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

The short answer to how to get into University of San Francisco Law School is to reach the medians in the University of San Francisco School of Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure: a 155 LSAT and a 3.47 GPA. The middle 50 percent scored 152 to 157 on the LSAT and 3.16 to 3.68 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. Every figure on this page comes from the University of San Francisco 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 university's own published pages.

The University of San Francisco School of Law is a private law school in the center of San Francisco, and the fact to lead with is value. Its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure lists full-time tuition and fees of $59,800, but 62 percent of students receive grants and the median award is $33,718, which brings a typical recipient's tuition and fees down to about $26,082 before living costs, per Lovare's read of the disclosure. On selectivity, USF Law is modestly harder to get into than its LSAT band: among the 59 ABA law schools whose median LSAT sits within two points of its 155, ranked by acceptance rate, the University of San Francisco School of Law is 21st most selective of 59, per Lovare's analysis of the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. The thesis of this page is that the University of San Francisco School of Law is a splitter-friendly San Francisco school where scholarship aid does real work, with one consumer caution worth flagging up front: its first-year attrition runs higher than most peers.

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

The University of San Francisco School of Law posts a 155 LSAT median, a 3.47 GPA median, and a 42.38 percent acceptance rate in its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. Full-time tuition and fees run $59,800, with living expenses of $34,100 listed separately. The table below collects the headline admissions, cost, and outcome numbers for USF Law.

MetricUniversity of San Francisco School of Law (fall 2025 entering class)LSAT (25th / 50th / 75th)152 / 155 / 157GPA (25th / 50th / 75th)3.16 / 3.47 / 3.68Acceptance rate42.38%Applications2,100Offers of admission890Matriculants from the applicant pool198First-year class201 (197 full-time, 4 part-time)Full-time tuition and fees$59,800Living expenses$34,100Share receiving grants62%Median grant$33,718Conditional scholarshipsYesFirst-time bar passage74.56%Employed at ten months85.0% (102 of 120)

Source: the University of San Francisco 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 USF Law's ABA bar-passage report. Tuition and fees and living expenses are printed separately in the 509, which does not publish a single combined cost-of-attendance total, so this page reports the components rather than inventing an all-in figure for the University of San Francisco School of Law.

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

The University of San Francisco School of Law reports an LSAT spread of 152 to 157 and a GPA spread of 3.16 to 3.68 in its 2025 ABA 509. A 155 and a 3.47 sit at both medians. Below the 152 LSAT or the 3.16 GPA, you need a clear compensating strength on the other number to stay competitive at USF Law.

The University of San Francisco School of Law reports an LSAT 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of 152, 155, and 157, and a GPA 25th, 50th, and 75th of 3.16, 3.47, and 3.68 for the fall 2025 entering class, per its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. The median is the fiftieth percentile: half of enrolled students scored above 155 on the LSAT and above 3.47 in GPA, and half below. Clearing both medians puts an applicant at the center of the USF Law class rather than at its edge.

Read the realistic range this way. A 155 LSAT paired with a 3.47 GPA sits at both medians of the University of San Francisco School of Law, a competitive position. The 25th percentiles, a 152 LSAT and a 3.16 GPA, are real admit territory, but a file at or below one quartile wants the other index at or above the median to carry it. Below the 152 LSAT or the 3.16 GPA, an applicant needs a clear compensating strength, most reliably a higher LSAT, to keep the file live at USF Law.

The shape of the two bands makes the University of San Francisco School of Law splitter friendly. Lovare's read of the 509 spreads shows a GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.31 and an LSAT 25th-to-median spread of three points, so the GPA band runs much wider on the low side than the LSAT band. A splitter-friendly school forgives a lower GPA when the LSAT is high, while a reverse-splitter-friendly school forgives a lower LSAT when the GPA is high. USF Law leans splitter: a high LSAT near the 157 upper quartile paired with a GPA in the low 3.2 range has a genuine path, more so than a high GPA sitting on an LSAT below 152.

One consumer-protective fact belongs in this section, and it is the most important caution on the page. The University of San Francisco School of Law reports first-year academic attrition of 11.0 percent in its 2025 ABA 509, which is well above the low-single-digit figures many peer schools post. In plain terms, roughly one first-year student in nine left for academic reasons in the reporting period. That does not make USF Law a school to avoid, but it does mean the first-year workload is real and the curve is not a formality: an admitted student should plan to treat 1L at the University of San Francisco School of Law as demanding from the first week, especially since a conditional scholarship can hinge on those grades.

