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St. Thomas University, Florida 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 St. Thomas University Florida's Class of 2025 and 3.7% of South Dakota's went to BigLaw or federal clerkships.
  • South Dakota costs about $68K less over three years after the average scholarship: $156K against $224K.
  • St. Thomas University Florida is harder to get into: a 152 median LSAT and a 60.3% acceptance rate, against 152 and 62.6% at South Dakota.
  • St. Thomas University Florida has the higher first time bar pass rate: 87.1% against 69.2%.
St. Thomas University Florida
vs
South Dakota

Where graduates go

St. Thomas University Florida leads 3 of 5

✓4.6%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
3.7%
✓3.6%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
0.0%
1.0%
Federal clerkships
✓3.7%
82.5%
Graduates employed
✓89.0%
✓87.1%
First time bar passage
69.2%

What it costs

St. Thomas University Florida leads 3 of 4

$224K
Three year net cost
✓$156K
✓64%
Students receiving a scholarship
55%
✓$25,320/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$5,000/yr
✓$15,434/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$3,171/yr

Who gets in

Acceptance rate: St. Thomas University Florida 60.3% · South Dakota 62.6%

LSAT

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

St. Thomas University Florida
149152156
South Dakota
149152156
146148150152154156158

GPA

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

St. Thomas University Florida
3.113.423.65
South Dakota
3.163.473.81
3.053.153.253.353.453.553.653.753.85

Frequently asked questions

Is St. Thomas University Florida or South Dakota better for BigLaw?
St. Thomas University Florida placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 4.6% against 3.7%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), St. Thomas University Florida placed 3.6% and South Dakota placed 0.0%. Federal clerkships were 1.0% at St. Thomas University Florida and 3.7% at South Dakota.
Which is harder to get into, St. Thomas University Florida or South Dakota?
St. Thomas University Florida's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 152 and a median GPA of 3.42, with a 60.3% 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, St. Thomas University Florida or South Dakota?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $224K at St. Thomas University Florida 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, St. Thomas University Florida or South Dakota?
64% of St. Thomas University Florida students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $25,320 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?
87.1% of St. Thomas University Florida'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 St. Thomas University Florida 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.

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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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