Overview

Applicants
2,234
Acceptance Rate
40%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.69
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
144

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
161 - 164

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
March 15

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$0

CAS Service Used
Yes

Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
Yes

Transfer Applicants Accepted
No

Deferred Admission
No

Other Admission Factors

Academic

LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA
Letters of Recommendation
Essay / Personal Statement

Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Student/Faculty
3:1
Total Faculty
138

59
Female
10
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

If you’re frothing to “get [inside] the courtroom immediately after law school,” Baylor University just might be the program for you. The school has a reputation for “crafting [great] trial lawyers” and its mandatory “practical skills [courses]...are legendary.” Many also note that Baylor’s “legal writing and research classes teach students not only to write, but also how to think.” Students truly “learn how to [draft] contracts, how to [compose] quality memos and briefs, how to fill out and file litigation documents, and everything in between.” In other words, they graduate “ready [to practice.]”

Of course, Baylor’s “small” size is a boon as well. If you’re fortunate enough to attend, you’ll quickly discover that “the administration, faculty, and staff are all very concerned with the student body.” Indeed, “they don’t spend all day closed away in their offices, but have an open-door policy and welcome students to come in and ask questions, learn, and practice together.”

Students do warn that the classes at Baylor are “tough” and “demanding.” While the “professors are the nicest people in the world...in the classroom, they are the Judge [and] [t]hey treat you as if you are an attorney representing your client.” One colorful student goes as far as saying, “Baylor Law is basically the beginning of Full Metal Jacket. A professor almost said verbatim, ‘Let me see your warface!’” Thankfully, the faculty maintains a “hands-on” approach and remains “invested in every single student.” They never hesitate to “go out of their way to help out.” And, most importantly, the law professors here actually “have personalities to boot!”

When it comes to employment, we’re told that “it’s not hard [to get jobs] in Texas.” After all, students boast that Baylor grads have the “highest” bar passage rate in the state. Plus, the program has “an excellent reputation.” Students also have access to “an outstanding alumni network” as well as “a career office that prepares you well and creates some great networking and job search opportunities.” Nevertheless, a handful of students caution that “you have to put the work in when it comes to internships and networking. Jobs won't just fall into your lap and they are very upfront about that.”

Career overview

Pass Rate for First-Time Bar Exam
87%
Median Starting Salary
$90,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
94%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
52%

Career Services

On campus summer employment recruitment for first year JD students
Yes

On campus summer employment recruitment for second year JD students
Yes

# of Employers that Recruit on Campus Each Year
140

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Baker Botts; Bell Nunnally & Martin; Bracewell; Dykema; Fish Richardson; Foley & Lardner; Gray Reed & McGraw; Hartline Barger; Haynes and Boone; Holland & Knight; Husch Blackwell; Jackson Walker; K&L Gates; Kelly Hart & Hallman; Locke Lord; McCathern; Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr; Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee; Nix Patterson; Norton Rose Fulbright; Pirkey Barber; Polsinelli; Reed Smith; Winstead; Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons; Walters, Balido & Crain; MG+M The Law Firm; various District Attorney offices; various Federal and State District and Appellate courts

Graduates Employed by Area

65%
Private Practice
15%
Government
6%
Business/Industry
5%
Judicial Clerkships
1%
Public Interes
1%
Academic

Graduates Employed by Region

92%
South West
2%
South
2%
MidWest
2%
Mountain
2%
Pacific
1%
Mid-Atlantic

Prominent Alumni

Leon Jaworski
Special Prosecutor for the Watergate trials

Priscilla Richman (Owen)
Judge, U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

John G. Hannick
Vice Admiral (Ret.) U.S. Navy

Mark White
Former Governor of Texas

Shannon Sedgwick Davis
Bridgeway Foundation, CEO

Dates

Financial Aid Rating
Feb 1
Application Deadlines
Apr 1

Financial Aid Statistics

Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$65,470

% Students Receiving Some Aid
94%

Expenses per Academic Year

Tuition
$61,782
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$13,764
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$15,489
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$9,917
Fees
$95

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
458
Parent Institution Enrollement
17,059

Number of Foreign Countries Represented
6
Average Age at Entry
24

% Out-of-State
33%
% International
0%

Demographics

26.00%
% Under-represented Minorities

99% are full time
1% are part time
55% female
45% male

Campus Life

Students Say

Baylor law students don’t beat around the proverbial bush; they admit that the school is “very competitive and you are up against colleagues who are talented, hard-working, and intelligent.” In fact, the vast majority “study for...hours” on a daily basis. Thankfully, despite the push for legal greatness, students report that their peers are still “very cooperative.” Almost “every [person] will go out of their way to help anyone else to the extent our honor code allows.” And, in the end, it’s easy to find a “wonderful group of colleagues and friends.”

With regards to life outside the classroom, some students grumble that hometown Waco “is excellent for studying and not much else.” However, others counter that “food and entertainment [options]” are slowly “developing,” thanks in part to HGTV’s Fixer Upper (which films in Waco). Of course, these future JDs are quite capable of making their own fun. As one student shares, “My friends and I go to trivia night every week, participate in law school IM games, have our own game nights, and go out for a drink or two on the weekends.” Plus, Baylor is “halfway between Austin and Dallas, two major cities with lots of jobs” and plenty of nightlife!


More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Jenny Branson
Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid

Address
One Bear Place #97288
Waco, TX 76798

Phone
254-710-6872

Email
jenny_branson@baylor.edu


Articles & Advice