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

A little harder than its LSAT band, and roughly in line with its reputation. By raw acceptance rate, the University of San Francisco School of Law ranks 21st most selective of the 59 schools within two points of its 155 LSAT median, per Lovare's analysis of the 2025 ABA 509. That upper-third position means USF Law admits a smaller share of applicants than most schools at its LSAT level.

Reputation places the University of San Francisco School of Law among the established San Francisco private schools, and its 155 LSAT median fits that regional tier. Lovare built a peer band of the 59 ABA law schools whose median LSAT falls within two points of USF Law's 155, that is, a median of 153 to 157, then ranked them by acceptance rate from the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. By that ranking, the University of San Francisco School of Law comes in 21st most selective of the 59, in the upper third of the band.

In plain terms, the University of San Francisco School of Law admits a somewhat smaller share of applicants than the typical school at its LSAT median. According to USF Law's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, the school received 2,100 applications, made 890 offers, and enrolled a first-year class of 201, for a 42.38 percent acceptance rate. That admit rate is selective enough that a candidate below the medians should not treat USF Law as a safety, but open enough that a candidate at or above the medians has a realistic target.

The honest verdict is that the University of San Francisco School of Law is a touch more selective than the middle of its LSAT band and about as selective as its San Francisco reputation implies. For an applicant at or above the 155 and 3.47 medians, USF Law is a realistic target rather than a reach, while an applicant below both medians should pair the application with a compensating strength and a backup school.

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

The University of San Francisco School of Law charges $59,800 in full-time tuition and fees, per its 2025 ABA 509, plus $34,100 in living expenses. Sixty-two percent of students receive grants, the median award is $33,718, and a median-grant recipient nets about $26,082 in tuition and fees before living costs. Aid does real work here.

Start with the sticker. The University of San Francisco School of Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure lists full-time tuition and fees at $59,800, printed as a combined figure, plus $34,100 in living expenses. The 509 lists tuition and fees and living costs 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 USF Law reports, and this page will not invent one.

On aid, the University of San Francisco School of Law reaches most of its students. According to the same 509, 62 percent of USF Law students receive grant aid, with awards at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles of $24,343, $33,718, and $43,928. The school reports 2 full-tuition awards and 1 award above full tuition, so the very largest scholarships are scarce, and most aid clusters in the $24,000 to $44,000 range. That is meaningful relief at a school with a $59,800 sticker, and it is the heart of the value case for the University of San Francisco School of Law.

The math for a typical recipient works out like this. Against the $59,800 sticker, a student receiving USF Law's median grant of $33,718 nets about $26,082 in tuition and fees before living costs, per Lovare's read of the 2025 ABA 509 disclosure. That is a strong net for a private San Francisco degree. One caution, though, belongs beside the number: the University of San Francisco School of Law reports that its scholarships are conditional, so an award can be reduced or cut if your first-year grades fall below the school's threshold. Given that USF Law also reports 11.0 percent first-year attrition, the retention terms in your award letter deserve close reading, because the grant you are quoted at admission is not guaranteed across all three years if your grades slip.

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

The University of San Francisco School of Law does not disclose waitlist offers or admits, and no ABA report does. The honest proxy is implied yield: 198 matriculants against 890 offers is a 22.2 percent yield, per Lovare's read of the 2025 ABA 509. That low yield suggests the USF Law waitlist can move in many cycles.

Here is the reasoning in full. The University of San Francisco School of Law enrolled 198 matriculants from the applicant pool against 890 offers in its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, an implied yield of 22.2 percent. No ABA disclosure, USF 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 only about a fifth of admitted students enroll, a school extends offers well beyond the seats it needs and often returns to its waitlist to complete the class.

A 22.2 percent yield is on the low side, which for a waitlisted applicant to the University of San Francisco School of Law is encouraging. A low yield means the school leans on a larger admitted pool and, in cycles where deposits fall short, on its waitlist. That is different from a school yielding close to half its offers and barely moving its list. USF Law's number leaves the door genuinely ajar for a candidate held in reserve.

If you land on the University of San Francisco School of Law waitlist, the play is standard: send a concise letter of continued interest naming USF Law as a top choice, add any new LSAT score or improved grades, and keep another acceptance in hand as your floor. Because the University of San Francisco School of Law is splitter friendly, a retake that raises your LSAT toward the 157 upper quartile is the most persuasive update you can send, since a stronger LSAT does the most to move a USF Law file off the waitlist.

