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

To answer how to get into University of Washington Law School, start with two numbers. According to University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, the fall 2025 entering class posted an LSAT median of 165 (162 to 167) and a GPA median of 3.76 (3.6 to 3.86). Hit both and you are competitive, not admitted.

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 Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (fall 2025 entering class), the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, University of Washington Law School's ABA bar-passage report, and the school's own admissions pages.

University of Washington Law School is a Pacific Northwest anchor, and its outcomes say so plainly. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, 71.3% of University of Washington Law School graduates took their first jobs in Washington state, and only 21.6% landed at large firms of 101 or more lawyers, the lowest large-firm share in this set of profiles. According to University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, the school admitted 19.61% of applicants for fall 2025 behind a 165 LSAT median and a 3.76 GPA median. The thesis of this page is simple: University of Washington Law School is a regional-practice and public-interest school, priced and positioned for the Pacific Northwest, and it is more selective than its national profile suggests.

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

University of Washington Law School is more selective than its regional reputation suggests. According to University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, the fall 2025 class posted a 165 LSAT median, a 3.76 GPA median, and a 19.61% acceptance rate. Resident tuition and fees run $47,073 and nonresident $58,956. The table below collects the core numbers for quick reference.

MetricUniversity of Washington Law School (fall 2025 entering class)LSAT (25th / 50th / 75th)162 / 165 / 167GPA (25th / 50th / 75th)3.6 / 3.76 / 3.86Acceptance rate19.61%Applications3,412Offers of admission669Matriculants from the pool202First-year class207Full-time tuition and feesResident $47,073 / nonresident $58,956Living expenses$29,082Share receiving grants70%Median grant$14,000Conditional scholarshipsNoFirst-time bar passage91.72%Employed at ten months91.8% (157 of 171)

Source: University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (fall 2025 entering class), University of Washington Law School's ABA bar-passage report, and the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024. Tuition and living expenses are printed separately in the 509, which does not publish a single combined cost-of-attendance total. Verified August 2026.

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

For University of Washington Law School, the realistic target is a 165 LSAT and a 3.76 GPA, the fall 2025 medians in University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure. The middle 50% runs 162 to 167 on the LSAT and 3.6 to 3.86 on GPA. Below either 25th percentile, the other number has to carry the file.

University of Washington Law School reports an LSAT 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of 162, 165, and 167, and a GPA spread of 3.6, 3.76, and 3.86, in its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. Read those two rows together and the shape of the class is clear: a five-point LSAT band from 162 to 167 and a GPA band from 3.6 to 3.86. The median student at University of Washington Law School carries a 165 LSAT and a 3.76 GPA, and half the class sits above each line and half below.

A realistic profile at University of Washington Law School starts at those two medians. A 165 LSAT and a 3.76 GPA place an applicant squarely at the center of the fall 2025 class, per University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, which makes for a competitive file rather than a safe one. Push either number toward the 75th percentile, a 167 LSAT or a 3.86 GPA, and the odds improve meaningfully, both for admission and for scholarship money. Fall below the 25th percentile on either measure, a 162 LSAT or a 3.6 GPA, and University of Washington Law School will look to the other number to carry the application.

On the splitter question, University of Washington Law School leans splitter friendly. The GPA spread from the 25th percentile to the median is 0.16 and the LSAT spread is 3 points, per University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, so the school gives a high LSAT more room to offset a soft GPA than the reverse. A splitter carries a high LSAT with a lower GPA; a reverse-splitter carries a high GPA with a lower LSAT. At University of Washington Law School, a 167 or 168 LSAT can pull a GPA in the low 3.6s or slightly below into contention, whereas a 3.9 GPA does less to rescue an LSAT under 162. The practical takeaway is that LSAT points are the higher-leverage investment for an applicant to University of Washington Law School, both because the school forgives GPA more readily and because every point above the 165 median strengthens a scholarship case.

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

Yes. Among the 33 leading national law schools whose median LSAT falls within two points of University of Washington Law School's 165, ranked by acceptance rate, University of Washington Law School is the fourth most selective, per Lovare's analysis of 2025 ABA 509 data. Only Florida State, UC Davis, and Wisconsin admit a smaller share.

To size up University of Washington Law School fairly, compare it only against schools with a similar academic profile. Among the 33 leading national law schools whose median LSAT falls within two points of University of Washington Law School's 165, that is a median of 163 to 167, ranked by acceptance rate, University of Washington Law School is the fourth most selective of the group, per Lovare's analysis of 2025 ABA Standard 509 data. Its 19.61% acceptance rate, from University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, is bettered only by three schools in that band.

