Self-study
University of South Dakota School of Law
University of South Dakota School of Law
Admissions stats
Accepts GRE
Offers part-time
Median GPA
3.47
Median LSAT
152
Acceptance rate
63%
LSAT vs GPA
Last cycle's acceptance stats
Based on 2025 data from ABA
LSAT
149
152
156
GPA
3.16
3.47
3.81
Admissions funnel
Based on 2025 data from ABA
Applications
404
100%
Accepted
253
63%
Matriculated
85
21%
Your chances
At South Dakota, your chances increase by 0.7% if your LSAT score increases by 3 points.
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Trends
South Dakota acceptance rate trend
Based on data from ABA
South Dakota rankings trend
Based on data from US News and World Report
South Dakota LSAT trend
Based on data from ABA
South Dakota GPA trend
Based on data from ABA
Employment
Employment outcomes
Based on 2024 data from ABA
Full-time legal employment
92%
Full-time non-legal
3%
Unemployed
5%
Top employment locations
Based on 2024 data from ABA
South Dakota
46
Iowa
4
Colorado
3
International
0
Jobs by employer type
Based on 2024 data from ABA
Law firms
43%
1-25
35%
26-500
7%
501+
1%
Business & industry
3%
Government
13%
Public interest
7%
Clerkship
25%
Federal
9%
State
16%
Tribal
0%
International
0%
Education
0%
Unemployed
5%
Tuition & costs
Tuition
Annual tuition, 2025-2026
$11,736
Estimated 3 years: $35,208
Cost of living (off-campus)
$18,650
Estimated 3 years
$55,950
Total cost
$33,597
Estimated 3 years
Estimated summing tuition, fees, and living expenses over 3 years.
$100,791
Tuition progression
Scholarships
Median scholarship
$3,425
25th percentile: $582
75th percentile: $10,000
Scholarship amounts
<50%
67%
50-100%
19%
100%
5%
>100%
8%
Demographics
Out of 253 students in 2024, 48% were women, and 18% were racially or ethnically minoritized [?].
By gender
Students
Men
50%
Women
48%
Other
2%
Full-time faculty
Men
50%
Women
50%
Other
0%
Part-time faculty
Men
63%
Women
38%
Other
0%
By race/ethnicity
Students
White
82%
Black
2%
Asian
2%
Hisp
4%
PI
0%
AI
4%
2+
2%
Unk
4%
Int'l
0%
Graduates
White
81%
Black
1%
Asian
0%
Hisp
4%
PI
0%
AI
3%
2+
7%
Unk
4%
Int'l
0%
Full-time faculty
White
90%
PoC
10%
Part-time faculty
White
96%
PoC
4%
South Dakota student and staff demographics
Based on 2024 data from ABA
Men
127
-
10
15
Women
122
-
10
9
Other gender
4
-
0
0
White
208
60
18
23
Asian
5
0
-
-
Hispanic
10
3
-
-
Black
5
1
-
-
Pacific Islander
0
0
-
-
American Indian
9
2
-
-
International
0
0
-
-
2+ races
6
5
-
-
Other
10
3
-
-
People of Color
45
14
2
1
Frequently asked questions
South Dakota is less competitive than most schools. For the 2025 application cycle, the South Dakota acceptance rate was 62.62%.
To be a competitive applicant at South Dakota, you should aim for an LSAT score around the median of 152 and a GPA of 3.47. The middle 50% of accepted students scored between 149 and 156 on the LSAT.
For the 2025 academic year, South Dakota tuition is $11,736 for full-time students. When factoring in the cost of living and additional fees, the total estimated cost of attendance is $33,597 per year.
Whether South Dakota is the right fit depends heavily on your specific career goals and target job market. It is currently ranked as 122 by U.S. News. Prospective students should closely review the school's recent employment outcomes and bar passage rates before applying.
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