8 Online Law School Programs With ABA-Accreditation

Attending one of the 200 law schools that are accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) is a top priority for many law students, especially those who hope to become practicing attorneys after graduating.But, until recently, finding ABA-accredited online law schools simply wasn’t possible.The ABA feels strongly that live, in-person interaction between teachers, students and classmates provides certain learning opportunities that self-paced distance education simply can’t match.However, beginning in 2015, the ABA began granting variances to schools, allowing them to provide more than one-third of a student’s JD degree credits online.

But even more changes have come down the pipeline.Now, a law school can provide up to 50% of a student’s coursework online, with a number of law schools receiving acquiescence to offer hybrid or fully online distance education divisions.In this article, we list the schools that currently offer ABA-approved online law school options and how their programs are structured.Learn why ABA-accreditation is so important and how the coronavirus dramatically expanded the number of online JD programs.

ABA-approved, live online law school programs There are a few types of ABA-accredited online law schools available today.This includes “blended” or “hybrid” online JD programs and fully online programs.Additionally, there are some “weekend-based” programs.Blended programs provide a mix of online and residential courses.

However, hybrid programs might require a variance from the ABA if the percentage of credit hours that its students earn online exceeds the 50% limit.Weekend-based programs don’t require a variance.We've included a mixture of each type of program available.1.

Syracuse University College of Law JDinteractive (JDi) is a flexible online program offered by the Syracuse University College of Law.It was first approved by the ABA in February 2018 with an enrollment limit of 65 students.JDi offers three different types of instruction: Live online class sessions Self-paced online learning Six in-person residency courses Syracuse says that at least 50% of a JDi student’s instruction is in real-time. The program takes three years and three months to complete.The estimated total cost of attendance for the Syracuse JDi program for the 2025-2026 academic year is $75,569.

Based on data from the U.S.News & World Report 2025 Best Law Schools, here are a few key statistics to keep in mind if you’re considering the Syracuse University College of Law: Acceptance rate: 39% First-time bar pass rate: 74.6% Employment rate 10 months after graduation: 84.7% The application deadline for Syracuse University College of Law is July 15, with a priority deadline of March 15.ABA-approved, blended online law school programs The following schools also have received a variance from the ABA to offer more than 50% of their students’ credit hours online.However, the online-portion of the following programs is self-paced rather than real-time.

2.Mitchell Hamline School of Law In 2015, Mitchell Hamline School of Law became the first law school to be granted a variance from the ABA’s distance education requirements.Its first graduates completed the program in 2018.Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s Blended Learning option is a four-year program that can be completed in three years.

The first two years is largely spent in hybrid courses that are one-third online and two-thirds in person.For the final two years, students can choose from a range of blended, fully online or fully in-person course formats.The online courses are fully self-paced.There are no “live” online courses.

For the 2025-2026 academic year, part-time students can expect to pay $19,965 per year in tuition while full-time students will pay $27,650 (not including other costs).Here are a few more key statistics to know about Mitchell Hamline School of Law: Acceptance rate: 60.4% First-time bar pass rate: 72.3% Employment rate 10 months after graduation: 72.2% The application deadline for Mitchell Hamline School of Law is July 15.3.Southwestern Law School In 2017, Southwestern Law School was granted a variance from the ABA from Distance Education Standard 306.

It now offers five programs of study that lead to a JD degree, including a fully online program (residency requirements) and part-time options.Southwestern Law School’s total annual tuition for 2025-2026 semesters is $63,160 for full-time students (on-campus and online) and $42,124 for part-time students (not including other costs). Here are a few more key Southwestern Law School statistics: Acceptance rate: 39.4% First-time bar pass rate: 72.3% Employment rate 10 months after graduation: 73.7% The priority deadline for Southwestern Law School is February 1.4.University of Dayton School of Law The University of Dayton received its online law school variance from the ABA in 2018.

Its Online Hybrid JD Program takes less than four years to complete and blends online and in-person learning.Students who are enrolled in the Online Hybrid JD Program work through a combination of in-depth self-paced online course materials and interactive video classes.Additionally, each student must attend Get REAL intensives on campus four times throughout the 11 terms.For the 2025-2026 academic year, the estimated total cost of attendance for first year students is $36,855. If you’re considering the University of Dayton School of Law, here are a few statistics to keep in mind: Acceptance rate: 37.7% First-time bar pass rate: 86.5% Employment rate 10 months after graduation: 89.5% The application deadline for University of Dayton School of Law is June 10, with an early action deadline of March 1 and a preferred deadline of May 2.

5.University of New Hampshire School of Law University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce School of Law received ABA-approval for its Hybrid JD program in February 2019.The program officially launched in the fall of the same year.New Hampshire’s Hybrid JD program can be completed almost fully online. However, it requires several on-campus (or other locations) visits each semester.

