Increased enrollment follows tuition cuts at some law schools
Amid a time of declining interest in law school, tuition cuts at some institutions may be turning the tide.
Three law schools that cut tuition have seen first-year enrollment increase by 22 percent to 52 percent this fall, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports. A fourth school tried another tack–a grant program for in-state students–and also boosted enrollment.
There was a drawback for two of the schools, however–LSAT scores dropped slightly, the story says. The four schools are:
–The University of Iowa College of Law, which cut tuition by 16.4 percent, so that in-state tuition is $21,965 and nonresident tuition is $39,500. The school has 141 entering students this year, up from 93 last year. The median LSAT dropped by one point, however, while the median grade point average increased to 3.64 from 3.59 last year.
–The Roger Williams University School of Law in Rhode Island, which cut tuition from $41,400 to $33,792. Its entering class size increased by 28 percent this year. The median LSAT dropped one point and its median grade point average dropped to 3.16 from 3.18 last year.
–The University of La Verne College of Law in California, which saw its entering class size increase by 22 percent. According to prior coverage by the New York Times, the school cut tuition to $25,000 from $39,500.
–Pennsylvania State University’s Dickinson School of Law, which now gives $20,000 annual grants to in-state students (unless they want to pay the old price and accept aid). First-year enrollment increased by 46 percent.
Some law schools, however, had smaller first-year classes even after tuition cuts, the story says. Ohio Northern University’s Pettit College of Law had an 8.9 percent decrease in enrollment, while the University of Akron School of Law had a 21 percent drop.
