Few kinds of schools are as transparent as law schools. Under ABA Standard 509, every ABA-approved law school must publish a standardized disclosure each year, so you can compare schools on the same terms. You’ll find it on each school’s website, usually under “ABA Required Disclosures,” and in the ABA’s own database.
Here’s how to read it, section by section, and how to use it when the offers arrive.
1. Admissions: where do you fit?
The admissions section shows applications, offers and enrolled students, along with the LSAT and undergraduate GPA of the entering class at the 25th, 50th (median) and 75th percentiles. Full-time and part-time programs are reported separately, so compare yourself with the right one.
| Where your numbers fall | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Above both 75th percentiles | A likely admit, and often a strong candidate for significant merit aid |
| Above both medians | A competitive candidate for admission and scholarships |
| Between the 25th and the median | Possible, with the rest of your application carrying more weight |
| Below both 25th percentiles | A reach. Admission is possible but uncommon |
Applicants with an LSAT above a school’s median but a GPA below it (often called “splitters”), or the reverse, are harder to place. Schools differ in which number they emphasize, which is one reason evidence from real admitted profiles is so useful.
2. Cost
The report lists tuition and fees for full-time and part-time students, resident and nonresident, plus estimated living expenses. Living costs are estimates, and they vary dramatically by city. Remember that tuition usually rises each year, so multiply carefully across three years.
3. Grants and scholarships
This section shows how many students received grants, how many received less than half tuition, half to full tuition, full tuition or more, and the award amounts at the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles. It tells you how generous a school is overall and what a typical award looks like.
4. Conditional scholarships
Some scholarships can be reduced or eliminated after the first year if you don’t keep a certain GPA or class rank. The 509 report shows how many students entered with conditional scholarships and how many had them reduced or eliminated. Because first-year grades are curved, not everyone can stay above a cutoff. If a school awards many conditional scholarships and a high share are lost, factor that risk into your comparison.
5. Attrition and transfers
Academic attrition shows students who left because of poor academic performance. Transfers show students who moved in or out after the first year. High attrition can be a warning sign. A school that loses many of its top students to transfer may also be worth asking about.
6. Bar passage
A separate ABA report shows first-time bar passage by jurisdiction, compared with the overall pass rate in that state, plus ultimate bar passage within two years. ABA Standard 316 requires that at least 75% of a school’s graduates who take a bar exam pass within two years. A first-time pass rate well below the state average deserves a closer look.
7. Employment
The ABA’s employment summary report shows what graduates were doing about 10 months after graduation. Focus on:
- Full-time, long-term, bar-passage-required jobs: the clearest measure of legal employment.
- JD-advantage jobs: roles where a JD helps but isn’t required.
- School-funded positions: jobs paid for by the school, reported separately.
- Employer types: law firms by size, government, public interest, judicial clerkships and business.
- Unemployed and seeking: the share still looking for work.
Nationally, 87.7% of the class of 2025 was employed in full-time, long-term bar-admission-required or JD-advantage jobs about 10 months after graduation. Use that as context, then look at the categories that match your goals.
Red flags
- Academic attrition well above a few percent
- A large share of conditional scholarships reduced or eliminated
- First-time bar passage well below the state average
- A low share of full-time, long-term, bar-passage-required jobs, or a high share unemployed and seeking
Comparing scholarship offers
When offers arrive, compare them on what you’ll actually pay, not the size of the award.
- Calculate three-year net cost: tuition and fees minus scholarships, plus realistic living costs, for all three years.
- Check the conditions: is the award guaranteed, or tied to a GPA or class rank?
- Weigh outcomes: a cheaper school with weaker outcomes for your goals may not be the better deal.
- Factor in borrowing: with new federal loan limits of $50,000 a year for law students, any remaining gap must come from savings or private loans. See our funding guide.
Asking for reconsideration
Many law schools will reconsider a scholarship, particularly when you have a better offer from a comparable school. If you ask:
- Be polite and specific. Explain that the school is a top choice and share the competing offer.
- Compare like with like. Offers from schools with similar or stronger outcomes carry the most weight.
- Keep it brief. A short, professional email works better than an ultimatum.
- Know the policy. Some schools publish whether and how they reconsider awards. Others don’t negotiate at all.
The best law school for you is the one that leads to the career you want at a cost that keeps your choices open.
Our law school page covers the whole cycle, and Admit Preparation positions you school by school with published ranges and real admitted profiles.