86 Law Schools are Public, of the 198 ABA-accredited Law Schools

There are 86 public law schools accredited by ABA (American Bar Association). The tuition & fees at public law schools is relatively affordable compared to private law schools.
For the academic year 2024-2025, the average tuition & fees at public law schools is $32,329 for state residents and $45,874 for out-of-state students. (The average tuition at private law schools is $58,690.)
University of Virginia School of Law ranked first among public law schools. Its LSAT score is 172 and the acceptance rate is 13.92%. University of Michigan Law School and Berkeley School of Law follow it in public law school rankings.

Top 25 Top Public Law Schools

The following table compares the top 25 Public Law Schools with important academic indicators.
The average acceptance rate of the schools is 25.81% and the yield is 31.32%. The acceptance rate of Top Public Law Schools is low, compared to average rate of all law schools, 41.58%.
The average LSAT score submitted by enrolled students is 166 and the average GPA is 3.86 at Top Public Law Schools. Their LSAT scores are high, compared to average LSAT score of all law schools, 159.
For the Top Public Law Schools, the average 2024 tuition & fees is $41,696 state residents and $55,781 for out-of-state students in public law schools. The average financial aid amount of them is $25,509 which is 45.73% of tuition & fees.
Comparison between Top Public Law Schools
RankSchoolAcceptance RateYieldApplication FeeTuition & FeesLSAT ScoreGPAEnrollment
1 University of Virginia School of LawPublicCharlottesville, VA13.92%39.64%$85$77,7001723.96957
2 University of Michigan Law SchoolPublicAnn Arbor, MI11.85%38.28%$75$72,5841713.861,036
3 Berkeley School of LawPublicBerkeley, CA17.30%30.23%$75$78,8811703.871,306
4 Los Angeles School of LawPublicLos Angeles, CA16.10%27.51%$75$71,3771703.951,335
5 University of Texas School of LawPublicAustin, TX15.60%31.50%$70$56,8221713.89893
6 University of North Carolina School of LawPublicChapel Hill, NC15.18%44.58%$75$51,4861673.85544
7 University of Georgia School of LawPublicAthens, GA14.48%32.26%$50$39,5961693.91776
8 University of Minnesota Law SchoolPublicMinneapolis, MN34.93%22.16%$60$60,8781693.88681
9 George Mason University School of LawPublicArlington, VA14.64%33.33%$70$42,7981683.92635
10 University of Wisconsin Law SchoolPublicMadison, MI28.93%43.16%$60$53,9291653.81705
11 Levin College of LawPublicGainesville, FL17.44%32.44%$30$38,0391693.90705
12 The University of Alabama School of LawPublicTuscaloosa, AL26.58%30.69%$40$47,5371653.95427
13 S.J. Quinney College of LawPublicSalt Lake City, UT24.76%37.28%$60$45,1021653.86347
14 Irvine School of LawPublicIrvine, CA17.38%32.16%No Fee$70,8231673.81508
15 Texas A&M University School of LawPublicFort Worth, TX13.48%19.54%$65$48,6821683.972,043
16 Marshall-Wythe School of LawPublicWilliamsburg, VA32.23%31.35%$85$68,5761643.75534
17 Michael E. Moritz College of LawPublicColumbus, OH29.40%24.03%$60$50,5311663.89579
18 University of Illinois College of LawPublicChampaign, IL46.79%22.66%No Fee$49,8771653.77605
19 Maurer School of LawPublicBloomington, IN39.45%23.26%$50$59,5221643.91533
20 Davis School of Law PublicDavis, CA33.16%20.10%No Fee$69,6541633.68673
21 Florida International University College of LawPublicMiami, FL21.03%31.73%$20-1603.73634
22 Florida State University College of LawPublicTallahassee, FL19.61%29.48%$30-1653.911,291
23 University of Iowa College of LawPublicIowa City, IA59.76%29.89%No Fee$53,7591623.76590
24 University of Missouri School of LawPublicColumbia, MO52.01%39.26%$60$31,3391603.76410
25 Wayne State University Law SchoolPublicDetroit, MI29.33%36.50%No Fee$43,4601623.84465