Best Law Schools in Irvine
2 ABA law schools call Irvine home, ranked below by selectivity (Fall 2025 median LSAT). Where you go to law school shapes where you start your career: local alumni networks, clinics, and bar exam logistics all tilt local. Medians from ABA Standard 509 disclosures via ILRG, Fall 2025 entering class.
| School | Rank | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Est. annual tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Irvine | #23 | 169 | 3.80 | $59,080 |
| Western State University | #168 | 152 | 3.36 | $54,840 |
How to judge the Irvine market
- Bar exam logistics. You will likely take the bar where you study, at least at first. Make sure you want to start your career in CA.
- Alumni concentration. Ask each school where its recent graduates actually work. Local hiring partners recruit deepest at local schools.
- Cost vs. selectivity. The cheapest sticker here is Western State University at about $54,840 a year. Weigh that against each school's selectivity and your aid prospects.
- Employment outcomes. We do not publish local employment data, so read each school's ABA-required employment summary: look for full-time, bar-passage-required jobs in the market you want.
What LSAT do you need here?
The most selective school in Irvine reports a median LSAT of 169. Score at or above a school's median and you are competitive there; 1 to 3 points below is reach territory. What LSAT for University of California, Irvine · What LSAT for Western State University
All city guides · Free LSAT prep
Medians from ABA Standard 509 disclosures via ILRG, Fall 2025 entering class. Tuition is the 2025-2026 sticker price. All cost figures are estimates, not guarantees.