Where do University of San Francisco School of Law graduates actually work?

In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, the University of San Francisco School of Law placed 74.2 percent of graduates in California and 77.5 percent across its top three markets. Large firms of 101 or more lawyers took 17.5 percent, and 0.8 percent won federal clerkships. USF Law is a strongly California-focused school.

Start with concentration, because it is what predicts fit. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, the University of San Francisco School of Law placed 89 of its graduates in California, 2 in the District of Columbia, and 2 in Washington. That is a 74.2 percent top-market share and a 77.5 percent top-three share, describing a school whose network runs deep in California and especially the Bay Area. If you want to practice in San Francisco or elsewhere in the state, USF Law is aimed squarely at your market. If your target is New York or the Northeast, that top-three concentration is a signal that the University of San Francisco School of Law's alumni pull is regional rather than national.

Why lead with geography rather than the raw employment rate? Because the rate barely separates peer schools. The University of San Francisco School of Law reported 102 of 120 graduates employed at ten months, or 85.0 percent, in the same ABA Employment Summary, a solid figure in line with its tier. Concentration is the number that tells you where a USF Law degree actually travels, and here it points overwhelmingly to California.

On firm outcomes, the University of San Francisco School of Law is a moderate performer rather than a BigLaw feeder. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows 17.5 percent of USF Law graduates taking jobs at large firms of 101 or more lawyers, a respectable share for a regional school but well below the national large-firm feeders. Federal clerkships are rare, at 0.8 percent of the class. Taken together, the outcomes describe a school that places most of its class into California practice across a range of employer types, with a minority reaching large firms and clerkships uncommon at the University of San Francisco School of Law.

When are University of San Francisco School of Law's application deadlines?

The University of San Francisco School of Law's specific application deadlines and any Early Decision terms are not confirmed here for the current cycle, so confirm them directly on USF Law's admissions site. The sources here, the 2025 ABA 509 and the ABA employment and bar reports, do not publish cycle dates. This guidance is dated August 2026.

To be transparent about what this page can and cannot verify: the primary disclosures behind the University of San Francisco School of Law's numbers, namely the 2025 ABA Standard 509 report and the ABA employment and bar-passage reports, do not include application deadlines or the terms of any binding Early Decision program. Rather than state a date this page cannot source, the honest step is to send you to USF Law's own admissions page for the current cycle's deadlines and any Early Decision option, verified as accurate to check as of August 2026.

As a general matter in law school admissions, applying earlier in a cycle tends to help, because offers and scholarship funds deplete as a class fills. That dynamic matters at the University of San Francisco School of Law, where the largest awards are scarce and most aid clusters in the middle of the range. Submitting a complete, strong application early, well before any posted final deadline you confirm on the USF Law site, is the lower-risk approach for an applicant hoping to land an above-median scholarship at the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Frequently asked questions about getting into University of San Francisco School of Law

Is a 155 LSAT good enough for University of San Francisco School of Law?

A 155 is exactly the LSAT median at the University of San Francisco School of Law, per its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, where the middle 50 percent scored 152 to 157. A 155 puts you at the fiftieth percentile, competitive rather than a lock. Pair it with a GPA at or above the 3.47 median and you are a strong candidate at USF Law.

What GPA do you need to get into University of San Francisco School of Law?

The University of San Francisco School of Law reports a GPA median of 3.47, with a 25th to 75th range of 3.16 to 3.68, in its 2025 ABA 509. Aim for 3.47 or higher. Because USF Law is splitter friendly, a high LSAT can help carry a GPA down toward the low 3.2 range, so the LSAT is the more forgiving number at the University of San Francisco School of Law.

What is University of San Francisco School of Law's acceptance rate?

The University of San Francisco School of Law admitted 42.38 percent of applicants for the fall 2025 class, extending 890 offers against 2,100 applications, according to its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. That rate ranks 21st most selective of the 59 schools in its LSAT band, so USF Law is a bit more selective than most schools at its LSAT level.

How many people apply to University of San Francisco School of Law each year?

The University of San Francisco School of Law received 2,100 applications for the fall 2025 entering class, made 890 offers, and enrolled a first-year class of 201, per its 2025 ABA 509. That pool against a limited number of offers is what produces USF Law's 42.38 percent acceptance rate and its upper-third standing in its LSAT band.

