Southern Methodist University vs Wake Forest 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 31.0% at Wake Forest.
- =About the same cost. Three years come to roughly $184K at Southern Methodist and $181K at Wake Forest after the average scholarship.
- Southern Methodist is harder to get into: a 167 median LSAT and a 24.6% acceptance rate, against 166 and 24.6% at Wake Forest.
- Southern Methodist has the higher first time bar pass rate: 97.8% against 89.6%.
Southern Methodist
vs
Wake Forest
Where graduates go
Southern Methodist leads 3 of 5
✓36.4%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
31.0%
✓33.8%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
26.6%
2.7%
Federal clerkships
✓4.4%
98.2%
Graduates employed
✓98.7%
✓97.8%
First time bar passage
89.6%
What it costs
Wake Forest leads 3 of 4
$184K
Three year net cost
✓$181K
✓94%
Students receiving a scholarship
76%
$26,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$40,000/yr
$25,027/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$29,331/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Southern Methodist 24.6% · Wake Forest 24.6%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Southern Methodist
163167168
Wake Forest
163166168
160162164166168170
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Southern Methodist
3.523.813.92
Wake Forest
3.603.793.90
3.453.553.653.753.853.95
Southern Methodist University
Wake Forest University
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Frequently asked questions
Is Southern Methodist or Wake Forest better for BigLaw?
Southern Methodist placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 36.4% against 31.0%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Southern Methodist placed 33.8% and Wake Forest placed 26.6%. Federal clerkships were 2.7% at Southern Methodist and 4.4% at Wake Forest.
Which is harder to get into, Southern Methodist or Wake Forest?
Southern Methodist's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 167 and a median GPA of 3.81, with a 24.6% acceptance rate. Wake Forest's had 166 and 3.79, with 24.6%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Southern Methodist or Wake Forest?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $184K at Southern Methodist and $181K at Wake Forest, 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, Southern Methodist or Wake Forest?
94% of Southern Methodist students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $26,000 a year among recipients. 76% of Wake Forest students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $40,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
97.8% of Southern Methodist's first time takers passed in 2025, against 89.6% at Wake Forest. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Southern Methodist or Wake Forest?
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