Ranked from most to least selective by acceptance rate, the top of University of Washington Law School's band runs Florida State University at 16.0%, UC Davis at 16.0%, the University of Wisconsin at 19.0%, then University of Washington Law School at 19.61%, followed closely by Arizona State University (O'Connor) at 19.8%, Chapman University at 20.5%, and Baylor University at 20.6%. Further down the same band sit familiar names that many applicants assume are tougher admits than University of Washington Law School, including William and Mary at 22.0%, Washington and Lee University at 23.0%, the University of Utah at 25.0%, Wake Forest University at 25.0%, the University of Colorado at 28.0%, Emory University at 38.7%, and the University of Iowa at 44.3%. Every one of those schools admits a larger share of its applicants than University of Washington Law School does.

The verdict is that University of Washington Law School is harder to get into than its regional, public-university reputation implies. Applicants who file University of Washington Law School as a comfortable backup because it is not a coastal-elite brand are misreading the numbers: at the same LSAT level, University of Washington Law School admits a smaller fraction of its applicants than roughly seven in eight of its academic peers. The selectivity is driven partly by a small class, University of Washington Law School enrolled a first-year class of 207 from 3,412 applications per its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, and partly by strong regional demand. Treat University of Washington Law School as a target that rewards a median-or-better profile, not as a safety.

Does University of Washington Law School have Early Decision, and is it binding?

Yes. University of Washington Law School offers a binding Early Decision with a December 1 deadline, according to University of Washington Law School's early-decision page. A deposit is due by the date in the admission letter, and on notice of admission you must withdraw every other application. Early Decision admits receive advanced consideration only, with no scholarship guarantee.

University of Washington Law School runs a genuinely binding Early Decision program, and the terms are strict. According to University of Washington Law School's early-decision page, the Early Decision deadline is December 1, a deposit is required by the date stated in the admission letter, and an admitted Early Decision applicant must withdraw every other law school application upon receiving notice of admission from University of Washington Law School. In plain terms, applying Early Decision to University of Washington Law School is a promise to enroll if admitted.

The catch that applicants most often miss is the money. University of Washington Law School's early-decision page states that Early Decision admits receive advanced consideration only and are not guaranteed any scholarship, which means a student commits to University of Washington Law School before knowing what, if any, grant aid the school will offer. Given that University of Washington Law School reports zero full-tuition and zero above-full-tuition awards in its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure and a median grant of $14,000, the aid picture at University of Washington Law School is modest to begin with, and Early Decision removes an applicant's ability to compare offers. The honest advice is to use University of Washington Law School's Early Decision only if it is a clear first choice and the cost is manageable at or near sticker, because the binding commitment locks in enrollment before it reveals the price.

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

University of Washington Law School lists resident tuition and fees of $47,073 and nonresident of $58,956 in its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, plus $29,082 in living expenses. Seventy percent of students receive grants, with a $14,000 median. University of Washington Law School reports zero full-tuition and zero above-full-tuition awards.

Start with the sticker. University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure lists full-time tuition and fees at $47,073 for Washington residents and $58,956 for nonresidents, and it separately lists living expenses at $29,082. As is standard in the 509, University of Washington Law School does not print a single combined cost-of-attendance total, so any all-in annual number quoted elsewhere is someone's arithmetic rather than a figure University of Washington Law School reports, and this page will not invent one.

On aid, University of Washington Law School is a modest grantor by the standards of this set. According to University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, 70% of students receive grant aid, with grant amounts at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles of $7,500, $14,000, and $18,930. Those grants include both merit and need-based aid at University of Washington Law School. Critically, University of Washington Law School reports zero full-tuition awards and zero above-full-tuition awards, so no student at University of Washington Law School rides entirely free on tuition through a grant; the aid reduces the bill rather than erasing it.

For a typical recipient the math is straightforward. Against the $58,956 nonresident sticker for tuition and fees, a student receiving University of Washington Law School's median grant of $14,000 nets about $44,956 in tuition and fees before living costs, using figures from University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure; a resident starts from the lower $47,073 sticker and nets less. One point in the applicant's favor: University of Washington Law School's scholarships are not conditional, per its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, so a grant cannot be cut for landing in the bottom half of the first-year curve. The grant an admitted student is quoted at University of Washington Law School is the grant they keep, which is a real protection that some peer schools do not offer.

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

University of Washington Law School does not publish waitlist offers or admits, so the honest proxy is implied yield, matriculants divided by offers, which is 30.2% for fall 2025 per University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure. A 30% yield is moderate, meaning University of Washington Law School fills most of its class from first-round offers but still sees some waitlist movement. The odds there are real but modest.

Here is the reasoning in full. University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure reports 669 offers of admission and 202 matriculants drawn from the applicant pool, which is an implied yield of 30.2%. No ABA disclosure, University of Washington Law School'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. The logic runs as follows: when a school converts only about three in ten offers into enrollments, it must extend far more offers than it has seats, and it is more likely to return to its waitlist to finish the class.

