texas at Austin with an LSAT 25th-to-median spread of 6 points and Texas A&M University at 8 points.

The distinction is straightforward. A splitter carries a high LSAT with a lower GPA, and a reverse-splitter carries a high GPA with a lower LSAT. In Texas, a splitter whose LSAT is the strong number has a wide menu, and St. Mary's University stands out with the state's widest GPA spread at 0.35, followed closely by Texas Southern University (Marshall) at 0.34. Both schools will go well below their GPA medians for an applicant whose LSAT carries the file, per their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures, which makes them the clearest splitter targets in Texas. Baylor University and Texas Tech University, each at 0.28, offer similar flexibility at a higher LSAT level.

Reverse-splitters have their Texas targets at the very top of the field. The University of Texas at Austin, with a 6-point LSAT spread, and Texas A&M University, with an 8-point spread, both go meaningfully below their LSAT medians for applicants with strong undergraduate records, according to their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. That is a useful signal for a high-GPA applicant whose LSAT lands below 172 or 169: the state's two flagships are the ones most willing to weight the transcript. Among the remaining Texas schools, the 2025 ABA 509 spreads for Southern Methodist University (Dedman), South Texas College of Law Houston, and the University of North Texas at Dallas are not wide enough to flag them clearly as either splitter or reverse-splitter friendly, so this guide does not label them.

What is the legal job market like in Texas?

Texas has one of the largest and most self-contained legal markets in the country, anchored by Houston and Dallas as its two dominant legal centers, with Austin, San Antonio, and Fort Worth as major secondary markets. Texas law schools keep an exceptionally high share of their graduates in the state. According to ABA Class of 2024 employment data, Baylor University and the University of Houston each keep 87 percent of their class in Texas, Texas A&M University keeps 85 percent, Texas Tech University keeps 83 percent, St. Mary's University keeps 81 percent, the University of Texas at Austin keeps 70 percent, and Texas Southern University (Marshall) keeps 58 percent.

Those numbers describe a market that largely hires its own. Baylor University and the University of Houston, both at 87 percent in-state retention in the ABA Class of 2024 employment data, send nearly nine in ten graduates into the Texas market, and Texas A&M University at 85 percent and Texas Tech University at 83 percent are close behind. Even the University of Texas at Austin, the state's most nationally recognized program, keeps 70 percent of its class in Texas, which tells you that a Texas degree is first and foremost a credential for the Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio markets.

This guide does not quote salary figures for Texas, because none are in the underlying data. It is also worth marking where the data stops: the ABA Class of 2024 employment figures in this Texas data set cover the schools named above and do not include an in-state retention figure for Southern Methodist University (Dedman), South Texas College of Law Houston, or the University of North Texas at Dallas, so this guide does not report one for those schools. What the available Texas numbers make clear is that the state's law schools feed heavily into a large in-state market led by Houston and Dallas, so an applicant who wants to practice in Texas is well served by most of the state's programs.

Does Texas use the NextGen bar exam?

Yes. According to the NCBE, Texas currently administers the Uniform Bar Exam and has adopted the NextGen bar exam, with its first NextGen administration scheduled for July 2028. Texas transitions from the UBE to NextGen in July 2028, and the legacy UBE and the MBE end after the February 2028 administration, per the NCBE, so the old format winds down as the new one arrives.

For anyone timing law school and the bar in Texas, the sequence is clear. Texas is a current UBE jurisdiction, so candidates sitting for the Texas bar before July 2028 take the Uniform Bar Exam in its established form, and a UBE score earned in Texas has been portable to other UBE jurisdictions under their rules. From the July 2028 administration onward, Texas moves to the NextGen exam, the NCBE's redesigned national test, which is being phased in across states on a rolling schedule.

The practical guidance for a Texas applicant starting law school now is to expect the NextGen exam to be the format in place by the time they graduate and sit for the Texas bar, since the state's adoption is dated to July 2028 and the legacy UBE and MBE end after February 2028. This section reflects NCBE status as of this guide's August 2026 verification, and bar-exam plans should always be confirmed with the Texas Board of Law Examiners before a candidate relies on them, because both the exam format and the admission rules can change between now and a given sitting.

Where can you take the LSAT in Texas?

LSAT test centers are available across Texas's major metros, including Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and El Paso. Because the specific list of test centers and the mix of in-person and remotely proctored options change every testing cycle, the reliable move is to check LSAC's official test-center list at lsac.org rather than to rely on any fixed address in Texas.

Texas's scale is an advantage here. With five of the largest cities in the country inside its borders, from the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth metroplexes to San Antonio and Austin, and El Paso far to the west, most Texas applicants live within reach of at least one testing option. LSAC administers the LSAT on a set schedule of dates each cycle in both test-center and remote-proctored formats, but the availability of any given Texas center can shift between administrations, which is why this guide points to LSAC's current list rather than printing an address that may not be offered next cycle.

The practical plan for a Texas test-taker is to register early through LSAC for the administration that fits their application timeline, confirm the current Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth, or El Paso options at the time of registration, and choose the format that suits them. Registering early matters in Texas because popular dates and nearby seats fill, and a late registrant can be pushed to a less convenient date or a remote sitting they did not want. LSAC's official test-center list at lsac.org is the authoritative source for what is available in Texas in any given cycle.

Which Texas universities feed law school?

Texas's large public and private universities are common starting points for students headed to law school. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, the state's two public flagships, are prominent pre-law feeders, along with the University of Houston, Texas Tech University, Baylor University, the University of North Texas, Rice University, and Southern Methodist University. These institutions channel undergraduates into law programs in Texas and nationally, drawing on political science, history, business, and other pre-law-friendly fields.

