Texas Is a Destination Market Now
Houston energy and healthcare work, Dallas–Fort Worth corporate practice, and Austin's tech boom have turned Texas into one of the strongest legal markets outside the coasts — with Big Law salaries and no state income tax. Ten ABA-accredited schools serve the state, and where you attend maps closely onto where you will practice.
Every Texas Law School, By the Numbers
| School | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Acceptance | In-state tuition | Bar pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UT Austin | 172 | 3.89 | 14.0% | $38,236 | 95.9% |
| Texas A&M | 169 | 4.00 | 12.1% | $32,634 | 96.0% |
| SMU Dedman | 167 | 3.81 | 24.6% | $60,844 | 90.2% |
| Baylor | 164 | 3.77 | 20.6% | — | 94.9% |
| UH Law Center | 163 | 3.79 | 23.0% | $31,326 | 88.6% |
| Texas Tech | 159 | 3.69 | 25.6% | $22,590 | 86.3% |
| South Texas Houston | 155 | 3.41 | 33.7% | $42,960 | 91.1% |
| St. Mary's | 153 | 3.49 | 26.0% | $44,910 | 65.8% |
| UNT Dallas | 153 | 3.41 | 24.2% | — | 72.5% |
| Thurgood Marshall | 150 | 3.33 | 33.1% | $19,202 | 72.4% |
The Top Tier: UT Austin and the A&M Surge
Texas Law is the state's flagship in every sense: top-20 nationally, ~99% employment, and the default pipeline into Houston and Dallas Big Law. In-state tuition of about $38,000 makes it one of the best values among elite schools anywhere.
Texas A&M is the story of the decade. A small class (~120), heavy scholarships (median grant ~$26,000), and disciplined admissions have driven its medians to 169/4.0 — a higher GPA median than UT — with 100% reported employment. Its national brand still trails its numbers, which cuts both ways: harder to get in than its reputation suggests, and an exceptional deal if you land a scholarship.
The Regional Anchors
SMU Dedman owns the Dallas market's private-school lane with strong corporate placement — at a private-school price of about $61,000. Baylor runs the state's most practice-focused program, famous for its intensive Practice Court, and posts a 94.9% bar pass rate. UH Law Center is the value pick of the tier: top-60 nationally, deep Houston energy-law connections, and in-state tuition around $31,000.
See your chances at all ten Texas law schools.
Enter your LSAT and GPA and AdmitBase sorts every Texas program into Safety, Target, Reach, and Far Reach — using each school's own ABA 509 data.
Get Started Free →The Accessible Tier — Read the Bar Numbers
Texas Tech ($22,590 in-state) is one of the cheapest ABA-accredited schools in the country and a sensible play for West Texas practice. South Texas has a strong Houston trial-advocacy niche and a surprisingly high 91% bar pass rate. Be more careful at St. Mary's, UNT Dallas, and Thurgood Marshall, where first-time bar passage runs 66–73%: an affordable seat is only a bargain if it converts to a license.
How to Choose
Decide on your market first — Houston, DFW, Austin, or San Antonio — then apply to the schools that feed it, sorted by where your numbers land. Texas schools are rolling-admissions programs, so apply early in the cycle. See the full Texas law school directory, compare costs on the tuition page, and read how to build a law school list for the strategy.
