Law Schools in Virginia + LSAT Prep (2026 Guide)

Virginia has eight ABA accredited law schools, ranging from the University of Virginia to the Appalachian School of Law. Their median LSATs span 146 to 173 in the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures, one of the widest ranges anywhere, so scores from the mid 140s to the low 170s each open a real door in Virginia.

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 median, acceptance rate, and full-time tuition figure on this page comes from each Virginia school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure for the fall 2025 entering class, and the bar exam status comes from the NCBE.

What law schools are in Virginia?

Virginia has eight ABA accredited law schools, giving applicants an unusually deep in-state range from an elite national school to schools that admit most of their applicants. The University of Virginia anchors the top, George Mason University (Scalia) is the high-median public value, Washington and Lee University and the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe) round out the selective tier, the University of Richmond sits in the middle, and Regent University, Liberty University, and the Appalachian School of Law are the more accessible options. The table below gathers the median LSAT, acceptance rate, and full-time tuition for each Virginia law school, and every figure in it comes from that school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure for the fall 2025 entering class.

SchoolMedian LSATAcceptance rateFull-time tuitionUniversity of Virginia17310.2%$74,078George Mason University (Scalia)16915.9%$24,864Washington and Lee University16722.7%$57,450College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe)16622.0%$38,734University of Richmond16439.6%$57,700Regent University15844.3%$44,854Liberty University15458.8%$43,150Appalachian School of Law14660.9%$41,000

Source: each figure above is from that Virginia school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure for the fall 2025 entering class. Two facts jump out of the Virginia table. First, the state offers exceptional public value: George Mason University (Scalia) pairs a 169 median, second highest in Virginia, with full-time tuition of just $24,864, and the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe) pairs a 166 median with $38,734, both well below the private tier. Second, the range of medians, 146 to 173, is genuinely wide, so Virginia serves applicants across almost the entire LSAT spectrum.

The acceptance rates reinforce that breadth. The University of Virginia is the gatekeeper at a 10.2% admit rate, followed by George Mason University (Scalia) at 15.9%, the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe) at 22.0%, and Washington and Lee University at 22.7%. From there the Virginia schools open up sharply: the University of Richmond admits 39.6%, Regent University 44.3%, Liberty University 58.8%, and the Appalachian School of Law 60.9%, all per their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. That progression means a Virginia applicant can assemble a list with a reach, a target, and a near-certain admit entirely inside the state.

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

In-state median LSATs in Virginia run from 146 to 173 across the eight schools, according to their 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. The University of Virginia posts the highest median at 173 and is the most selective school in the state, admitting just 10.2% of applicants. The Appalachian School of Law posts the lowest median at 146 and the highest acceptance rate at 60.9%, with Liberty University close behind at a 154 median and 58.8% acceptance. Between those poles, Virginia has a school at nearly every scoring level.

The rule of thumb is that a score at or above a school's median is competitive there, and a score below it leans on the rest of your file. A 173 or higher is competitive at the University of Virginia, per its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, though its 10.2% acceptance rate means even applicants at the median compete hard. A 169 tracks the George Mason University (Scalia) median, a 167 Washington and Lee University, a 166 the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe), and a 164 the University of Richmond. Lower down the Virginia range, a 158 tracks Regent University, a 154 Liberty University, and a 146 the Appalachian School of Law.

What matters most for a Virginia applicant with a lower score is how many real options the state offers. A mid 150s score is at or above the medians at Regent University and Liberty University and well above the Appalachian School of Law median, so it opens several Virginia doors rather than none. A score in the low to mid 160s makes the University of Richmond a strong target and the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe) or Washington and Lee University live reaches. A high 160s score puts George Mason University (Scalia) in range and the University of Virginia within reach. The 509 disclosures report LSAT and GPA separately and do not publish a single admissions index, so this page does not invent a combined cutoff for any Virginia school.

For building a Virginia list, the eight medians sort into three tiers. The University of Virginia, George Mason University (Scalia), Washington and Lee University, and the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe), from 173 down to 166, are the selective tier and the reach range for most applicants. The University of Richmond at 164 is the middle tier, a strong target for a low 160s file. Regent University at 158, Liberty University at 154, and the Appalachian School of Law at 146 are the accessible tier, where mid 150s and lower scores are competitive. Few states let a Virginia applicant build a full reach, target, and likely list without ever crossing the state line.

