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SMU Dedman School of Law (SMU)
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2020-2021 cycle — 300 applicants reporting.
20-21 · selected
19-20 · previous
ABA 509 (2020): 1,847 apps · 753 offers · 207 enrolled · 40.77% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 140 total (incl. 1 from waitlist) · 5.7% yield
Waitlist · 67 total · 1.5% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2020)
79th percentile
|
156 | 162 | 164 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 159 | 162 | 166 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2020)
80th percentile
|
3.44 | 3.73 | 3.84 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.27 | 3.55 | 3.8 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 157.5 | 162.05 | 164.86 |
| GPA | 3.3 | 3.49 | 3.57 |
| Softs | T3.38 | T3.39 | T3.4 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $78,570 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
1847
66th percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 753 |
| Class Size |
207
66th percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
40.77%
61st percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
26.96%
34th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 64 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 45 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 0.3% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 100.0% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2020-2021) decisions (solid) vs. 100 decisions from Previous Cycle (2019-2020) (faded). Click the previous cycle in the legend to toggle.
Where Is SMU Dedman School of Law Trending?
Historical LSAT, GPA, and acceptance rate data from ABA 509 reports. Rising medians or falling acceptance rates indicate increasing competitiveness.
LSAT and GPA bands show 25th/50th/75th percentiles; acceptance rate is lower = more selective. Click legend items to show/hide metrics.
Overview
88.5% of SMU Dedman School of Law graduates secured JD-required employment, with a median private sector salary of $105,000 and a 86.51% first-time bar passage rate (2020 ABA 509 data).
JD Employment Rate
First-Time Bar Pass
Median Starting Salary
Employment Quality
JD Required
BigLaw Placement
Federal Clerkships
School-Funded Positions
Employment Quality Distribution
Law Firm Employment by Size
Employment Quality Matrix
Bar Required ★ 167 (79.9% of class)
JD Advantage 18 (8.6% of class)
Professional 2 (1.0% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 1 (0.5% of class)
| Employment Type | Full-Time Long-Term |
Full-Time Short-Term |
Part-Time Long-Term |
Part-Time Short-Term |
Total | % of Grads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar Required ★ | 160 | 7 | — | — | 167 | 79.9% |
| JD Advantage | 12 | 6 | — | — | 18 | 8.6% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1.0% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0.5% |
| Total Employed | 173 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 188 | 90.0% |
Generally, if you attend law school, you want to secure a bar-required position. However, at prestigious institutions, students may target specific JD advantage positions such as private equity or elite consulting roles.
Employment by Sector
Sector Details
| Sector | % of Graduates | National Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Law Firms | 67.5% |
95th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 2.9% |
22nd percentile
|
| Government | 4.3% |
7th percentile
|
| Public Interest | 3.3% |
15th percentile
|
| Business | 12.0% |
72nd percentile
|
| Academia | 0.0% |
0th percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 5 | 2.4% |
59th percentile
|
| State/Local | 1 | 0.5% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 86.51% |
71st percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 94.61% |
74th percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 77.28% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at SMU Dedman School of Law is $101k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $52k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
After completing their JD program at SMU Dedman School of Law, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $105,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $62,218. These post-law school employment outcomes are important factors for evaluating the return on investment for your legal education.
For law school applicants interested in specific legal career paths, it's worth noting that 67.5% of SMU Dedman School of Law JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 2.9% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 3.3% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 88.5% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.
For JD graduates from SMU Dedman School of Law, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 86.51%. Within two years, 94.61% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +9.2% compared to the weighted state average. These bar passage metrics are important indicators of how well the law school prepares its students for this crucial professional licensing examination.
Cost of Attendance
Annual Tuition
Annual Fees
Cost of Living
Scholarship & Grant Aid
Students Receiving Grants
Median Grant
Grant Range (25th–75th)
Grant Distribution
Debt & ROI
Avg Debt at Graduation
Graduates Who Borrowed
Debt-to-Salary Ratio
Conditional Scholarships
Admissions Contact
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Read moreAbout SMU Dedman School of Law admissions
SMU Dedman School of Law , commonly known as SMU, is a prestigious JD program located in Dallas, Texas. In the competitive 2020 law school rankings, SMU Dedman School of Law was ranked 56 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. According to the 2020 ABA 509 Report, SMU Dedman School of Law has an entering 1L class size of approximately 207 with an acceptance rate of 40.77%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
About SMU Dedman School of Law Admissions
Based on the 2020 ABA 509 Report, 1847 candidates submitted JD applications to SMU Dedman School of Law and 753 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is moderately selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 40.77%.
The JD program at SMU Dedman School of Law enrolls a first-year class of 207 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 26.96%. This means that of the 753 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 203 chose to enroll. Understanding these law school admission statistics can help prospective JD applicants evaluate their chances and plan their application strategy.
For a competitive law school application to SMU Dedman School of Law, students should aim to meet or exceed the median statistics shown below. Meeting these GPA and LSAT targets significantly improves your chances of admission.
What LSAT score do I need for SMU Dedman School of Law?
The above statistics show that SMU Dedman School of Law typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 156 (25th percentile) to 164 (75th percentile), with a median of 162.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.44 to 3.84, with a median of 3.73.
With an acceptance rate of 40.77%, SMU Dedman School of Law is considered a moderately selective law school in terms of admissions.
What these numbers mean
- Percentiles: The 25th/50th/75th percentiles show the distribution of scores among admitted students.
- Applications: Total number of people who applied to this law school.
- Acceptance Rate: Percentage of applicants who received offers (lower = more selective).
- Yield Rate: Percentage of admitted students who enrolled (higher = more desirable).