Cheap and Hard to Get Into: Law Schools With Low Tuition and Low Acceptance
22 schools charge under $40,000 and admit fewer than 30 percent of applicants. BYU pairs a 170 median LSAT with $15,992 tuition — and publishes a second rate that doubles it.
Which data year this uses
The tuition and acceptance figures are the 2025 reporting cycle, for the 2025–26 academic year. For a fall 2027 application, the tuition line will have moved by the time you apply — what does not change is which schools pair a low price with a low acceptance rate.
The cheapest law schools in the country are mostly places you have not heard of. That is the assumption behind every "affordable law school" list, and the ABA's own disclosures show it breaks down. Twenty-two schools charge under $40,000 in tuition and admit fewer than 30 percent of applicants — several of them at selectivity levels normally reserved for schools three times the price.
Cost and selectivity were assumed to travel together. In the 2025 data they have come apart.
What these figures are
All numbers are institution-reported from the ABA Standard 509 disclosures for the 2025 cycle, describing the fall 2025 entering class. Acceptance rates are offers divided by applications. Tuition is what each school reports for full-time study, which for public schools means the in-state rate. These describe cohorts, not any individual applicant's chances.
The clearest cases
Three schools illustrate the pattern, because each breaks a different assumption people hold about cost.
| School | Tuition | Acceptance rate | Median LSAT | Median GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigham Young University | $15,992 | 22.8% | 170 | 3.95 |
| Tennessee, University of | $16,696 | 24.8% | 164 | 3.89 |
| Georgia, University of | $18,044 | 12.7% | 169 | 3.92 |
| Florida, University of | $19,139 | 16.5% | 169 | 3.91 |
ABA Standard 509, 2025 cycle. The median ABA school reports a 155–159 median LSAT and accepts roughly 41 percent of applicants.
BYU: a top-20 median LSAT, with a catch in the price
BYU Law reports a median LSAT of 170 and a median GPA of 3.95, both squarely in top-20 territory, at a listed tuition of $15,992. That is roughly a quarter of what the profession's most expensive schools charge.
Two qualifications matter, and skipping them would make this misleading. First, BYU publishes two tuition rates: $15,992 for Latter-day Saint Church members and $31,984 for non-members. The lower figure is not an in-state rate anyone can obtain — it is tied to church membership, and non-members pay roughly double. The university states that applications are considered without regard to faith.
The non-cost consideration
The school requires all students, regardless of religion, to comply with the university Honor Code and participate in its values-based culture. That is a fit question rather than a financial one, but it belongs in the same paragraph as the tuition number because the tuition number is the reason people look.
Georgia: 12.7 percent at $18,044
The Georgia, University of admitted 597 of 4,695 applicants — a 12.7 percent rate, well inside what most applicants would file as a reach — at $18,044. Median LSAT 169, median GPA 3.92.
The number that explains the school
Georgia offered 597 admits and enrolled 186 first-year students, a yield of 31 percent. Most admitted students went elsewhere. A low tuition is a strong offer in a market where few schools still admit in meaningful numbers — a school competing hard on price can afford to admit a larger pool without filling its class with applicants who decline.
Florida and Tennessee: the same pattern, slightly softer
Florida reports $19,139 with a 16.5 percent rate and a 169 median. Tennessee reports $16,696 with a 24.8 percent rate and a 164 median. Both are public flagships where cost and selectivity have decoupled to a similar degree.
All 22 schools under $40,000 with acceptance rates below 30 percent
These are the schools reporting both figures, with median LSAT scores of 160 or above, ordered by tuition. Every one of them admits fewer than three in ten applicants.
| School | Tuition | Acceptance rate | Median LSAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brigham Young University | $15,992 | 22.8% | 170 |
| Tennessee, University of | $16,696 | 24.8% | 164 |
| Georgia, University of | $18,044 | 12.7% | 169 |
| Florida, University of | $19,139 | 16.5% | 169 |
| South Carolina, University of | $20,322 | 29.9% | 162 |
| George Mason University | $24,864 | 15.9% | 169 |
| Alabama, The University of | $24,980 | 25.6% | 167 |
| Arizona, The University of | $26,490 | 27.9% | 163 |
| North Carolina, University of | $28,082 | 11.2% | 168 |
| Arizona State University | $28,390 | 19.8% | 165 |
| Connecticut, University of | $30,354 | 20.1% | 162 |
| Houston, University of | $31,326 | 23.0% | 163 |
| Temple University | $32,588 | 24.4% | 165 |
| Texas A&M University | $32,634 | 12.1% | 169 |
| Utah, The University of | $34,721 | 25.3% | 166 |
| The Ohio State University | $35,650 | 24.6% | 168 |
| Colorado, University of | $35,992 | 27.6% | 164 |
| Wisconsin, University of | $36,526 | 19.1% | 167 |
| Maryland, University of | $37,830 | 26.1% | 164 |
| Texas, University of | $38,236 | 14.0% | 172 |
| William & Mary | $38,734 | 22.0% | 166 |
| Wayne State University | $38,861 | 24.8% | 164 |
ABA Standard 509, 2025 cycle. Median LSAT of 160 or higher and a reported acceptance rate below 30 percent. The Texas, University of reports the highest median score in the group at 172.