Which Virginia law schools are splitter friendly?

A splitter is an applicant with a high LSAT and a lower GPA, and a reverse splitter is the opposite: a strong GPA carrying a lower LSAT. A school is splitter friendly when it forgives a lower GPA for a high LSAT, and reverse-splitter friendly when it forgives a lower LSAT for a strong GPA. Virginia is unusual in that all eight of its law schools are flagged as one type or the other in the 2025 ABA 509 spreads, so every kind of unbalanced applicant has an in-state target.

Three Virginia schools read as reverse-splitter friendly. The University of Virginia shows a five point LSAT spread from its 25th percentile to its 173 median, Washington and Lee University shows a six point spread, and the University of Richmond shows a five point spread, all in the 2025 ABA 509 data. These schools reach lower on the LSAT for applicants whose GPA is strong, so a high GPA carrying a slightly lower LSAT finds its best Virginia homes at the University of Virginia, Washington and Lee University, and the University of Richmond.

Five Virginia schools read as splitter friendly, meaning a high LSAT can carry a lower GPA. George Mason University (Scalia) has the widest GPA spread in the state at 0.38 from the 25th percentile to the median, making it the most splitter-friendly Virginia school, followed by Regent University at 0.31, the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe) at 0.29, the Appalachian School of Law at 0.28, and Liberty University at 0.18, all in the 2025 ABA 509 data. If your LSAT outruns your GPA, George Mason University (Scalia) in particular rewards the test score. Across the eight Virginia schools, a splitter and a reverse splitter each have several natural targets, which makes Virginia one of the friendlier states for an unbalanced file.

For application strategy in Virginia, matching your imbalance to the right school matters. A strong-GPA, lower-LSAT file leans toward the reverse-splitter-friendly University of Virginia, Washington and Lee University, or University of Richmond, where the LSAT spreads show the school reaching down for the transcript. A high-LSAT, lower-GPA file leans toward George Mason University (Scalia) above all, whose 0.38 GPA spread is the widest in Virginia, or toward Regent University, the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe), the Appalachian School of Law, or Liberty University. Knowing which way your Virginia file tilts tells you where to spend your applications for the best odds.

What is the legal job market like in Virginia?

Virginia's dominant legal markets are Northern Virginia, which is part of the Washington metropolitan area, and Richmond, the state capital and the center of Virginia's courts and government. Because Northern Virginia blends into the larger Washington market, Virginia's law schools place graduates across a region that reaches beyond the state line, which shows up in the in-state retention figures from the ABA Class of 2024 employment data.

Among the Virginia schools with retention data, the University of Richmond keeps the most graduates in the state at 60%, the only in-state majority of the group. George Mason University (Scalia) keeps 38%, Regent University 36%, the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe) 32%, Washington and Lee University 25%, and Liberty University 24%, all per the ABA Class of 2024 employment data. Those figures are lower than the in-state shares seen in many states, which is consistent with Virginia schools feeding the broader Washington region and national markets rather than concentrating at home.

Two honest gaps belong in this Virginia picture. The ABA Class of 2024 retention data in the packet does not report an in-state figure for the University of Virginia or for the Appalachian School of Law, so this page does not state how much of either school's class stays in Virginia. For the University of Virginia, national placement is widely understood to be part of the profile, but this page will not attach a specific in-state figure it was not given. This page also does not quote salary figures for Virginia, because the packet behind it does not include salary data.

For a Virginia applicant, the retention pattern carries a planning lesson. If practicing inside Virginia is the firm goal, the University of Richmond's 60% in-state share is the strongest signal in the data, and George Mason University (Scalia), sitting in the Northern Virginia market, keeps a meaningful 38% while placing others into the adjacent Washington market. If national or regional mobility matters more, the lower in-state shares at Washington and Lee University and the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe) reflect graduate bases that travel. Read the Virginia retention numbers as direction, not destiny.

Does Virginia use the NextGen bar exam?

Virginia has adopted the NextGen bar exam, with a first administration set for July 2028, according to the NCBE. Virginia is not a Uniform Bar Exam state: it administers its own bar exam rather than the UBE, and its move to NextGen in July 2028 is how it will modernize that exam.

