University of South Dakota ABA 509 Report
The 2025 Standard 509 disclosure for University of South Dakota, laid out by section: admissions, costs, aid, conditional scholarships, enrolment, bar passage and class composition.
University of South Dakota's 2025 Standard 509 disclosure reports that 404 applicants received 253 offers (62.6%), the entering class had a median LSAT of 152, the median grant was $5,000 per year, the first-time bar passage rate was 69.2%.
What this is. Every figure below comes from the school's own Standard 509 filing to the ABA, as published in the public disclosure data. Tables follow the report's own sections rather than a reorganisation by topic, so you can line each number up against the original. Where a school did not report a figure, it saysnot reported — nothing here is filled in with an average or an estimate. How to read these numbers →
Vermillion, South Dakota · Report year 2025 · all University of South Dakota data →
Admissions
Applications, offers and enrolment for the entering class, plus the LSAT and GPA percentiles of the students who matriculated.
Source: Standard 509(b)(1)
| Completed applications | 404 |
|---|---|
| Offers of admission | 253 |
| Acceptance rate | 62.6% |
| Enrollees from the applicant pool | 83 |
| Enrolled in the first-year class | 88 |
| First-year class size | 88 |
| LSAT 25th percentile | 149 |
| LSAT median | 152 |
| LSAT 75th percentile | 156 |
| Undergraduate GPA 25th percentile | 3.16 |
| Undergraduate GPA median | 3.47 |
| Undergraduate GPA 75th percentile | 3.81 |
| Students who submitted LSAT scores | 87 |
| Students who submitted GRE scores | 0 |
University of South Dakota is the only law school in this state, so there is nothing to compare it with.
Tuition, fees and living costs
What the school charges and what it estimates students will spend living.
Source: Standard 509(b)(2)
| Tuition (annual, full-time) | $12,076 |
|---|---|
| Non-resident tuition (annual) | $32,184 |
| Tuition reporting basis | annual |
| Per credit hour | not reported |
| Mandatory fees (full-time) | $5,037 |
| Living on campus | $16,452 |
| Living off campus | $18,034 |
| Tuition guarantee | no |
University of South Dakota is the only law school in this state, so there is nothing to compare it with.
Grants and scholarships awarded
The share of students receiving grant aid, the size of those awards, and how they are distributed across the four funding bands.
Source: Standard 509(b)(2)
| Students receiving grant aid | 55.0% |
|---|---|
| Median grant (per year) | $5,000 |
| 25th percentile grant | $590 |
| 75th percentile grant | $10,000 |
| Half tuition or less | 36.0% |
| Above half, below full | 12.0% |
| Full tuition | 5.0% |
| Above full tuition | 2.0% |
University of South Dakota is the only law school in this state, so there is nothing to compare it with.
Conditional scholarships
Awards that must be re-earned each year. The retention figure is the share that kept the award after review.
Source: Standard 509(b)(3)
| Offers conditional scholarships | yes |
|---|---|
| Entering with a conditional award (2024) | 1 |
| Kept the award after year one | 100.0% |
| Award reduced or eliminated | 0 |
University of South Dakota is the only law school in this state, so there is nothing to compare it with.
Enrollment
How many students the school enrolled, and how that breaks down by degree.
Source: Standard 509(b)(4)
| Total students enrolled | 252 |
|---|---|
| JD students (all years) | 252 |
| First-year JD students | 88 |
| Non-JD students | 0 |
| First-year class size | 88 |
University of South Dakota is the only law school in this state, so there is nothing to compare it with.
Bar passage
First-time passage is the share passing on the first attempt; ultimate passage counts retakes over two years.
Source: Standard 509(b)(8)
| First-time takers | 78 |
|---|---|
| First-time passers | 54 |
| First-time passage rate | 69.2% |
| Ultimate passage rate (2023) | 91.2% |
| Ultimate passage rate (2024) | 91.6% |
University of South Dakota is the only law school in this state, so there is nothing to compare it with.
Entering class composition
Race and gender of the entering class, as reported by the school. Categories follow the school's own reporting.
Source: Standard 509(b)(1)
| Students in the entering class | 88 |
|---|---|
| White | 71 |
| Black | 3 |
| Hispanic | 0 |
| Asian | 1 |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0 |
| Multiracial | 11 |
| Race not reported | 2 |
| Men | 43 |
| Women | 43 |
| Another gender | 0 |
| Gender not reported | 2 |
Where to go next
- Admissions funnel — applications through to enrolment, with yield rates
- Cost of attendance — three-year totals, and what aid changes
- Financial aid breakdown — the four funding bands in detail
- Bar passage — first-time and ultimate rates
- Employment outcomes — where graduates went
- Scholarship calculator — what your own LSAT and GPA would place you in
Common questions
What does the University of South Dakota 509 report show?
University of South Dakota's 2025 Standard 509 disclosure reports that 404 applicants received 253 offers (62.6%), the entering class had a median LSAT of 152, the median grant was $5,000 per year, the first-time bar passage rate was 69.2%.
How many applicants did University of South Dakota receive, and how many were admitted?
University of South Dakota received 404 completed applications and issued 253 offers of admission, an acceptance rate of 62.6%.
What is the tuition and grant aid at University of South Dakota?
For University of South Dakota, in-state tuition is $12,076 per year, off-campus living costs are estimated at $18,034, the median grant is $5,000 per year, 55% of students receive grant aid.
What is the bar passage rate at University of South Dakota?
University of South Dakota had a first-time bar passage rate of 69.2% across 78 takers in the most recent cycle. The two-year ultimate passage rate was 91.6%.