How to Get Into University of New Mexico Law School: LSAT, GPA & Admissions (2026)

The short answer to how to get into University of New Mexico Law School is to clear the medians in University of New Mexico School of Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure: a 157 LSAT and a 3.56 GPA. The middle 50 percent scored 154 to 161 and held a 3.12 to 3.82 GPA. Hit 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 University of New Mexico 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.

University of New Mexico School of Law is the in-state value play for anyone who wants to practice in New Mexico, and the numbers make that case plainly. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, 80.4% of University of New Mexico School of Law graduates went to work in New Mexico, one of the highest single-market shares of any ABA law school, and the 2025 ABA 509 disclosure lists resident tuition and fees of just $21,020, among the lowest in the country. As the only law school in New Mexico, it pairs that low sticker with an access-minded admissions read: Lovare finds University of New Mexico School of Law splitter friendly with an unusually wide GPA spread, so a strong LSAT can carry a lower transcript. Two honest caveats shape the rest of this page: the school uses conditional scholarships that can be cut for grades, and only 1.8% of its Class of 2024 entered large firms, so this is a public-service and small-firm pipeline rather than a BigLaw feeder.

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

University of New Mexico School of Law posts a 157 LSAT median, a 3.56 GPA median, and a 41.41% acceptance rate in its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure. Resident tuition and fees run a low $21,020 and nonresident $44,738, with living expenses of $23,114. Three in five students receive grants. The table below collects New Mexico Law's headline admissions, cost, and outcome numbers.

MetricUniversity of New Mexico School of Law (fall 2025 entering class)LSAT (25th / 50th / 75th)154 / 157 / 161GPA (25th / 50th / 75th)3.12 / 3.56 / 3.82Acceptance rate41.41%Applications640Offers of admission265Matriculants from the applicant pool103First-year class108Full-time tuition and feesResident $21,020 / nonresident $44,738Living expenses$23,114Share receiving grants60%Median grant$10,000 (25th $5,000, 75th $16,000)Conditional scholarshipsYesFirst-time bar passage85.71% (exam year 2024, New Mexico)Employed at ten months88.4% (99 of 112)

Source: University of New Mexico 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 University of New Mexico School of 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 University of New Mexico School of Law?

University of New Mexico School of Law reports an LSAT spread of 154 to 161 and a GPA spread of 3.12 to 3.82 in its 2025 ABA 509. A 157 and a 3.56 sit at both medians. Below the 154 LSAT or the 3.12 GPA, an applicant needs a clear compensating strength on the other number.

University of New Mexico School of Law reports an LSAT 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of 154, 157, and 161, and a GPA 25th, 50th, and 75th of 3.12, 3.56, and 3.82 for the fall 2025 entering class, per its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. The median is the fiftieth percentile: half of enrolled students at University of New Mexico School of Law scored above 157 on the LSAT and above 3.56 in GPA, and half below. A median is a target, not a cutoff, and at New Mexico Law the two medians together mark the center of a competitive file.

Read the bands as ranges. A 157 LSAT lands you right at the University of New Mexico School of Law median, a 161 reaches the 75th percentile, and a 154 sits at the 25th, which is still a real admit zone rather than an automatic rejection. The transcript reads the same way: a 3.56 is the median, a 3.82 the 75th, and a 3.12 the 25th. An applicant at or above both medians is competitive on the numbers at University of New Mexico School of Law, while an applicant below one median leans on the other to carry the file.

That trade-off has a clear direction here, and it is central to the school's access mission. Lovare reads University of New Mexico School of Law as splitter friendly, with a wide GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.44 and an LSAT 25th-to-median spread of three 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. The 0.44 GPA spread is broad, which means University of New Mexico School of Law regularly enrolls students whose transcripts sit well below the median when their LSAT is strong. If your GPA is your weak number, a solid LSAT at or above 157 gives you a genuine path at University of New Mexico School of Law.

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

University of New Mexico School of Law sits squarely in the middle of its LSAT band on selectivity. Lovare's band analysis places New Mexico Law 28th 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 neither harder nor easier than its numbers imply, but right where they place it.

Reputation files University of New Mexico School of Law as the state's public law school, and the selectivity data neither flatters nor undersells that label. Lovare built a peer band of the 56 ABA law schools whose median LSAT falls within two points of New Mexico Law's 157, that is a median of 155 to 159, then ranked them by acceptance rate from the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. University of New Mexico School of Law comes in 28th most selective of the 56, essentially the midpoint of a large band, so it admits a middling share of applicants relative to schools posting the same median LSAT.

