Washburn University School of Law has a long and storied history. Founded in 1903, the school was initially known as the Washburn College School of Law. It was one of the first law schools to admit women, and it had a strong emphasis on practical training for its students. The school moved to its current location in Topeka in 1923 and changed its name to the Washburn University School of Law. Over the years, Washburn Law has become known for its academic excellence and is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the nation.
The faculty at Washburn Law is comprised of leading legal scholars from around the world who are committed to providing an excellent legal education that prepares students for successful careers in law. The school offers a variety of courses and programs that cover topics such as civil procedure, constitutional law, criminal law, international law, and more. In addition to these courses, Washburn Law also provides students with valuable hands-on learning experiences through clinical programs, externships with local courts and government agencies, and public service opportunities. These experiences provide students with real-world experience that will serve them well after graduation.
Washburn University School of Law is located in the state of Kansas. As one of the leading law programs, Washburn University School of Law has a high average LSAT score of 152-157 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $55,000 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of Washburn University School of Law.
Admissions: Washburn University
Washburn University School of Law is located in Topeka, Kansas, and offers a variety of programs. The school has an enrollment of over 500 students, with approximately half of them being full-time. The admissions process for Washburn is highly competitive, and the school typically admits only about 40% of applicants. Washburn prides itself on its diverse student body, which includes students from many different backgrounds and experiences. The average LSAT score for admitted students is 156 and the median GPA is 3.43. In addition to these scores, Washburn also looks at other factors when making admissions decisions such as letters of recommendation, essays, resumes, and extracurricular activities. Washburn also offers a range of scholarships and financial aid options to help make attending the school more affordable for its students. Lastly, Washburn has an excellent reputation for preparing its graduates for success in their legal careers after graduation with a 93% bar passage rate among first-time test takers in 2019.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
957
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
453
Overall acceptance rate
47.3%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
159
Number of full-time program applicants
957
Number of full-time program acceptances
453
Full-time acceptance rate
47.3%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
159
Number of part-time program applicants
0
Number of part-time program acceptances
0
Part-time acceptance rate
N/A
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled
0
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students
2.95-3.68
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
152-157
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
2.95-3.68
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
152-157
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students
N/A
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students
N/A
Careers: Washburn University
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar
KS
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers
89.4%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
89.3%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
148
Graduates employed at graduation
N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
93.5%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$45,000
Median private sector starting salary
$55,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$64,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
44%
Median public service starting salary
$45,600
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
1.0%
Percent employed in business and industry
13.0%
Percent employed in government
24.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
9.0%
Percent employed in law firms
43.0%
Percent employed in public interest
9.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field
1.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
3.0%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
65%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
0%
Number of states where graduates are employed
15
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
1.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
1.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
79.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
1.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
1.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
5.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
4.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
7.0%
Employment location unknown
1.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
The Professional Development Office makes available extensive resources regarding local, regional, national, and international employment in the public and private sectors, graduate and foreign study, and judicial clerkships. A Student Resource Center is available for students. Washburn Law alumni reside in every state in the nation, in the District of Columbia, and in several foreign countries.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
84.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
8.0%
Professional/other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse)
4.0%
Nonprofessional/other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path)