The timing aligns with the national transition. The NCBE has set the end of the legacy tests after the February 2028 administration, retiring the older Uniform Bar Exam and the Multistate Bar Exam nationwide. Virginia's first NextGen administration in July 2028 follows just after that cutoff, so a Virginia applicant entering law school now should expect to sit the NextGen exam rather than the legacy format. Because Virginia has run its own exam rather than the UBE, the shift to NextGen is the main bar-exam change on the horizon for the state.

For your planning in Virginia, the practical message is to prepare for NextGen. The NextGen exam still tests core legal doctrine and lawyering skills, and a Virginia law school curriculum is built to prepare graduates for the state's exam. Since exam logistics, registration windows, and any transition rules are set by the state, confirm the current details with the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners when you approach graduation, but plan your study around the NextGen exam that Virginia adopts in July 2028.

Where can you take the LSAT in Virginia?

LSAT test centers are available in Virginia's major metros, so most Virginia applicants can test reasonably close to home. The state's population concentrates in Hampton Roads, including Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Newport News, in the Richmond metro, and in Northern Virginia, including Arlington and Alexandria across the river from Washington. Those metros are where in-person LSAT centers tend to appear in Virginia.

The important caveat is that specific test-center locations and their available seats change from one testing cycle to the next, and many LSAT administrations are now offered in a remote-proctored format you take from home. For that reason this page does not print individual Virginia test-center addresses, which would go stale quickly and could send you to a site that is no longer active. Instead, check LSAC's official test-center list when you register, filter it to Virginia, and choose the location or the remote option that fits your schedule.

The practical Virginia takeaway is that access to the LSAT is broad across the state's populated corridors. Between the in-person centers that appear in Hampton Roads, Richmond, and Northern Virginia each cycle and the remote-proctored option, an applicant anywhere in Virginia has a workable way to test. Book your date early, because seats at the most convenient Virginia locations fill first, and confirm the current list on LSAC's site rather than relying on last year's centers.

Which Virginia universities feed law school?

Virginia's flagship public university, the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, is a major source of pre-law undergraduates, and its graduates are common applicants to law schools in Virginia and nationally. The university's strength in the humanities, government, and history makes it a natural pipeline into legal education for Virginia residents and out-of-state students alike.

Beyond the flagship, several other Virginia institutions regularly send graduates to law school. Virginia Tech, the College of William & Mary, George Mason University, James Madison University, and Virginia Commonwealth University all contribute Virginia applicants to law programs, drawing on strong undergraduate programs in political science, criminal justice, and public policy. This section names these Virginia universities as common feeders based on their size and prominence in the state, and it deliberately does not attribute a specific placement statistic to any of them, because the packet behind this page does not include per-university placement data for Virginia.

Frequently asked questions about law school in Virginia

How many law schools are in Virginia?

Virginia has eight ABA accredited law schools: the University of Virginia, George Mason University (Scalia), Washington and Lee University, the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe), the University of Richmond, Regent University, Liberty University, and the Appalachian School of Law. Their median LSATs run from 146 to 173 in the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures, one of the widest in-state ranges anywhere.

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

By the 2025 ABA 509 numbers, the Appalachian School of Law is the most accessible in Virginia, with the lowest median LSAT at 146 and the highest acceptance rate at 60.9%. Liberty University is close behind at a 154 median and 58.8% acceptance. Both admit most of their applicants, so a Virginia applicant with a lower score has real in-state options.

What is the best law school in Virginia?

By selectivity, the University of Virginia leads Virginia, with the state's highest median LSAT at 173 and its lowest acceptance rate at 10.2% in the 2025 ABA 509 disclosure. For public value, George Mason University (Scalia) pairs a 169 median with low $24,864 tuition. The best Virginia school depends on whether you weigh prestige, cost, or fit most heavily.

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

Median LSATs in Virginia run 146 to 173, per the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. A 173 is competitive at the University of Virginia, a 169 at George Mason University (Scalia), a 164 at the University of Richmond, a 154 at Liberty University, and a 146 at the Appalachian School of Law. With a school at nearly every level, Virginia gives applicants across the LSAT range a real in-state option.

How much does law school cost in Virginia?

Full-time tuition in Virginia ranges from $24,864 at George Mason University (Scalia) and $38,734 at the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe) to $74,078 at the University of Virginia, with the private schools in between, per the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. The two lower figures make George Mason University (Scalia) and William & Mary strong public values. The 509 reports tuition separately from living costs, so this page does not sum them.