A 30.2% yield puts University of Washington Law School in the moderate range. It is nowhere near the yields the national-elite schools post, where most admits enroll and waitlists barely move, but it is also not so low that University of Washington Law School churns through a long waitlist every year. For a waitlisted applicant to University of Washington Law School, the practical read is that some movement is plausible in most cycles, so a strong letter of continued interest and prompt responsiveness are worth the effort, while planning as if a waitlist spot at University of Washington Law School will convert would be a mistake. The 669 offers against 3,412 applications, per University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, also show that the first-round offer, not the waitlist, is where nearly all of the school's admits originate.

Where do University of Washington Law School graduates actually work?

University of Washington Law School is a Pacific Northwest school by outcome. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, 71.3% of University of Washington Law School graduates took first jobs in Washington and 81.3% stayed within the top three markets. Large firms of 101 or more lawyers hired 21.6%, and federal clerkships took 2.9%.

The single most useful fact about University of Washington Law School's employment outcomes is concentration. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, University of Washington Law School placed 122 graduates in Washington, 12 in California, and 5 in the District of Columbia, its three largest markets. Washington state alone absorbed 71.3% of the class, and the top three markets together took 81.3%, per the same ABA Employment Summary. A University of Washington Law School degree, in practice, is a Pacific Northwest credential first and a national one second.

By employer type, University of Washington Law School sits at the regional-practice end of the spectrum. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows 37 University of Washington Law School graduates, or 21.6%, taking jobs at large firms of 101 or more lawyers, and 27 of those, 15.8% of the class, at the largest firms of 501 or more lawyers. That 21.6% large-firm share is the lowest in this set of profiles, and it is the defining number for anyone weighing University of Washington Law School against a more BigLaw-oriented school. Federal clerkships took 5 University of Washington Law School graduates, or 2.9%, per the same summary.

Overall placement is strong. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows 157 of 171 University of Washington Law School graduates employed at the ten-month mark, a 91.8% employment rate, and University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure reports first-year academic attrition of just 1.0%. But the headline rate is not what should decide fit here. The reason to weigh University of Washington Law School on concentration is that its outcomes are unusually specific: this is a school that feeds the Seattle and Washington legal market, public-interest and government employers, and regional firms far more than it feeds national BigLaw. For an applicant who wants to practice in the Pacific Northwest, that concentration is the whole point and a genuine strength; for one who wants maximum geographic mobility or a high probability of BigLaw, University of Washington Law School's 21.6% large-firm share is a real constraint to weigh honestly.

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

University of Washington Law School sets a binding Early Decision deadline of December 1, per University of Washington Law School's early-decision page. The materials in this profile do not include a regular-decision deadline for University of Washington Law School, so confirm the current date on the school's site. Cycle dates shift, and this reflects the 2026 cycle as of August 2026.

University of Washington Law School keeps at least one date fixed and public. According to University of Washington Law School's early-decision page, the binding Early Decision deadline is December 1, and an Early Decision applicant commits to enroll if admitted. Beyond that, the materials in this profile do not give a separate regular-decision deadline for University of Washington Law School, so this page will not state one rather than guess; applicants should confirm the current regular deadline directly on University of Washington Law School's admissions site.

One caveat applies to every date here. Application cycle dates shift from year to year, and a deadline that is correct for one cycle can move in the next. The December 1 Early Decision deadline stated here reflects University of Washington Law School's early-decision page as verified in August 2026. Before relying on it, confirm the current calendar on University of Washington Law School's site, because a profile like this one is a planning aid, not the school's official calendar of record.

Frequently asked questions about getting into University of Washington Law School

Is a 165 LSAT good enough for University of Washington Law School?

A 165 is exactly University of Washington Law School's LSAT median, per University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, so it is good enough to be competitive but not to feel safe. Half of the fall 2025 class scored at or above 165, inside a 162 to 167 middle range. Paired with a GPA near the 3.76 median, a 165 makes an applicant a solid candidate at University of Washington Law School.

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

University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure reports a GPA median of 3.76, with a 25th percentile of 3.6 and a 75th percentile of 3.86. The middle half of University of Washington Law School's fall 2025 class sits between 3.6 and 3.86. Aim for at least 3.6, and if your GPA is lower, a 167 LSAT near the upper quartile is the strongest way to offset it at University of Washington Law School.

What is University of Washington Law School's acceptance rate?

University of Washington Law School's acceptance rate is 19.61%, computed as 669 offers against 3,412 applications in University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. That makes University of Washington Law School the fourth most selective school among the 33 leading national schools within two LSAT points of its 165 median. Fewer than one in five applicants receives an offer from University of Washington Law School in a given cycle.

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

University of Washington Law School received 3,412 applications for its fall 2025 entering class, according to University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. From that pool, University of Washington Law School extended 669 offers of admission and enrolled 202 matriculants, building a first-year class of 207. The distance between 3,412 applications and 669 offers is what produces the 19.61% acceptance rate at University of Washington Law School.

