The independent law school is not attached to a college or university. In 2026, 15 schools are operating independently and all schools are private.
Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School is affiliated with Western Michigan University, but it is an independent institution. The affiliation between WMU and WMU-Cooley, which are legally and financially independent institutions, will end on or before November 5, 2023. source
The 2027 average tuition & fees of the independent law schools is $60,586. The acceptance rate of the schools is 45.37% and the average LSAT score is 154.
The following table lists the 15 independent law schools. You can sort the table by a column by clicking/touching the column title.
| School | Founded | Tuition & Fees | Acceptance Rate | LSAT Score | Enrollment | Bar Exam Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany Law SchoolPrivateAlbany, NY | 1851 | $67,174 | 37.45% | 158 | 726 | 74.27% |
| Appalachian School of LawPrivateGrundy, VA | 1994 | $42,880 | 60.93% | 146 | 182 | 63.16% |
| Atlanta's John Marshall Law SchoolPrivateAtlanta, GA | 1933 | $53,986 | 32.65% | 152 | 379 | 68.42% |
| Ave Maria School of LawPrivateNaples, FL | 2000 | $53,750 | 46.95% | 155 | 334 | 65.88% |
| Brooklyn Law SchoolPrivateBrooklyn, NY | 1901 | $80,146 | 44.00% | 161 | 1,138 | 84.48% |
| California Western School of LawPrivateSan Diego, CA | 1924 | $67,840 | 46.92% | 155 | 669 | 62.91% |
| University of California College of the Law, San FranciscoPublicSan Francisco, CA | 1878 | $65,477 | 27.48% | 161 | 1,155 | 83.84% |
| Charleston School of LawPrivateCharleston, SC | 2003 | $51,184 | 50.20% | 154 | 710 | 74.07% |
| Mitchell Hamline School of LawPrivateSt. Paul, MN | 1900 | $57,840 | 51.40% | 154 | 1,170 | 70.98% |
| New England School of LawPrivateBoston, MA | 1908 | $66,360 | 61.30% | 153 | 1,189 | 79.18% |
| New York Law SchoolPrivateNew York, NY | 1891 | $78,304 | 39.67% | 157 | 1,113 | 81.90% |
| South Texas College of LawPrivateHouston, TX | 1923 | $46,864 | 33.65% | 155 | 1,144 | 91.13% |
| Southwestern Law SchoolPrivateLos Angeles, CA | 1911 | $65,686 | 36.47% | 157 | 1,108 | 64.93% |
| Vermont Law SchoolPrivateSouth Royalton, VT | 1972 | $58,395 | 58.53% | 152 | 914 | 64.93% |
| Cooley Law SchoolPrivateLansing, MI | 1972 | $52,900 | 52.91% | 147 | 476 | 51.54% |
*The tuition & fees for the 2026-2027 academic year and Other admission date is for the 2025-2026.