St. Mary's University School of Law

St. Mary’s University School of Law

North America Schools

St. Mary’s University School of Law is a private, Catholic law school located in San Antonio, Texas. The school offers a traditional three-year Juris Doctor (J.D.) program that prepares students for the practice of law and provides them with the opportunity to gain experience in trial and appellate advocacy, legal research and writing, and other practical skills. St. Mary’s also offers an LL.M program for foreign-trained lawyers, as well as several dual degree programs combining a J.D. with an M.B.A., M.P.A., or M.S.. In addition to its J.D., LLM, and dual degree programs, St Mary’s also offers certificates in Health Law and Intellectual Property Law, as well as a variety of clinics that allow students to gain real-world experience while providing legal services to underserved communities in the San Antonio area.. The school strives to provide its students with an education rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition while equipping them with the skills they need to be successful attorneys in today’s rapidly changing legal landscape

This page focuses on national rankings, acceptance rates, program costs, and merit-based scholarships of St. Mary’s University School of Law, an accredited law program in the United States. Should you be interested in official name and common abbreviation of St. Mary’s University School of Law, please follow this link: https://www.abbreviationfinder.org/acronyms/smu_saint-marys-university.html

Established: 1927
School type: Private Catholic
Dean: Patricia Roberts
Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA
Enrollment: 773
Faculty: 56 full-time, 68 part-time
USNWR ranking: 147th-192nd (2023)
Bar pass rate6: 9.8% (July 2019 first-time takers)

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Ranking: St. Mary’s University

St. Mary’s University School of Law is ranked highly among law schools in the United States. According to U.S. News & World Report, St. Mary’s is ranked #137 out of the 194 accredited law schools in the nation, placing it in the top 70th percentile of legal institutions across the country. Additionally, it is ranked #67 out of all public law schools, making it one of the leading public institutions for legal education in America. St. Mary’s has also been recognized by other publications such as The Princeton Review and The National Jurist for its academic excellence and commitment to diversity and inclusion within its student body and faculty population. Furthermore, it has been recognized by publications like Above the Law for its innovative curriculum offerings and its commitment to training the next generation of legal professionals with practical skills that will help them succeed upon graduation from law school.

Top Law Schools of 2020
Score N/A
Peer assessment score (5.0 highest) 1.8
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (5.0 highest) 2.3
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students 2.74-3.43
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students 149-155
Overall acceptance rate 50.9%
Student/faculty ratio 22.4
Graduates employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 91.6%
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers 84.6%
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar TX
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers 84.0%

Tuition & Scholarships: St. Mary’s University

St. Mary’s University School of Law offers a variety of scholarships to help make law school more affordable. The school has a generous merit-based scholarship program, which rewards students for academic excellence and achievement. Additionally, the school offers need-based scholarships for students who demonstrate financial need. The scholarships are awarded based on the student’s academic performance and financial need, as well as the availability of funds. In addition to merit-based and need-based scholarships, St. Mary’s also offers tuition assistance programs for students who are members of certain organizations or affiliated with certain employers. These programs can provide significant discounts on tuition costs for qualified applicants. The university also provides loan repayment assistance programs to help graduates manage their debt after they have finished their studies. Additionally, St. Mary’s offers a variety of other resources and services such as career counseling and job search assistance to help students succeed in their legal careers after graduation.

Financial Aid Office Information
Financial aid application deadline 03/31
Financial aid director Margaret Garza
Financial aid telephone (210) 431-6743
2019-2020 Expenses
Tuition Full-time: $27,275 per year, part-time: $16,675 per year
Room and board $7,730
Books $1,300
Miscellaneous expenses $5,482
Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? No
Does the university offer housing restricted to law students? No
Does the university offer graduate student housing for which law students are eligible? Yes
Does the university offer a public-interest scholarship program to current J.D. students? No
2019 Grants
Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 31.4%
Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition N/A
Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 1.6%
Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full N/A
Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of full tuition 0.0%
Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of full tuition N/A
Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.1%
Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of more than full tuition N/A
25th percentile grant amount of aid per full-time recipient $1,017
Median grant amount of aid per full-time recipient (50th percentile) $1,824
75th percentile grant amount of aid per full-time recipient $3,327
25th percentile grant amount of aid per part-time recipient N/A
Median grant amount of aid per part-time recipient (50th percentile) N/A
75th percentile grant amount of aid per part-time recipient N/A
Indebtedness
Average indebtedness of 2019 graduates who incurred law school debt $88,879
Proportion who borrowed 78.1%
Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2019 J.D. graduates? No

St. Mary's University School of Law