Does Virginia use the NextGen bar exam?

Virginia has adopted the NextGen bar exam, with a first administration set for July 2028, according to the NCBE. Virginia is not a Uniform Bar Exam state and administers its own exam. Because the legacy UBE and Multistate Bar Exam end nationally after the February 2028 administration, a Virginia applicant starting law school now should prepare for the NextGen exam.

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

Graduating from an ABA accredited law school in any state is the standard threshold to sit for a state bar, so an out-of-state ABA degree generally lets you take the Virginia bar. Virginia administers its own bar exam and is moving to NextGen in July 2028, per the NCBE. Because each jurisdiction sets its own admission details, confirm the current requirements directly with the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners.

Which Virginia law school has the best bar passage?

The disclosures behind this page cover median LSAT, acceptance rate, and tuition for Virginia's eight law schools, but they do not include each school's first-time bar passage rate, so this page does not rank Virginia schools on bar passage. First-time bar results by school are published in each school's ABA bar-passage report, which is the right place to compare them for Virginia.

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

The figures on this page report full-time medians and full-time tuition for Virginia's eight schools and do not itemize part-time or evening divisions, so this page cannot confirm those programs from its sources. If a part-time or evening schedule is essential to your Virginia plan, confirm the current offerings directly with each school's admissions office.

Where can you take the LSAT in Virginia?

LSAT test centers appear in Virginia's major metros, including Hampton Roads, the Richmond area, and Northern Virginia, and a remote-proctored option is available from home. Because specific Virginia centers and seats change each cycle, check LSAC's official test-center list when you register rather than relying on a fixed address, and book early to secure the most convenient location.

Which Virginia law schools are splitter friendly?

In Virginia, George Mason University (Scalia), Regent University, the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe), the Appalachian School of Law, and Liberty University read as splitter friendly, with GPA spreads from 0.18 to 0.38 in the 2025 ABA 509 data. The University of Virginia, Washington and Lee University, and the University of Richmond read as reverse-splitter friendly, with LSAT spreads of five to six points.

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

No. You do not have to attend a Virginia law school to practice in Virginia. An ABA accredited J.D. from any state generally qualifies you to sit for the Virginia bar, which is moving to the NextGen exam in July 2028, per the NCBE. That said, several in-state schools place graduates in Virginia and the neighboring Washington market, so studying in the state can help build local connections. Confirm admission rules with the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners.

Which Virginia law school keeps the most graduates in the state?

Among the Virginia schools with retention data, the University of Richmond keeps the most graduates in the state at 60%, the only in-state majority, followed by George Mason University (Scalia) at 38%, Regent University at 36%, the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe) at 32%, Washington and Lee University at 25%, and Liberty University at 24%, per the ABA Class of 2024 data. The packet does not report in-state figures for the University of Virginia or the Appalachian School of Law.

Is George Mason a good value for law school in Virginia?

Yes, on the numbers. George Mason University (Scalia) pairs the second highest median LSAT in Virginia at 169 with the lowest full-time tuition among the selective schools at $24,864, per the 2025 ABA 509 disclosure. That combination of a strong median and low public tuition makes George Mason University (Scalia) one of the clearest values in Virginia legal education for an applicant who can reach its numbers.

Is a 165 LSAT good for law school in Virginia?

A 165 is a strong Virginia score. It sits above the medians at the University of Richmond, Regent University, Liberty University, and the Appalachian School of Law, at the doorstep of the College of William & Mary (Marshall-Wythe) and Washington and Lee University, and below only George Mason University (Scalia) and the University of Virginia, per the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. It gives a Virginia applicant several competitive options and a couple of live reaches.

Sources

Every figure on this page is drawn from primary disclosures for Virginia, listed here so readers can verify each one directly. School-level median LSAT, acceptance rate, and full-time tuition are from each Virginia school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure for the fall 2025 entering class, available through the ABA disclosure portal.

ABA Required Disclosures portal (2025 Standard 509 reports): https://www.abarequireddisclosures.org/

NCBE, for Virginia's NextGen bar exam adoption in July 2028 and the national retirement of the legacy UBE and MBE after February 2028: https://www.ncbex.org/

LSAC, for the official and current Virginia LSAT test-center list: https://www.lsac.org/

Get your free Virginia law school profile evaluation