University of Washington School of Law
early decision Sep 15, 2026 · early decision Dec 1, 2026 · regular Mar 1, 2027 · final Jul 15, 2027
0 of 7 required items complete· next deadline in 45 days
Your numbers against the class of 2025
This is a comparison against published numbers, not a prediction. Admissions committees weigh essays, letters, and experience that no percentile captures.
3,412 applications, 669 offers, 207 enrolled · Verified 2026-08-17 · view source
What it costs, how graduates fare
- Tuition2025-26
$45,927–$57,810 full-time · resident to non-resident · plus $1,146 annual fees
Living expenses $29,082 on campus
Tuition and the fees the school certifies alongside it — not a full cost of attendance.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA Standard 509 report
- Bar passageclass of 2025
92.6%first-time+9.7
82.9% is the average for all ABA-accredited schools’ graduates in the same jurisdictions this school’s graduates sat in · 163 of 176 first-time takers passed
96.4% of the class of 2023 were admitted within two years of graduating
A pass rate on its own says as much about which states a school feeds as about the school, so the ABA’s own like-for-like average is shown with it.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA bar passage report
- Employmentclass of 2025
147 of 177 (83.1%) in full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar admission
Ten months after graduation · 8 more in JD-advantage jobs · 8 still seeking
The ABA collects employment status and job type only. It collects no salary, so no salary figure comes from this filing.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA employment summary
- First-year attrition2024-25
1.0% of the first-year class · 1 student
No law school publishes a graduation rate, so this is not one. It is the students who left in their first year, academic and other, as filed. Transfers out are reported separately and are not counted here.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA Standard 509 report
- EarningsCollege Scorecard
Not a starting salary.
$81,079 median one year after finishing · $120,015 after four
$107,773 is the national median at four years for the same credential
A College Scorecard median for 2017-18 and 2018-19 completers who received federal aid, measured a fixed number of years after they finished — not what this year’s graduates are being paid, and not a figure the school or the ABA publishes. The ABA collects no salary data at all.
Verified 2026-08-27 · College Scorecard
Essays
- Personal statementRequired · 750 wstart by Nov 10, 2026
The University of Washington School of Law aspires to be the best public law school in the nation and one of the world's most respected centers for interdisciplinary legal studies. We strive to be leaders by shaping and defending just and sustainable laws and policies through our scholarly discovery, ethical advocacy, inspired teaching, and generous public service. The primary goal of the admissions process is to enroll students who strive to be leaders; demonstrate outstanding academic, professional and leadership promise; are committed to generous public service and ethical advocacy; and who have background and experiences that will enhance the diversity of the student body, thereby enriching the law school educational environment. As such, applicants are invited to write a personal statement that describes their potential contributions to our vibrant community. Many applicants use the Personal Statement to provide a fuller picture of their academic, professional, or personal journey. This can include, but is not limited to: meaningful leadership experiences or potential; involvement in advocacy, public service, or community-based work; a personal or family history of educational or socioeconomic disadvantage; unusual or challenging circumstances that may have impacted your academic path; experiences that reflect resilience, perseverance, or growth; disability; prejudice or discrimination; studying or living abroad; foreign language skills; special talents; unique life experiences; or geographic diversity. This is not an exhaustive list. Please feel free to share anything you believe is important to your story or may help the Admissions Committee reach a thoughtful and informed decision. We value your voice and welcome the opportunity to learn more about you.
Notes & source
750-word limit. The page publishes no page-count or formatting rules for the statement, only the word limit.
Verified 2026-09-10 · source page
- Optional essayOptional · 500 wschool-specificstart by Nov 24, 2026
Applicants may supplement their personal statement by including a response to one (1) of the following optional questions: What life events or experiences have had the greatest influence in shaping your character and why? Describe a time when you demonstrated leadership, whether in a classroom, workplace, organization, or personal context. What did you learn from that experience, and how will your leadership skills contribute to our law school community and the legal profession? What is a strength, trait, or experience you possess that might not be immediately visible in your application but is essential to understanding who you are?
Notes & source
Called the '(Optional) Supplemental Statement,' 500-word limit; respond to one of the three questions. The page cautions: 'The option to write a "Why UW" statement has been moved to the actual application and should not be submitted as a supplemental statement.' JurisPath applicants must submit a Supplemental Statement (it is not optional on that pathway) and may additionally upload a 250-word-or-less optional statement, as an addendum, explaining why they chose to apply through JurisPath.