How much does University of San Francisco School of Law cost per year?

The University of San Francisco School of Law lists full-time tuition and fees of $59,800, plus $34,100 in living expenses, in its 2025 ABA 509. USF Law does not publish a single cost-of-attendance total in the 509, so tuition and fees and living costs are best read separately rather than summed into an invented all-in figure for the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Does University of San Francisco School of Law give scholarships?

Yes. The University of San Francisco School of Law reports that 62 percent of students receive grant aid, with awards of $24,343, $33,718, and $43,928 at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles, plus 2 full-tuition awards and 1 above full tuition, per its 2025 ABA 509. Note that USF Law scholarships are conditional, so an award can be cut if first-year grades fall short.

What is University of San Francisco School of Law's bar passage rate?

The University of San Francisco School of Law posted a 74.56 percent first-time bar passage rate for exam year 2024, with California as its largest jurisdiction, according to its ABA bar-passage report. Its ultimate pass rate for the 2022 cohort was 83.09 percent. California administers one of the toughest bar exams in the country, which is worth weighing when reading USF Law's first-time figure.

Where do most University of San Francisco School of Law graduates work?

Most stay in California. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows the University of San Francisco School of Law placed 89 graduates in California, 2 in the District of Columbia, and 2 in Washington, a 74.2 percent top-market share and 77.5 percent across the top three. USF Law has a strongly California-focused placement profile centered on the Bay Area.

Do University of San Francisco School of Law graduates get large-firm jobs?

Some do. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, the University of San Francisco School of Law sent 17.5 percent of graduates to large firms of 101 or more lawyers, a respectable share for a regional school but below the national large-firm feeders. USF Law placed 0.8 percent of its class into federal clerkships in the same summary, so clerkships are uncommon at the school.

Can a splitter get into University of San Francisco School of Law?

A splitter has a real path. Lovare reads the University of San Francisco School of Law as splitter friendly, with a GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.31 but a narrower LSAT spread of three points in the 2025 ABA 509. That means USF Law forgives a lower GPA when the LSAT is high, so a high-LSAT applicant with a GPA in the low 3.2 range remains viable at the University of San Francisco School of Law.

How selective is University of San Francisco School of Law compared with schools at the same LSAT?

A bit more selective than most. Among the 59 schools whose median LSAT is within two points of the University of San Francisco School of Law's 155, ranked by acceptance rate, USF Law is 21st most selective of 59, per Lovare's analysis of the 2025 ABA 509. So the University of San Francisco School of Law admits a somewhat smaller share of applicants than the typical school at its LSAT level.

Does University of San Francisco School of Law push out first-year students?

It reports higher first-year attrition than many peers. The University of San Francisco School of Law lists 11.0 percent first-year academic attrition in its 2025 ABA 509, meaning roughly one first-year student in nine left for academic reasons in the reporting period. That is worth knowing: the first year at USF Law is demanding, so plan to work hard from the start rather than treat 1L as a formality, especially with a conditional scholarship on the line.

Is University of San Francisco School of Law worth it?

For a Bay Area career, it can be, with eyes open on cost and grades. The University of San Francisco School of Law pairs a $59,800 sticker with 62 percent grant reach and a $33,718 median award that nets about $26,082 before living costs, per its 2025 ABA 509. Add 85.0 percent employment at ten months from the Class of 2024 summary, and USF Law rewards applicants who land solid aid and manage the demanding first year.

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

A high LSAT above all. Because the University of San Francisco School of Law is splitter friendly and reports a $43,928 upper-quartile grant in its 2025 ABA 509, an LSAT above the 155 median, pushing toward the 157 upper quartile, paired with a GPA at or above 3.47, positions you for the largest awards. A strong LSAT is the surest route to top scholarship money at USF Law.

Sources

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

University of San Francisco School of Law 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (fall 2025 entering class): https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/AnnualQuestionnaire/GenerateIndividualDisclosure509Report?schoolId=18&year=2025

University of San Francisco School of Law ABA bar-passage report: https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/BarPassageOutcomes/GenerateIndividualBarPassageReport?schoolId=18&year=2025

ABA Employment Summary, Class of 2024: https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/EmploymentOutcomes/GenerateIndividualEQSummaryReport?schoolId=18&year=2024

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