The remaining online instruction includes live and recorded video lectures, reading and writing assignments, evaluations, and discussion board interactions.The program has a year-round design and can be completed in three and half years. For New Hampshire residents, the tuition for the 2025-2026 academic year is $1,400 per credit for its Hybrid JD program.Out-of-state residents pay $1,600 per credit and New England Regional students pay $1,500 per credit. Here are few more key statistics worth noting: Acceptance rate: 60.1% First-time bar pass rate: 74.0% Employment rate 10 months after graduation: 75.9% The application deadline for University of New Hampshire School of Law is July 15, with a priority deadline of March 15.ABA-approved, weekend-based online law school programs The following law schools have not received approval from the ABA to offer more than one-third of their instruction online.

However, they still offer more flexibility than traditional on-campus programs.Rather than having to attend live classes all day, students at the programs listed below can combine online learning with in-person instruction on evenings or weekends.Here are three innovative programs worth considering.6.

Loyola University Chicago School of Law The Weekend JD is a part-time program offered by Loyola University Chicago’s School of Law that meets in-person approximately every other weekend.The rest of their students’ coursework is completed online via the Sakai collaborative online learning environment.The program is designed to be completed in four years (eight semesters). 2025-2026 tuition for the Weekend JD program is $21,085 per semester (not including other costs).Here are few more school details to keep in mind: Acceptance rate: 43.0% First-time bar pass rate: 83.6% Employment rate 10 months after graduation: 91.3% The application deadline for Loyola University Chicago School of Law is May 1, with a recommended deadline of March 1.

7.Seton Hall University School of Law The part-time JD program at Seton Hall allows students to complete their online coursework at any time, making it a flexible option for working professionals.Its in-person instruction takes place on Saturdays and Sundays over eight weekends, and final exams are taken on two additional weekends.The program takes four years to complete. In years three and four, students can also take weekday or evening classes and up to 15 credits can be completed entirely online.

The total estimated cost of attendance for Seton Hall’s part-time weekend program is $72,756 for the 2025-2026 academic year. Below are the key admissions, performance, and employment statistics for Seton Hall University’s School of Law.Acceptance rate: 42.8% First-time bar pass rate: 82.2% Employment rate 10 months after graduation: 86.7% The priority application deadline for Seton Hall Seton Hall University School of Law is April 1.8.University of Denver Sturm College of Law Sturm College of Law’s Professional Part-Time JD program offers up to one-third of its course instruction online.

Students fulfill the remainder of their requirements by taking in-person classes every other weekend.Like Seton Hall’s part-time program, the Sturm College of Law requires just eight weekends on on-campus instruction per semester and an additional two weekends on-campus for final exams.Sturm College of Law’s part-time students take two semesters per year, and the program typically takes four years to complete.The annual tuition cost for the 2024-2025 academic year was $45,122 for 22 credits total.

Here are a few more key numbers to keep in mind: Acceptance rate: 53.1% First-time bar pass rate: 81.7% Employment rate 10 months after graduation: 87.4% Applications for Sturm College of Law open September 1 and are accepted on a rolling basis.Related: These Are The Top 10 Cheapest Law Schools in the U.S.Advantages of attending an ABA-approved school The biggest reason for attending one of the ABA-accredited online law schools is that it will likely be required if you want to sit for the bar exam.Although a few states allow students from unaccredited programs to take the bar (California being a notable example), this is by far the exception rather than the rule.

Unaccredited law schools might offer more flexible learning options and/or cheaper tuition rates.But, even so, you’ll want to avoid attending schools that are not ABA-approved if it hurts your job prospects or result in less income as a lawyer after graduation.It should be noted that not everyone who studies law wants to be a lawyer.Some working professionals pursue a Masters in Legal Studies (MLS) to improve their understanding of legal matters in their existing careers.

If this is your situation, choosing a non-ABA school could make sense.But if you plan to practice law and represent clients, choose an ABA approved program.See the full list of ABA accredited law schools.How COVID-19 impacted your online law school options The coronavirus pandemic made it difficult for law schools to follow state and local social distancing guidelines without severely limiting face-to-face class time.

The ABA responded to these “extraordinary circumstances” by temporarily giving all law schools the ability to expand their online programs.One school was granted a variance from the ABA distance education limits in May 2020 and the other 199 schools received variances later in July.In November, 48 schools were given permission to make more modifications or to extend their existing variances.Because of this, there’s more accessibility to online law school than ever before.

How to pay for online law school Regardless of whether you choose a traditional on-campus program or a hybrid online law school, earning your JD degree from an ABA-accredited school will be expensive.It’s important that you have a thoughtful game plan for covering the cost.Applying for scholarships and grants can help law students minimize student debt.But if you need to take out student loans, there are a variety of options to pay for law school.

Choosing the wrong loan type could cost you thousands of dollars in interest over the life of your repayment.