Does University of Washington Law School have binding Early Decision?

Yes. University of Washington Law School offers a binding Early Decision program with a December 1 deadline, according to University of Washington Law School's early-decision page. An admitted Early Decision applicant must pay a deposit by the date in the admission letter and withdraw all other applications. University of Washington Law School's Early Decision admits receive advanced consideration only, with no guaranteed scholarship, so you commit before seeing your aid.

How much does University of Washington Law School cost per year?

University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure lists full-time tuition and fees at $47,073 for residents and $58,956 for nonresidents, plus living expenses of $29,082. University of Washington Law School does not publish a single combined cost-of-attendance total in that 509, so this page will not quote one. A student receiving University of Washington Law School's median grant of $14,000 nets about $44,956 in nonresident tuition and fees before living costs.

Does University of Washington Law School give merit scholarships?

Yes. University of Washington Law School's grant aid includes both merit and need-based awards, and 70% of students receive a grant, per University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, with grant amounts of $7,500, $14,000, and $18,930 at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles. However, University of Washington Law School reports zero full-tuition and zero above-full-tuition awards, so the aid reduces the bill rather than covering it entirely.

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

University of Washington Law School's ABA bar-passage report shows a first-time pass rate of 91.72% for the 2024 exam year, with a 92.31% rate in its largest jurisdiction, Washington. The ultimate pass rate, measured two years out for the 2022 cohort, is 96.71%, per the same report. In short, the large majority of University of Washington Law School graduates who sit for a bar exam pass, and nearly all pass eventually.

Do University of Washington Law School graduates get large-firm (BigLaw) jobs?

Some do, but it is not the school's strength. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, 37 University of Washington Law School graduates (21.6%) took jobs at firms of 101 or more lawyers, and 27 of those (15.8% of the class) at firms of 501 or more. That 21.6% large-firm share is the lowest in this set of profiles, so University of Washington Law School is a weaker bet for BigLaw than most of its peers.

Where do most University of Washington Law School graduates work?

Most University of Washington Law School graduates stay in the Pacific Northwest. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows Washington taking 122 graduates (71.3%), California 12, and the District of Columbia 5, so the top three markets account for 81.3% of the class. A University of Washington Law School degree points strongly toward Seattle and the wider Washington legal market rather than a national spread.

Can a splitter get into University of Washington Law School?

Yes, University of Washington Law School is splitter friendly. Its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure shows a GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.16 against an LSAT spread of 3 points, meaning University of Washington Law School forgives a lower GPA when the LSAT is high more readily than the reverse. A 167 LSAT paired with a GPA below the 3.6 quartile still has a real path at University of Washington Law School, provided the rest of the file is strong.

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

University of Washington Law School is more selective than most schools at its LSAT level. Among the 33 leading national schools with a median LSAT within two points of University of Washington Law School's 165, ranked by acceptance rate, University of Washington Law School's 19.61% is the fourth lowest, behind only Florida State, UC Davis, and Wisconsin, per Lovare's analysis of 2025 ABA 509 data. It admits a smaller share than most of its academic peers.

Is University of Washington Law School worth the cost?

For a student aiming at Pacific Northwest practice, yes. Against a nonresident tuition and fees sticker of $58,956, and a lower $47,073 for residents, in University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows 91.8% of University of Washington Law School graduates employed at ten months and a first-time bar pass rate of 91.72%. The value case is strongest for residents who want to practice in Washington, weaker for nonresidents chasing national BigLaw.

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

Numbers at or above University of Washington Law School's 75th percentiles give the best shot: a 167 LSAT and a 3.86 GPA, per University of Washington Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. Because University of Washington Law School's grants include merit aid and top out at a $18,930 upper quartile with no full-tuition awards, pushing both numbers into the top quarter of the class is the most reliable way to move up the grant scale at University of Washington Law School.

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

University of Washington Law School reports first-year academic attrition of just 1.0% in its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, meaning almost no one who starts at University of Washington Law School is dismissed for grades. Combined with an ultimate bar pass rate of 96.71% for the 2022 cohort, per University of Washington Law School's ABA bar-passage report, the data says students admitted to University of Washington Law School overwhelmingly finish and go on to pass the bar.

Sources

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

University of Washington Law School 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (fall 2025 entering class): https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/AnnualQuestionnaire/GenerateIndividualDisclosure509Report?schoolId=158&year=2025

ABA Employment Summary, Class of 2024: https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/EmploymentOutcomes/GenerateIndividualEQSummaryReport?schoolId=158&year=2024

University of Washington Law School ABA bar-passage report: https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/BarPassageOutcomes/GenerateIndividualBarPassageReport?schoolId=158&year=2025

University of Washington Law School Early Decision page: https://www.law.uw.edu/admissions/jd/first-year/early-decision

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