Many of these universities also house Texas law schools, so the pipeline is direct in places. The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, the University of Houston, Texas Tech University, Baylor University, and Southern Methodist University (Dedman) are law programs within institutions that also enroll large undergraduate populations, which makes it natural for strong undergraduates there to consider staying within the same university for law school. Even so, a large share of any Texas pre-law class applies nationally, and admission to any Texas law school still turns on the LSAT and GPA numbers rather than the undergraduate institution's name.

This guide names these Texas universities as common feeders based on their scale and prominence as general knowledge, and it does not attribute a specific placement statistic to any of them, because no such figure is in the underlying Texas data set. The useful point for a Texas pre-law student is that the state's large universities offer the standard pre-law infrastructure, advising, LSAT preparation, and a community of applicants, but that where you land among Texas's 10 law schools is determined by your numbers and your fit with each school's profile.

Frequently asked questions about law school in Texas

How many law schools are in Texas?

Texas has 10 ABA accredited law schools, matching its size as one of the largest states. They range from the University of Texas at Austin at a 172 median LSAT to Texas Southern University (Marshall) at a 150 median, according to their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. The group includes public flagships, private universities, and access-focused programs across Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and other Texas cities.

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

By acceptance rate, South Texas College of Law Houston is the most accessible in Texas at 33.7 percent, just ahead of Texas Southern University (Marshall) at 33.1 percent, according to their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. Texas Southern University (Marshall) also posts the state's lowest median LSAT at 150. So an applicant with a lower LSAT will generally find the most realistic Texas paths at those two schools.

What is the best law school in Texas?

Best depends on your goals, but by the 2025 ABA 509 numbers, the University of Texas at Austin posts the state's highest median LSAT at 172. Texas A&M University is actually the most selective by acceptance rate at 12.1 percent, tighter than the University of Texas at Austin's 14.0 percent. Both flagships sit at the top of the Texas field on the admissions numbers.

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

Median LSAT scores in Texas run from 150 to 172, per the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures, so the score you need depends on the school. The low 170s target the University of Texas at Austin, the high 160s Texas A&M University and Southern Methodist University (Dedman), the mid 160s Baylor University and the University of Houston, and the 150s a range of schools down to Texas Southern University (Marshall) at 150.

How much does law school cost in Texas?

Full-time tuition in Texas ranges from $18,761 at the University of North Texas at Dallas and $19,202 at Texas Southern University (Marshall) to $60,844 at Southern Methodist University (Dedman), according to the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. Public schools such as the University of North Texas at Dallas, Texas Southern University (Marshall), and Texas Tech University at $22,590 sit at the low end of the Texas range, while private schools sit higher.

Does Texas use the NextGen bar exam?

Texas currently administers the Uniform Bar Exam and has adopted the NextGen bar exam, with a first administration set for July 2028, according to the NCBE. Texas transitions from the UBE to NextGen in July 2028, and the legacy UBE and MBE end after the February 2028 administration. Students entering a Texas law school now should plan for the NextGen format by the time they graduate.

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

Generally yes. A degree from any ABA accredited law school, whether in Texas or another state, ordinarily qualifies a graduate to sit for the Texas bar, so you do not have to attend a Texas law school to practice in Texas. Texas currently administers the Uniform Bar Exam and moves to NextGen in July 2028, per the NCBE. Confirm current requirements with the Texas Board of Law Examiners.

Which Texas law school has the best bar passage?

This Texas data set does not include school-level bar passage rates for the state's law schools, so this guide does not report one for Texas. What the data does cover is median LSAT, acceptance rate, full-time tuition, in-state retention, and Texas's NextGen bar timeline. For current bar passage figures, consult each Texas school's ABA disclosures directly rather than relying on an estimate.

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

The Texas figures in this guide cover full-time tuition and median LSAT and do not specify part-time or evening tracks, so this guide does not claim which Texas schools offer them. Several Texas programs, including the kind of urban schools in Houston and other large cities, commonly run part-time options, but confirm program format directly with the specific Texas school rather than assuming from the full-time data shown here.

Where can you take the LSAT in Texas?

LSAT test centers in Texas are located across the state's major metros, including Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and El Paso. Because specific centers and remote options change each testing cycle, check LSAC's official test-center list at lsac.org for what is available in Texas when you register. With several of the country's largest cities inside the state, most Texas applicants can find a reasonably nearby testing option.

Which Texas law schools are splitter friendly?

In Texas, Baylor University, the University of Houston, Texas Tech University, St. Mary's University, and Texas Southern University (Marshall) are splitter friendly, so a strong LSAT can offset a lower GPA, with St. Mary's University the widest at a 0.35 GPA spread. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University are reverse-splitter friendly, so a strong GPA can offset a lower LSAT. These reads come from the 2025 ABA 509 spreads.

Is law school cheaper at public schools in Texas?

Yes, in Texas the public options are markedly cheaper. The University of North Texas at Dallas at $18,761, Texas Southern University (Marshall) at $19,202, and Texas Tech University at $22,590 all report full-time tuition under $25,000 in their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures, while private Texas schools such as Southern Methodist University (Dedman) at $60,844 run far higher. Cost-conscious Texas applicants often start with the public schools.

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

No. You can practice in Texas with a degree from an ABA accredited law school anywhere, not only from a Texas school, provided you meet Texas's bar admission requirements. That said, Texas law schools keep an exceptionally high share of graduates in the state, up to 87 percent at Baylor University and the University of Houston in ABA Class of 2024 employment data, so a Texas degree ties closely to the state's Houston and Dallas markets.

Sources

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

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