Florida State University vs University of Alabama
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
- Alabama places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 21.9% of the Class of 2025, against 12.9% at Florida State.
- Alabama costs about $11K less over three years after the average scholarship: $153K against $164K, and more of its students get a scholarship (96% vs 78%).
- Alabama is harder to get into: a 167 median LSAT and a 25.6% acceptance rate, against 166 and 16.0% at Florida State.
- Alabama has the higher first time bar pass rate: 95.2% against 88.8%.
Florida State
vs
Alabama
Where graduates go
Alabama leads 5 of 5
12.9%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓21.9%
9.1%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
✓9.6%
3.8%
Federal clerkships
✓12.3%
93.2%
Graduates employed
✓99.3%
88.8%
First time bar passage
✓95.2%
What it costs
Alabama leads 4 of 4
$164K
Three year net cost
✓$153K
78%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓96%
$15,464/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$21,500/yr
$11,165/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$20,684/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Florida State 16.0% · Alabama 25.6%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Florida State
158166167
Alabama
161167168
156158160162164166168170
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Florida State
3.603.933.99
Alabama
3.763.974.05
3.553.653.753.853.954.05
Florida State University
University of Alabama
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Frequently asked questions
Is Florida State or Alabama better for BigLaw?
Alabama placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 21.9% against 12.9%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Florida State placed 9.1% and Alabama placed 9.6%. Federal clerkships were 3.8% at Florida State and 12.3% at Alabama.
Which is harder to get into, Florida State or Alabama?
Florida State's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 166 and a median GPA of 3.93, with a 16.0% acceptance rate. Alabama's had 167 and 3.97, with 25.6%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Florida State or Alabama?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $164K at Florida State and $153K at Alabama, 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 State or Alabama?
78% of Florida State students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $15,464 a year among recipients. 96% of Alabama students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $21,500 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
88.8% of Florida State's first time takers passed in 2025, against 95.2% at Alabama. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Florida State or Alabama?
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