ABA Standard 509 · 2025 cycle · Last synced May 31, 2026

University of South Dakota School of Law

South Dakota · Public · School ID: south-dakota-university-of

University of South Dakota School of Law is a public law school in South Dakota. In the most recent ABA Standard 509 cycle it reported a 72.6% first-time bar passage rate (state average 78.6%). 86.6% of graduates landed full-time, long-term JD-required or JD-advantage jobs. Resident tuition is $12,076 per year; a median grant of $5,000 brings median net tuition to about $7,076. The median LSAT is 152 with a 62.5% acceptance rate.

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Admissions

LSAT (25 / 50 / 75)149 / 152 / 156
uGPA (25 / 50 / 75)3.16 / 3.47 / 3.81
Acceptance rate62.5%
Applications received405
Offers extended253
1L enrollment88
Total JD enrollment252
GRE-only takers0
Transfers in / out1 / 1

Cost & scholarships

Resident tuition$12,076
Non-resident tuition$32,184
Mandatory fees$5,037
Living-expense estimate$18,034
Median grant$5,000
Grant 25 / 75 percentile$590 / $10,000
No-grant share45.1%
< half-tuition grants35.6%
Half-to-full grants12.3%
Full-tuition grants5.1%
Above-full grants (stipend)2.0%
Conditional-scholarship loss rate

Bar passage

First-Time Bar (2024 cohort)72.6%
Two-Year Ultimate Bar91.2%
State average (same exam)78.6%
Difference vs. state-6.0 pts

Different cohorts: first-time bar passage reflects graduates who entered law school about three years before the current admissions class shown above. Read the two as separate snapshots, not a single pipeline.

Job outcomes (10 months after graduation)

Total graduates82
FTLT (full-time, long-term, JD-required/advantage)86.6%
Bar-required jobs78.0%
MegaLaw 500+0.0%
BigLaw 251–5000.0%
Mid 101–2500.0%
Small 2–10036.6%
Solo0.0%
Clerkships18.3%
Government14.6%
Public interest9.8%
Business / industry8.5%
Academia0.0%
Seeking employment7.3%

Top destination states (2024)

Demographics (current JD enrollment)

Male enrollment120 (48.8%)
Female enrollment126 (51.2%)
White209
Black7
Hispanic13
Asian6
Two or more races4
Other / unreported13

Faculty

Total faculty55
Full-time19
Faculty of color2

State market context

Mean attorney salary in state$93,270

Frequently asked questions

What is the first-time bar passage rate at University of South Dakota School of Law?

University of South Dakota School of Law reported a 72.6% first-time bar passage rate in the most recent ABA Standard 509 disclosure, versus a 78.6% state average.

How much does University of South Dakota School of Law cost?

Resident tuition at University of South Dakota School of Law is $12,076 per year (about $36,228 over three years). The median grant is $5,000, bringing median net tuition to roughly $7,076 per year.

What LSAT and GPA do you need for University of South Dakota School of Law?

The median (50th-percentile) LSAT at University of South Dakota School of Law is 152 and the median GPA is 3.47; the acceptance rate is 62.5%.

What are the job outcomes at University of South Dakota School of Law?

86.6% of University of South Dakota School of Law graduates held full-time, long-term JD-required or JD-advantage jobs about ten months after graduation. 7.3% were still seeking employment.

Source: ABA Standard 509 Required Disclosure for South Dakota, University of, published by the American Bar Association at abarequireddisclosures.org. State attorney salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2024 (occupation code 23-1011). Cost-of-living from U.S. BEA Regional Price Parities. Methodology: /methodology.html.