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Southern Methodist University Law School Tuition & Cost of Attendance
Dallas, TX · 2025-26 academic year, in-state basis · ABA 509 disclosure
Where the money goes each year
| Annual tuition (in-state) | $60,844 |
|---|---|
| Mandatory fees (full-time) | $7,842 |
| Living costs | $23,368off-campus is $17,834 per year |
| Per academic year | $92,054 |
| 3-year total | $276,162 |
The reported tuition and mandatory fees are the same for in-state and non-resident students.
After grants: what the sticker price does not show
The figures below are this school's reported averages across all students. What you would actually pay depends on where your scores land against its admitted class — the Southern Methodist University Law School scholarship calculator shows your position and the grant range that applies to it.
| 3-year sticker total | $276,162 |
|---|---|
| Median grant for full-time students | $26,000 per year |
| Same median applied for 3 years | $198,162 |
| Students receiving grant aid | 94.0% |
| Grant range (25th–75th percentile) | $22,000 – $33,333 |
The median is not an offer. Aid depends on your circumstances, whether the school is need-aware or merit-aware, and its aid budget in the year you attend. It is also reported for a single cohort, so it is not a guarantee across three years. This school does award condition-based scholarships — the retention rate matters more than the headline figure.
Cost against bar passage
Southern Methodist University reports a first-time bar passage rate of 97.75% across 222 takers in the most recent cohort and an ultimate passage rate of 96.71% for the class of 2024. Dividing the 3-year total by the first-time rate gives $2,825 per passage point.
This ratio compares price and outcome positioning only. Bar passage is measured across all takers at the school, is shaped substantially by how selective the school is, and predicts nothing about any individual student. See the full cost-versus-passage ranking for what this number does and does not mean.
What else this school publishes
| Acceptance rate | 24.59% |
|---|---|
| Median LSAT / GPA (enrolled) | 167 / 3.81 |
| First-year class size | 254 |
| Conditional scholarship retention | 83.3% — 6 entered with one, 1 had it reduced or eliminated |
Cost comparison within Texas
| School | 3-year total | Per year | Bar pass | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Methodist University | $276,162 | $92,054 | 97.75% | — |
| South Texas College of Law Houston | $305,754 | $101,918 | 85.56% | $29,592 |
| St. Mary's University | $210,564 | $70,188 | 84.62% | $65,598 |
| Houston | $195,924 | $65,308 | 84.45% | $80,238 |
Related pages
- The Southern Methodist University Law School ABA 509 report — every figure from the disclosure, section by section
- Southern Methodist University — full admissions data
- All law schools ranked by 3-year total cost
- Complete cost-of-attendance ranking
- Cost per bar passage point
- Grant aid and conditional scholarships
- Law schools in Texas
Source: Southern Methodist University Law School ABA Standard 509 Required Disclosure, 2025 reporting cycle. Tuition, fee and living figures are for the 2025-26 academic year on an in-state basis. The 3-year total multiplies one year of disclosed costs by 3; the 509 does not disclose program length, so extended or joint programs are not distinguished. Costs rise annually. Not financial advice.