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

Southern Illinois University School of Law

Illinois · Public · School ID: southern-illinois-university

Southern Illinois University School of Law is a public law school in Illinois. In the most recent ABA Standard 509 cycle it reported a 59.5% first-time bar passage rate (state average 79.2%). 81.1% of graduates landed full-time, long-term JD-required or JD-advantage jobs, and 2.8% joined large firms of 251+ attorneys. Resident tuition is $15,863 per year; a median grant of $9,500 brings median net tuition to about $6,363. The median LSAT is 149 with a 56.2% acceptance rate.

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Admissions

LSAT (25 / 50 / 75)146 / 149 / 155
uGPA (25 / 50 / 75)2.93 / 3.38 / 3.78
Acceptance rate56.2%
Applications received724
Offers extended407
1L enrollment133
Total JD enrollment313
GRE-only takers2
Transfers in / out0 / 2

Cost & scholarships

Resident tuition$15,863
Non-resident tuition$15,863
Mandatory fees
Living-expense estimate$18,608
Median grant$9,500
Grant 25 / 75 percentile$6,000 / $16,540
No-grant share36.1%
< half-tuition grants32.3%
Half-to-full grants29.0%
Full-tuition grants0.4%
Above-full grants (stipend)2.2%
Conditional-scholarship loss rate

Bar passage

First-Time Bar (2024 cohort)59.5%
Two-Year Ultimate Bar85.1%
State average (same exam)79.2%
Difference vs. state-19.7 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 graduates74
FTLT (full-time, long-term, JD-required/advantage)81.1%
Bar-required jobs73.0%
MegaLaw 500+1.4%
BigLaw 251–5001.4%
Mid 101–2504.1%
Small 2–10052.7%
Solo0.0%
Clerkships2.7%
Government10.8%
Public interest9.5%
Business / industry0.0%
Academia1.4%
Seeking employment5.4%

Top destination states (2024)

Demographics (current JD enrollment)

Male enrollment144 (46.0%)
Female enrollment169 (54.0%)
White220
Black42
Hispanic24
Asian8
Two or more races17
Other / unreported2

Faculty

Total faculty33
Full-time21
Faculty of color3

State market context

Mean attorney salary in state$175,180

Frequently asked questions

What is the first-time bar passage rate at Southern Illinois University School of Law?

Southern Illinois University School of Law reported a 59.5% first-time bar passage rate in the most recent ABA Standard 509 disclosure, versus a 79.2% state average.

How much does Southern Illinois University School of Law cost?

Resident tuition at Southern Illinois University School of Law is $15,863 per year (about $47,589 over three years). The median grant is $9,500, bringing median net tuition to roughly $6,363 per year.

What LSAT and GPA do you need for Southern Illinois University School of Law?

The median (50th-percentile) LSAT at Southern Illinois University School of Law is 149 and the median GPA is 3.38; the acceptance rate is 56.2%.

What are the job outcomes at Southern Illinois University School of Law?

81.1% of Southern Illinois University School of Law graduates held full-time, long-term JD-required or JD-advantage jobs about ten months after graduation. 2.8% joined large firms of 251+ attorneys. 5.4% were still seeking employment.

Other law schools in Illinois

Source: ABA Standard 509 Required Disclosure for Southern Illinois University, 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.