Read the acceptance rate, not the enrollment rate
Every rate above is offers divided by applications. A school can admit 600 students and fill 200 seats, and its acceptance rate still reads as selective. This is why Georgia's 12.7 percent describes how hard it is to get in, not how hard it is to enroll — and why low-tuition schools can afford to be selective.
The international applicant catch
Every public tuition figure above is the in-state rate. Non-resident applicants pay more, and for international applicants the gap is substantial. The same schools report these out-of-state figures:
| School | In-state tuition | Non-resident tuition | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia, University of | $18,044 | $38,944 | +$20,900 |
| Florida, University of | $19,139 | $36,148 | +$17,009 |
| Tennessee, University of | $16,696 | $35,140 | +$18,444 |
| Texas A&M University | $32,634 | $48,522 | +$15,888 |
| Arizona State University | $28,390 | $52,099 | +$23,709 |
| Texas, University of | $38,236 | $56,822 | +$18,586 |
ABA Standard 509, 2025 cycle. Out-of-state tuition for the same schools listed above.
The advantage shrinks by roughly half
The median private school reports $59,800 in tuition. Against that, Georgia's in-state price saves $41,756 — but its out-of-state price saves only $20,856. For an international applicant, choosing a public flagship over a private school is a considerably smaller financial decision than the sticker price suggests. Each school's page here lists both figures.
What this does not mean
- It does not mean tuition predicts outcomes
Two schools at the same price can differ entirely in what they teach and where graduates go. Our analysis of bar passage data shows how little selectivity and cost predict the thing applicants actually care about.
- It does not mean these schools are reachable on a middling score
Georgia's range runs from a 25th percentile of 159 to a 75th of 171, with a 169 median. That spread means a strong score paired with a weaker transcript is not the same position as a strong score paired with a strong transcript. Check the 25th percentile rather than the median in our school database.
- It does not mean cost is the deciding factor for aid
Institutional need-based aid is school-specific, and international applicants are ineligible for federal aid, which narrows the field considerably. Some schools treat noncitizen students identically to domestic ones for need-based aid; others do not offer institutional aid at all. Our guide to applying as an international student covers the structural differences.
The cheapest schools on this list are also the ones where cost is least likely to be the reason you cannot afford them — the tuition advantage narrows sharply once residency rules apply. For an international applicant, the interesting question is less "which schools are cheap" and more "which of these schools fund noncitizen students."
Questions we get asked
What is the cheapest selective law school to attend?
On listed tuition, BYU Law at $15,992 is the lowest-cost school in this group with a 170 median LSAT — though that rate applies to Latter-day Saint Church members, and non-members pay $31,984. Among public schools where the in-state rate applies to everyone in the state, the Tennessee, University of at $16,696 and Georgia at $18,044 pair the lowest prices with the most selective admission rates.
Why do cheap law schools still have low acceptance rates?
Because the binding constraint is seats, not applicants. A school with a fixed class size can admit far more people than it enrolls, so its acceptance rate reflects how many others applied rather than how likely any one person is to attend. Several schools here offer substantially more admits than their entering class, which is only affordable because their price attracts committed applicants.
Is a low acceptance rate at a cheap school a good sign?
Not on its own. It tells you the applicant pool is competitive, not that the school is a fit or that you have a reasonable chance. Use it alongside the 25th percentiles for LSAT and GPA, the bar passage record, and what the school actually teaches.
Do these schools offer aid to international applicants?
It varies by school. International applicants cannot receive federal aid, which leaves institutional need-based grants, merit awards, and private loans — and the last of those usually requires a US-based cosigner. The grant coverage figure on each school's page here shows what share of students received aid, but it does not break that down by citizenship. Ask the admissions office directly.
How much does the LSAT cost, and can I take it more than once?
Registration is $253 for the 2026–2027 testing year and includes LSAT Argumentative Writing. LSAC limits sittings to five within the current reportable score period and seven over a lifetime, with no per-year cap; cancelled scores count toward both limits. Need-based fee waivers cover registration for eligible applicants, and a Tier 1 waiver can cover up to two LSATs within the waiver period.
All figures come from the ABA Standard 509 Required Disclosures for the 2025 reporting cycle and describe the fall 2025 entering class. Acceptance rates are self-reported and represent offers divided by applications; enrollment is a separate measure. Tuition figures are the in-state rates schools report for full-time study, and non-resident and international applicants pay the higher figures shown. Confirm current costs and requirements on each school's own admissions page — this article is educational and is not admissions or financial advice.
Sources
- ABA Standard 509 Required Disclosures, 2025 reporting cycle — tuition, acceptance rates, LSAT/GPA percentiles, and grant data for 196 ABA-approved schools
- US News — Brigham Young University (Clark) tuition structure and class profile
Figures reflect the most recent published data available as of October 27, 2026. Always confirm current policy on lsat.lsac.org.