Florida A&M University vs University of South Dakota
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. 4.6% of Florida A&M's Class of 2025 and 3.7% of South Dakota's went to BigLaw or federal clerkships.
- South Dakota costs about $50K less over three years after the average scholarship: $156K against $206K, and more of its students get a scholarship (55% vs 45%).
- Florida A&M is harder to get into: a 152 median LSAT and a 34.7% acceptance rate, against 152 and 62.6% at South Dakota.
- Florida A&M has the higher first time bar pass rate: 74.7% against 69.2%.
Florida A&M
vs
South Dakota
Where graduates go
Florida A&M leads 3 of 5
✓4.6%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
3.7%
✓4.6%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
0.0%
0.0%
Federal clerkships
✓3.7%
82.4%
Graduates employed
✓89.0%
✓74.7%
First time bar passage
69.2%
What it costs
Even, 2 each
$206K
Three year net cost
✓$156K
45%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓55%
✓$7,500/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$5,000/yr
✓$3,348/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$3,171/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Florida A&M 34.7% · South Dakota 62.6%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Florida A&M
149152155
South Dakota
149152156
146148150152154156158
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Florida A&M
3.183.483.74
South Dakota
3.163.473.81
3.103.203.303.403.503.603.703.803.90
Florida A&M University
University of South Dakota
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Frequently asked questions
Is Florida A&M or South Dakota better for BigLaw?
Florida A&M placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 4.6% against 3.7%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Florida A&M placed 4.6% and South Dakota placed 0.0%. Federal clerkships were 0.0% at Florida A&M and 3.7% at South Dakota.
Which is harder to get into, Florida A&M or South Dakota?
Florida A&M's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 152 and a median GPA of 3.48, with a 34.7% acceptance rate. South Dakota's had 152 and 3.47, with 62.6%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Florida A&M or South Dakota?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $206K at Florida A&M and $156K at South Dakota, 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, Florida A&M or South Dakota?
45% of Florida A&M students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $7,500 a year among recipients. 55% of South Dakota students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $5,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
74.7% of Florida A&M's first time takers passed in 2025, against 69.2% at South Dakota. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Florida A&M or South Dakota?
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