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Emory University vs Southern Methodist University

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

  • Southern Methodist places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 36.4% of the Class of 2025, against 33.0% at Emory.
  • Southern Methodist costs about $39K less over three years after the average scholarship: $184K against $223K.
  • Southern Methodist is harder to get into: a 167 median LSAT and a 24.6% acceptance rate, against 166 and 30.1% at Emory.
  • Southern Methodist has the higher first time bar pass rate: 97.8% against 86.3%.
Emory
vs
Southern Methodist

Where graduates go

Southern Methodist leads 4 of 5

33.0%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓36.4%
29.5%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
✓33.8%
✓3.6%
Federal clerkships
2.7%
91.5%
Graduates employed
✓98.2%
86.3%
First time bar passage
✓97.8%

What it costs

Emory leads 3 of 4

$223K
Three year net cost
✓$184K
✓98%
Students receiving a scholarship
94%
✓$36,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$26,000/yr
✓$35,028/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$25,027/yr

Who gets in

Acceptance rate: Emory 30.1% · Southern Methodist 24.6%

LSAT

Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.

Emory
162166168
Southern Methodist
163167168
160162164166168170

GPA

Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.

Emory
3.683.823.87
Southern Methodist
3.523.813.92
3.453.553.653.753.853.95

Frequently asked questions

Is Emory or Southern Methodist better for BigLaw?
Southern Methodist placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 36.4% against 33.0%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Emory placed 29.5% and Southern Methodist placed 33.8%. Federal clerkships were 3.6% at Emory and 2.7% at Southern Methodist.
Which is harder to get into, Emory or Southern Methodist?
Emory's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 166 and a median GPA of 3.82, with a 30.1% acceptance rate. Southern Methodist's had 167 and 3.81, with 24.6%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Emory or Southern Methodist?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $223K at Emory and $184K at Southern Methodist, 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, Emory or Southern Methodist?
98% of Emory students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $36,000 a year among recipients. 94% of Southern Methodist students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $26,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
86.3% of Emory's first time takers passed in 2025, against 97.8% at Southern Methodist. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Emory or Southern Methodist?
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.

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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

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