Verified 2026-09-10 · source page
- Why this schoolOptionalschool-specificstart by Nov 21, 2026
Notes & source
A 'Why UW' statement exists as an option inside the LSAC application itself: 'The option to write a "Why UW" statement has been moved to the actual application and should not be submitted as a supplemental statement.' The public site does not publish the question's text or a length limit, so no prompt is recorded. Per the JurisPath page, JurisPath applicants 'must also answer the Why UW question embedded in the application' — required on that pathway, optional otherwise.
Verified 2026-09-10 · source page
Letters & documents
- Letter of recommendation (1 of 2)Requiredstart by Nov 3, 2026
Notes & source
Two letters required, up to three accepted, submitted through LSAC's Letter of Recommendation Service only (not by email or postal mail). Once two are received the application is considered complete and sent to review unless the applicant asks that it be held for the third. Applicants who have not yet earned a bachelor's degree are encouraged to include at least one letter from a faculty member or other individual qualified to evaluate their academic abilities; applicants long out of school may substitute professional and/or character references. The CAS report requires at least two letters before LSAC will send it. Per the JurisPath page (law.uw.edu/admissions/jd-admissions/first-year/additional-admissions-program): 'Three Letters of Recommendation are required to apply through JurisPath.'
Verified 2026-09-10 · source page
- Letter of recommendation (2 of 2)Requiredstart by Nov 3, 2026
Notes & source
Two letters required, up to three accepted, submitted through LSAC's Letter of Recommendation Service only (not by email or postal mail). Once two are received the application is considered complete and sent to review unless the applicant asks that it be held for the third. Applicants who have not yet earned a bachelor's degree are encouraged to include at least one letter from a faculty member or other individual qualified to evaluate their academic abilities; applicants long out of school may substitute professional and/or character references. The CAS report requires at least two letters before LSAC will send it. Per the JurisPath page (law.uw.edu/admissions/jd-admissions/first-year/additional-admissions-program): 'Three Letters of Recommendation are required to apply through JurisPath.'
Verified 2026-09-10 · source page
- RésuméRequired · 3 pgstart by Nov 24, 2026
Notes & source
'Your résumé may not exceed three (3) typewritten pages.' Should detail significant vocational, non-vocational, extracurricular or community activities, volunteer work, honors, awards, service in the Armed Forces, job descriptions and major areas of responsibility with dates of employment (mm/yyyy) and hours per week, publications, and any foreign language proficiencies including level of ability in speaking, comprehension, reading and writing.
Verified 2026-09-10 · source page
- Transcripts via LSAC CASRequiredstart by Nov 10, 2026
Notes & source
Applicants must register with LSAC and the Credential Assembly Service. The CAS report includes transcripts from each institution of higher education attended, LSAT score(s), the LSAT Writing Sample, and at least two letters of recommendation; LSAC will not send the report until the CAS file is complete, and it is the applicant's responsibility to confirm completeness. A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. or Canadian university, or the foreign equivalent deemed comparable to a four-year baccalaureate, must be earned prior to registering for the first academic quarter at UW Law. Paper applications are not accepted.
Verified 2026-09-10 · source page
- LSAT or GRERequiredstart by Oct 2, 2026
Notes & source
LSAT required for Regular and Early Decision; the June LSAT is the final exam accepted for Autumn 2026 admission, and the LSAT Writing Sample is part of the required CAS report. The first-year page does not mention the GRE as an accepted test — recorded as the page's silence, not an explicit rejection. The exception is JurisPath, a binding no-test-required application under a variance to ABA Standard 503: JurisPath applicants need no LSAT score, an existing score is not factored into review, and other standardized test scores (e.g., GRE, ACT, SAT) may be submitted only as addenda to demonstrate academic ability. The ABA caps such enrollment at 25% of the previous year's entering class; UW's 2025 Standard 509 report shows 18 of 207 fall-2025 enrollees admitted via non-LSAT (GRE or JD Next) categories, matching the 18 JurisPath admits the school reports for 2025.
Verified 2026-09-10 · source page
Administrative
- Application feeRequiredat submission
Notes & source
$60, collected through LSAC (the amount also appears in the school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 report). Waived — with documentation, by emailing lawadm@uw.edu with LSAC account number and reason — for LSAC fee waiver recipients (fee should automatically show $0 at LSAC checkout), current or former Teach for America, Peace Corps, or AmeriCorps members, U.S. military servicemembers and veterans, and attendees of UW Law or third-party recruiting events (tours and weekly Admissions Q&A sessions do not count); some candidates receive merit-based waivers via LSAC's Candidate Referral Service. Deadline for all fee waivers: March 15, 2026; fees already paid are not refunded. All JurisPath applicants have the fee waived.
Verified 2026-09-10 · source page
Every item above was verified against www.law.uw.edu on 2026-09-10. Expand any item for its own source. Always confirm against the school before you submit — and if we have something wrong, report an error.