That middle standing is a useful reality check. A 41.41% acceptance rate reads as moderately selective in isolation, and the band comparison confirms it is exactly that: University of New Mexico School of Law is neither a safety nor a reach for a median applicant. With 265 offers extended against 640 applications for a first-year class of 108, the school admits enough to fill its seats without either over-offering or clamping down. The honest verdict is that University of New Mexico School of Law sits right where its numbers say it should. A file at or above both the 157 and 3.56 medians is competitive, a strong LSAT can rescue a lower GPA given the wide spread, and an applicant well below both medians faces a genuine but not insurmountable climb.

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

University of New Mexico School of Law lists resident tuition and fees of just $21,020 and nonresident tuition and fees of $44,738 in its 2025 ABA 509, plus $23,114 in living expenses. Grants reach 60% of students, with a median award of $10,000. A nonresident on the median grant nets about $34,738 in tuition and fees before living costs. The awards are conditional, so read the terms closely.

Start with the sticker, because it is University of New Mexico School of Law's strongest selling point. The 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure lists full-time tuition and fees at $21,020 for residents and $44,738 for nonresidents, plus $23,114 in living expenses. The $21,020 resident line is among the lowest tuition figures at any ABA law school, and it anchors the school's value case for New Mexico students. The 509 prints tuition and living separately and does not publish a single combined cost-of-attendance total, so this page will not sum them into an all-in number University of New Mexico School of Law does not report.

The aid picture is moderate in reach but meaningful in size. According to the same 509, 60% of University of New Mexico School of Law students receive grant aid, with awards at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles of $5,000, $10,000, and $16,000. New Mexico Law reports 7 full-tuition awards and 17 awards above full tuition for a first-year class of 108, a solid count of top-tier packages. Against the $44,738 nonresident sticker, a student on University of New Mexico School of Law's median grant of $10,000 nets about $34,738 in tuition and fees before living costs, using figures from the 2025 ABA 509 disclosure. For a resident, the same $10,000 median grant trims the already-low $21,020 resident tuition to roughly $11,020 before living costs, an exceptional value.

Now the warning that every University of New Mexico School of Law applicant needs to hear plainly. New Mexico Law's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure reports that the school uses conditional scholarships, which means a first-year award can be reduced or cut if your grades fall below the threshold the school sets. A conditional scholarship is not the same as a stable, guaranteed grant. If a large share of the class holds a conditional award and only some can finish above the threshold, a predictable number of students will lose part of their aid after the first year. Before you accept a University of New Mexico School of Law offer, ask the admissions office in writing exactly what class rank or GPA you must maintain, how many students held that scholarship last year, and how many kept it. Treat the $34,738 nonresident net as the best case and the post-first-year number as the figure to budget around.

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

University of New Mexico School of Law does not disclose waitlist offers or admits, and no ABA report does. The honest proxy is implied yield: 103 matriculants against 265 offers is a 38.9% yield in the 2025 ABA 509. That is a moderate yield, which means New Mexico Law fills much of its class from first-round offers while leaving some room for waitlist movement.

Here is the reasoning in full. University of New Mexico School of Law enrolled 103 matriculants from 265 offers in its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, an implied yield of 38.9%. No ABA disclosure, New Mexico 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 four in ten admitted students enroll, a school extends more offers than seats it expects to fill and may use a waitlist to finish the class.

A 38.9% yield is moderate, which for a waitlisted applicant to University of New Mexico School of Law is a middling signal. As the only law school in the state, it likely retains admitted in-state students at a healthy rate, so a good part of the class fills from first-round offers, but the yield is not so high that the waitlist never moves. If you land on the University of New Mexico School of Law waitlist, the play is the standard one: send a concise letter of continued interest naming New Mexico Law as a top choice, add any new LSAT score or grades, and keep another acceptance in hand as your anchor.

One honest note on the class figures. University of New Mexico School of Law's 2025 ABA 509 lists 103 matriculants from the applicant pool but a first-year class of 108. The gap of 5 reflects students who arrive through paths other than this single cycle's pool, such as admitted students who deferred from a prior year. The 38.9% implied yield is computed from the 103 pool matriculants against the 265 offers, which is the correct comparison for reasoning about this cycle's waitlist odds at University of New Mexico School of Law.

Where do University of New Mexico School of Law graduates actually work?

