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Southwestern Law School vs University of New Mexico

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

  • Southwestern places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 4.5% of the Class of 2025, against 1.0% at New Mexico.
  • New Mexico costs about $57K less over three years after the average scholarship: $184K against $241K.
  • Southwestern is harder to get into: a 157 median LSAT and a 36.5% acceptance rate, against 157 and 41.4% at New Mexico.
  • New Mexico has the higher first time bar pass rate: 77.0% against 72.1%.
Southwestern
vs
New Mexico

Where graduates go

Southwestern leads 3 of 5

✓4.5%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
1.0%
✓4.1%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
0.0%
0.3%
Federal clerkships
✓1.0%
✓87.6%
Graduates employed
81.0%
72.1%
First time bar passage
✓77.0%

What it costs

Southwestern leads 3 of 4

$241K
Three year net cost
✓$184K
✓72%
Students receiving a scholarship
60%
✓$29,166/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$10,000/yr
✓$20,745/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$6,487/yr

Who gets in

Acceptance rate: Southwestern 36.5% · New Mexico 41.4%

LSAT

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

Southwestern
154157160
New Mexico
154157161
152154156158160162164

GPA

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

Southwestern
3.233.513.72
New Mexico
3.123.563.82
3.053.153.253.353.453.553.653.753.85

Frequently asked questions

Is Southwestern or New Mexico better for BigLaw?
Southwestern placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 4.5% against 1.0%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Southwestern placed 4.1% and New Mexico placed 0.0%. Federal clerkships were 0.3% at Southwestern and 1.0% at New Mexico.
Which is harder to get into, Southwestern or New Mexico?
Southwestern's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 157 and a median GPA of 3.51, with a 36.5% acceptance rate. New Mexico's had 157 and 3.56, with 41.4%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Southwestern or New Mexico?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $241K at Southwestern and $184K at New Mexico, 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, Southwestern or New Mexico?
72% of Southwestern students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $29,166 a year among recipients. 60% of New Mexico students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $10,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
72.1% of Southwestern's first time takers passed in 2025, against 77.0% at New Mexico. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Southwestern or New Mexico?
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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