The University of South Dakota School of Law is an ABA-accredited law school located in Vermillion, South Dakota. As the only law school in the state, it offers a comprehensive legal education that prepares students for practice in a variety of legal fields. The school offers a Juris Doctor (JD) degree and several joint degree programs, including an LLM/JD program with the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minnesota, and a JD/MBA program with USD’s Beacom School of Business. Courses are taught by distinguished faculty from across the country who bring their experience and expertise to the classroom. Additionally, USD Law offers numerous experiential learning opportunities such as externships, clinics, and pro bono work to give students real-world experience before they graduate. The school also provides a supportive atmosphere for its students with career services and alumni connections to help them succeed after graduation.
This page focuses on national rankings, acceptance rates, program costs, and merit-based scholarships of University of South Dakota School of Law, an accredited law program in the United States. Should you be interested in official name and common abbreviation of University of South Dakota School of Law, please follow this link: https://www.abbreviationfinder.org/acronyms/usd_university-of-south-dakota.html
Motto: Veritas
Parent school: University of South Dakota
Established: 1901
School type: Public law school
Parent endowment: $401.5 million
Dean: Neil Fulton
Location: Vermillion, South Dakota, U.S.
Enrollment: 168 J.D. candidates
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Ranking: University of South Dakota
The University of South Dakota School of Law is ranked among the top 100 law schools in the nation. It has consistently been ranked in the top tier of law schools since its opening in 2014. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association, and its graduates are highly sought after for positions in both private practice and public service. The school has a strong focus on providing an excellent legal education to its students, and works hard to ensure that graduates are prepared for the rigors of legal practice. Students receive a comprehensive education that includes coursework in areas such as constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, evidence, property, torts and more. The school also offers specialized courses such as trial advocacy and legal research. In addition to classroom instruction, students have access to several clinical programs including ones focused on litigation and mediation. These programs give students practical experience working with real clients on actual cases. The University of South Dakota School of Law also provides opportunities for internships both during the summer months and throughout the year. This allows students to gain real-world experience while still attending classes at the university.
| Top Law Schools of 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Score | N/A |
| Peer assessment score (5.0 highest) | 2.0 |
| Assessment score by lawyers/judges (5.0 highest) | 2.7 |
| 25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students | 3.05-3.63 |
| 25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students | 148-155 |
| Overall acceptance rate | 53.3% |
| Student/faculty ratio | 14.7 |
| Graduates employed at graduation | 63.9% |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation | 98.6% |
| School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers | 90.7% |
| State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar | SD |
| Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers | 88.6% |
Tuition & Scholarships: University of South Dakota
The University of South Dakota School of Law offers a variety of tuition and scholarship options for students. Tuition for the 2020-2021 academic year is $27,874 for residents and $30,184 for non-residents. Students can also apply for a number of scholarships offered by the school including merit-based scholarships, need-based grants, and diversity scholarships. Merit-based scholarships are available to students who demonstrate exceptional academic performance, while need-based grants are available to those with financial need. Diversity scholarships are aimed at increasing diversity within the student body and are awarded based on criteria such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. In addition to these tuition and scholarship options, the school also offers loan programs through the federal government as well as other private lenders. These loan programs allow students to finance their education with favorable interest rates and repayment terms.
| Financial Aid Office Information | |
|---|---|
| Financial aid application deadline | 03/01 |
| Financial aid director | Julie Pier |
| Financial aid telephone | (605) 677-5446 |
| 2019-2020 Expenses | |
| Tuition | In-state, full-time: $9,620 per year, part-time: $4,810 per year; Out-of-state, full-time: $18,817 per year, part-time: $9,409 per year |
| Room and board | $6,715 |
| Books | $1,400 |
| Miscellaneous expenses | $4,661 |
| Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? | Yes |
| 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 | 28.9% |
| 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 | 4.6% |
| 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 | 1.5% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of full tuition | N/A |
| Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of more than full tuition | 0.5% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of more than full tuition | N/A |
| 25th percentile grant amount of aid per full-time recipient | $770 |
| Median grant amount of aid per full-time recipient (50th percentile) | $1,540 |
| 75th percentile grant amount of aid per full-time recipient | $2,310 |
| 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 | $53,217 |
| Proportion who borrowed | 100.0% |
| Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2019 J.D. graduates? | No |
