Appalachian School of Law vs Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Where graduates end up, what each school really costs, and who gets in, side by side from each school's official ABA data. Add your LSAT and GPA to see your chances and scholarship estimates at both.
VS
Add your numbersSee your admission chances and scholarship estimates at both schools.
The short version
- =About the same placement. 0.0% of Appalachian's Class of 2025 and 0.7% of Thomas M. Cooley's went to BigLaw or federal clerkships.
- Thomas M. Cooley costs about $5K less over three years after the average scholarship: $205K against $210K.
- Thomas M. Cooley is harder to get into: a 147 median LSAT and a 52.9% acceptance rate, against 146 and 60.9% at Appalachian.
- Appalachian has the higher first time bar pass rate: 54.8% against 51.5%.
Appalachian
vs
Thomas M. Cooley
Where graduates go
Thomas M. Cooley leads 3 of 5
0.0%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓0.7%
0.0%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
✓0.7%
0.0%
Federal clerkships
0.0%
74.4%
Graduates employed
✓87.4%
✓54.8%
First time bar passage
51.5%
What it costs
Even, 2 each
$210K
Three year net cost
✓$205K
✓87%
Students receiving a scholarship
57%
$10,250/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$13,746/yr
✓$12,716/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$9,115/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Appalachian 60.9% · Thomas M. Cooley 52.9%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Appalachian
145146151
Thomas M. Cooley
145147151
142144146148150152154
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Appalachian
2.723.203.53
Thomas M. Cooley
2.673.093.45
2.602.702.802.903.003.103.203.303.403.503.60
Appalachian School of Law
Thomas M. Cooley Law School
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Frequently asked questions
Is Appalachian or Thomas M. Cooley better for BigLaw?
Thomas M. Cooley placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 0.7% against 0.0%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Appalachian placed 0.0% and Thomas M. Cooley placed 0.7%. Federal clerkships were 0.0% at Appalachian and 0.0% at Thomas M. Cooley.
Which is harder to get into, Appalachian or Thomas M. Cooley?
Appalachian's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 146 and a median GPA of 3.20, with a 60.9% acceptance rate. Thomas M. Cooley's had 147 and 3.09, with 52.9%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Appalachian or Thomas M. Cooley?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $210K at Appalachian and $205K at Thomas M. Cooley, including living costs. Public schools are shown at out of state tuition. Your own scholarship can move these numbers a lot, so add your numbers above for an estimate.
Which gives more scholarship money, Appalachian or Thomas M. Cooley?
87% of Appalachian students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $10,250 a year among recipients. 57% of Thomas M. Cooley students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $13,746 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
54.8% of Appalachian's first time takers passed in 2025, against 51.5% at Thomas M. Cooley. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Appalachian or Thomas M. Cooley?
It depends on your goals, your odds and your offers. Compare where each school's graduates end up, then add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances and scholarships at both. Your scholarship offer usually changes the cost more than anything else.
What a higher LSAT changes
Move the LSAT slider in the admissions calculator to watch your odds and scholarship estimates change at every school.
Figures come from each school’s official ABA disclosures. Admission chances and scholarship estimates are modeled from that data and are not predictions of any individual decision. Our data and methodology