University of New Mexico School of Law is one of the most in-state-concentrated law schools in the country. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, 80.4% of graduates went to work in New Mexico and 83.0% across the top three markets. Large firms of 101 or more lawyers took just 1.8%, and 0.9% won federal clerkships. New Mexico Law is a public-service and small-firm pipeline for the state.

Lead with the concentration, because it is the defining fact of a University of New Mexico School of Law degree. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, New Mexico Law placed 90 of its graduates in New Mexico, 2 in Colorado, and 1 in Arizona. That is an 80.4% top-market share and an 83.0% top-three share, among the most in-state-heavy placement profiles of any ABA school. Four in five graduates practice in New Mexico, exactly what you would expect from the state's only law school, and the network within New Mexico is correspondingly deep.

Set that against the raw employment rate, which is solid. University of New Mexico School of Law reported 99 of 112 graduates employed at ten months, or 88.4%, in the same ABA Employment Summary. The market mix is what tells you whether the school fits your plan. If you want to practice in New Mexico, University of New Mexico School of Law is the single best-networked school in the state by a wide margin. If your target is a distant national market, the 80.4% New Mexico share is a candid warning that the school's network runs local.

On firm size, honesty matters most. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows just 1.8% of University of New Mexico School of Law graduates entering large firms of 101 or more lawyers and 0.9% taking federal clerkships. Those are small shares, and they tell you clearly that University of New Mexico School of Law is not a national BigLaw feeder. Its graduates concentrate in government, public-interest work, the New Mexico judiciary, and small and midsize firms across the state. An applicant whose goal is large-firm compensation should read the 1.8% figure plainly; an applicant drawn to public service or a New Mexico practice will find the school aimed exactly the right way.

When are University of New Mexico School of Law's application deadlines?

This page's sources do not specify University of New Mexico School of Law's application deadlines or its Early Decision terms. Both should be confirmed directly on New Mexico 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, University of New Mexico 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. Rather than state a specific date that this page's primary sources do not support, the honest approach is to point you to University of New Mexico School of Law directly. As with every deadline, cycle dates shift from year to year, so confirm the current timeline on the school's site before you plan around it.

What the numbers do support is a timing strategy. University of New Mexico School of Law extended 265 offers against 640 applications for a first-year class of 108, per its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure. In a small-class cycle like that, seats and conditional scholarship dollars are finite, so an early, complete application is generally the stronger position regardless of the exact deadline. Apply to University of New Mexico School of Law when your file is ready and your LSAT is at its best, and verify the current dates on the school's site.

Frequently asked questions about getting into University of New Mexico School of Law

Is a 157 LSAT good enough for University of New Mexico School of Law?

A 157 is exactly the LSAT median at University of New Mexico School of Law, per its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, where the middle 50 percent scored 154 to 161. A 157 puts you at the fiftieth percentile, competitive but not a lock. Pair it with a GPA at or above the 3.56 median and you are a strong candidate at University of New Mexico School of Law.

What GPA do you need for University of New Mexico School of Law?

University of New Mexico School of Law reports a GPA median of 3.56, with a 25th to 75th range of 3.12 to 3.82, in its 2025 ABA 509. Aim for 3.56 or higher, but note the wide 0.44 GPA spread: because New Mexico Law is strongly splitter friendly, a high LSAT can carry a GPA well below the 3.12 lower quartile at University of New Mexico School of Law.

What is University of New Mexico School of Law's acceptance rate?

University of New Mexico School of Law admitted 41.41% of applicants for the fall 2025 class, extending 265 offers against 640 applications, according to its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. Among schools at the same 157 median LSAT, University of New Mexico School of Law is 28th most selective of 56, essentially the middle of its band, so it is neither a safety nor a reach for a median file.

How many people apply to University of New Mexico School of Law?

University of New Mexico School of Law received 640 applications for the fall 2025 entering class, made 265 offers, and enrolled 103 matriculants for a first-year class of 108, per its 2025 ABA 509. That pool against a class of just over 100 is what produces both New Mexico Law's 41.41% acceptance rate and its midpoint standing within its LSAT band.

How much does University of New Mexico School of Law cost?

University of New Mexico School of Law lists full-time tuition and fees of just $21,020 for residents and $44,738 for nonresidents, plus $23,114 in living expenses, in its 2025 ABA 509. The low resident figure is a major value. New Mexico Law does not publish a single cost-of-attendance total, so tuition and living are best read separately rather than summed into an invented all-in figure for University of New Mexico School of Law.

