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Success in law school is 10% intelligence and 90% persistence.
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SMU Dedman School of Law
Dallas, Texas
Rank #52 (USNWR 2021)
163
LSAT
3.76
GPA
41.0%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles
JD Admissions & Requirements
Data from 2021 admissions cycle
163
LSAT
3.76
GPA
41.0%
Admit Rate
SMU Dedman School of Law is a prestigious JD program located in Dallas, Texas. In the competitive 2021 law school rankings, SMU Dedman School of Law was ranked 52 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2021 admissions cycle, SMU Dedman School of Law has an entering 1L class size of approximately 226 with an acceptance rate of 41.0%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
Also known as
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
SMU
Law School Applications
2334
JD application volume in 2021 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
41.0%
JD Program Size
226
JD Tuition Cost
$105k
Success in law school is 10% intelligence and 90% persistence.
✨ Enjoy an ad-free experience with LSD+
Wisdom from SMU Dedman School of Law Admits
3.98 / 167 • University of Notre Dame • 5 months ago
I would have gotten in every where if I had done the optional essays and apply earlier. That’s...
Read more
3.7 / 167 • University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign • 5 months ago
LSAT: took multiple times, 167 highest. GPA: 3.7ish in a STEM field, then flunked out of...
Read more
3.63 / 168 • Texas A&M University • 5 months ago
165 -> 163 -> 168 -> 166 (lol). Previous career in healthcare/med school. Goals are Dallas big...
Read more
SMU Dedman School of Law Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2021-2022 Cycle Overview
327 applicants
Accepted
19
/
99
Waitlisted
47
Rejected
32
-
Withdrawn
85
-
Admissions Graphs
Drag the handle in the bottom right of the chart to resize
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles
Filters
LSAT Score: Law School Admission Test score (120-180 scale)
GPA: Undergraduate Grade Point Average (0.0-4.3+ scale)
Drag the handle in the bottom right of the chart to resize
This chart shows when decisions were made throughout the application cycle. Use the filters above to refine the data.
How to Use These Graphs
Graph Navigation:
- Zoom: Click and drag to zoom into a specific area
- Reset zoom: Double-click anywhere on the graph
- View details: Hover over any point to see detailed information
- Visit profile: Click on any point to open that user's profile page
- Toggle series: Click on any legend item to show/hide that category (accepted, waitlisted, rejected, unknown)
Advanced Features:
- Colorblind mode: Toggle on in the controls above for an alternative color palette
- Export/Print: Click the menu in the top-right corner of any graph to download or print
- Cycle selection: Use the dropdown in the controls above to view data from different application cycles
- Demographic filters: Filter by International, URM, Military, or Early Decision status to compare specific groups
- Custom axes: On the LSAT vs. GPA graph, select different metrics to compare (dates, scholarships, etc.)
- Compare your stats: Your own stats will appear as a blue diamond when viewing these graphs
Selectivity & Competitiveness Trends
How to interpret this chart:
- LSAT (blue): Shows the 25th/50th/75th percentiles as a shaded band with median line. Hover to see exact values in format: 165/170/175
- GPA (green): Shows the 25th/50th/75th percentiles as a shaded band with median line. Hover to see exact values in format: 3.45/3.65/3.85
- Acceptance Rate (orange): Percentage of applicants who received offers (lower = more selective)
- Applications (purple dashed): Total number of applications received each year
Rising LSAT/GPA medians, narrowing bands, or falling acceptance rates indicate increasing competitiveness. Click legend items to show/hide metrics.
For law school applicants interested in the 2021 admissions cycle at SMU Dedman School of Law, 2334 candidates submitted JD applications and 780 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is moderately selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 41.0%.
The JD program at SMU Dedman School of Law enrolls a first-year class of 226 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 28.72%. This means that of the 780 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 224 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.
JD Admission Requirements & Application Statistics
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
2334
|
| Admission Offers | 780 |
| Class Size |
226
|
| Acceptance Rate |
41.0%
|
| Yield Rate |
28.72%
|
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 157.27 | 162.28 | 165.36 |
| GPA | 3.35 | 3.56 | 3.63 |
| Softs | T3.42 | T3.35 | T3.32 |
| Avg Scholarship | - | - | $79,678 |
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
| LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
|
158 | 163 | 164 |
|
GPA
|
3.43 | 3.76 | 3.89 |
| LSD User Stats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | 25th | 50th | 75th |
| LSAT | 159.0 (+1.0) | 162.0 (-1.0) | 166.0 (+2.0) |
| GPA | 3.35 (-0.08) | 3.64 (-0.12) | 3.85 (-0.04) |
* Based on 327 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 63 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 46 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 4.0% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 38.5% |
The above statistics show that SMU Dedman School of Law typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 158 (25th percentile) to 164 (75th percentile), with a median of 163.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.43 to 3.89, with a median of 3.76.
With an acceptance rate of 41.0%, 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).
Application Status Data
SMU Dedman School of Law Application Status Data
Application statuses submitted by LSData users
Showing 327 apps
SMU Dedman School of Law Law School Employment Outcomes
Overview
JD Employment Rate
93.6%
First-Time Bar Pass
85.18%
Median Starting Salary
$100,000
Private Sector
Employment Quality
JD Required
87.3%
BigLaw Placement
22.3%
Federal Clerkships
5.0%
Employment Quality Distribution
Law Firm Employment by Size
Employment Quality Matrix
| Employment Type | Full-Time Long-Term |
Full-Time Short-Term |
Part-Time Long-Term |
Part-Time Short-Term |
Total | % of Grads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar Required ★ | 192 | 0 | — | — | 192 | 87.3% |
| JD Advantage | 12 | 2 | — | — | 14 | 6.4% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0.5% |
| School-Funded | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| Total Employed | 204 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 207 | 94.1% |
School-Funded: May inflate stats
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
Distribution
Sector Details
| Employment Sector | % of Graduates | National Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Law Firms | 66.4% |
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 7.3% |
|
| Government | 6.4% |
|
| Public Interest | 2.7% |
|
| Business | 11.4% |
|
| Academia | 0.0% |
|
Judicial Clerkships
Clerkships by Type
| Clerkship Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 11 | 5.0% |
|
| State/Local | 5 | 2.3% | — |
Federal clerkships are highly prestigious positions that significantly enhance career prospects in litigation and academia.
Bar Examination Performance
First-Time Pass Rate
85.18%
Takers:
189
Passed:
161
vs State Avg
+8.8%
Ultimate Pass Rate
95.73%
Takers:
234
Passed:
224
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
76.36%
State average for jurisdictions where graduates took the bar
Understanding bar passage metrics
• First-time: Immediate readiness indicator
• Ultimate: Long-term success within 2 years
• vs State: Performance relative to state average
Bar Passage Rates Comparison
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Median Salary
$100,000
25th Percentile
$80,000
Public Sector
Median Salary
$64,246
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at SMU Dedman School of Law is $105k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $58k 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 $100,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $64,246. 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 66.4% of SMU Dedman School of Law JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 7.3% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 2.7% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 93.6% 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 85.18%. Within two years, 95.73% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +8.8% 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.