Does University of New Mexico School of Law give scholarships?

Yes. University of New Mexico School of Law reports that 60% of students receive grant aid, with awards of $5,000, $10,000, and $16,000 at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles, plus 7 full-tuition awards and 17 above full tuition, per its 2025 ABA 509. Those scholarships are conditional, so a first-year award at University of New Mexico School of Law can be cut if your grades fall below the school's threshold.

Are University of New Mexico School of Law scholarships conditional?

Yes. University of New Mexico School of Law reports in its 2025 ABA 509 that it uses conditional scholarships, so a first-year award can be reduced or cut if your grades fall below a set threshold. Before accepting a New Mexico Law offer, get the exact retention standard in writing and ask how many students kept the same award last year, because a graded first-year curve guarantees that some at University of New Mexico School of Law will not.

What is University of New Mexico School of Law's bar passage rate?

University of New Mexico School of Law posted an 85.71% first-time bar passage rate for exam year 2024, with New Mexico as the largest jurisdiction, according to its ABA bar-passage report. Its ultimate pass rate for the 2022 cohort was higher at 92.5%. Both figures show that the large majority of University of New Mexico School of Law graduates who sit for a bar exam ultimately pass.

Where do University of New Mexico School of Law graduates work?

Overwhelmingly in New Mexico. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows University of New Mexico School of Law placed 90 graduates in New Mexico, 2 in Colorado, and 1 in Arizona, an 80.4% top-market share and 83.0% across the top three. University of New Mexico School of Law is a public-service and small-firm pipeline, with just 1.8% of graduates entering large firms.

Can a splitter get into University of New Mexico School of Law?

A splitter has one of the clearer paths in its band. Lovare reads University of New Mexico School of Law as splitter friendly, with a wide GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.44 and an LSAT spread of three points in the 2025 ABA 509. That means New Mexico Law forgives a lower GPA when the LSAT is high, so a high-LSAT applicant with a GPA below the 3.12 lower quartile is genuinely viable at University of New Mexico School of Law.

How selective is University of New Mexico School of Law compared with schools at the same LSAT?

University of New Mexico School of Law is 28th 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 midpoint standing means New Mexico Law admits a middling share of applicants relative to same-LSAT peers, neither a safety nor a reach for a median file at University of New Mexico School of Law.

Is University of New Mexico School of Law worth it?

For a New Mexico career, the value is exceptional. University of New Mexico School of Law pairs a very low $21,020 resident tuition with an 85.71% first-time bar rate and 80.4% of graduates working in New Mexico, per its 2025 ABA 509 and the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024. Weigh the conditional-scholarship terms and the small large-firm share, but for in-state and public-service goals University of New Mexico School of Law is a high-value choice.

What is University of New Mexico School of Law's first-year attrition rate?

University of New Mexico School of Law reports first-year academic attrition of 0.0% in its 2025 ABA 509, meaning no first-year students were dismissed for academic reasons in the reported year. That is a reassuring figure, though it sits alongside conditional scholarships, so students at University of New Mexico School of Law can stay enrolled while still risking a reduced award if their grades fall below the retention threshold.

Does University of New Mexico School of Law have Early Decision?

This page's sources do not confirm University of New Mexico School of Law's Early Decision terms, so any binding early option should be verified on the school's admissions page rather than assumed. Because the terms are not confirmed here, the honest answer is to check University of New Mexico School of Law directly for whether an early or binding round exists and what commitment it carries before you apply.

What LSAT and GPA give the best shot at a University of New Mexico School of Law scholarship?

Scores above the medians. Because University of New Mexico School of Law reports 7 full-tuition awards and 17 above full tuition in its 2025 ABA 509, an LSAT above the 157 median toward the 161 upper quartile, paired with a GPA above 3.56 toward the 3.82 upper quartile, positions you for the largest awards near the $16,000 top of the range. You must then hold the conditional threshold to keep the award at University of New Mexico School of Law.

Sources

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

University of New Mexico School of Law 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (fall 2025 entering class): https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/AnnualQuestionnaire/GenerateIndividualDisclosure509Report?schoolId=96&year=2025

University of New Mexico School of Law ABA bar-passage report: https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/BarPassageOutcomes/GenerateIndividualBarPassageReport?schoolId=96&year=2025

ABA Employment Summary, Class of 2024: https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/EmploymentOutcomes/GenerateIndividualEQSummaryReport?schoolId=96&year=2024

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