Law Schools in California
17 ABA-approved schools · ABA disclosures · updated November 2, 2026
California has 17 ABA-approved law schools: five public and 12 private. Median LSAT scores for the class that entered in fall 2025 run from 152 at Western State College of Law to 173 at Stanford University.
California law schools compared
| School | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Accepted | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford Law School Stanford · Private | 173 | 3.96 | 6.1% | $79,707 | 99.4% | 86.8% |
| UCLA School of Law Los Angeles · Public | 171 | 3.95 | 12.1% | $61,862 | 96.7% | 94.3% |
| University of California, Berkeley School of Law Berkeley · Public | 170 | 3.92 | 14.8% | $66,374 | 94.8% | 96.8% |
| University of California, Irvine School of Law Irvine · Public | 169 | 3.80 | 14.9% | $61,288 | 89.9% | 92.9% |
| University of Southern California Gould School of Law Los Angeles · Private | 169 | 3.91 | 11.2% | $85,948 | 94.1% | 94.3% |
| University of California, Davis School of Law Davis · Public | 165 | 3.70 | 21.1% | $59,870 | 93.2% | 91.7% |
| Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law Malibu · Private | 164 | 3.85 | 23.4% | $73,550 | 90.7% | 91.8% |
| Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law Orange · Private | 163 | 3.70 | 20.5% | $63,201 | 80.3% | 76.2% |
| LMU Loyola Law School Los Angeles · Private | 163 | 3.74 | 26.1% | $71,386 | 79.7% | 85.7% |
| University of San Diego, School of Law San Diego · Private | 163 | 3.84 | 23.5% | $67,751 | 86.7% | 88.6% |
| UC Law San Francisco San Francisco · Public | 161 | 3.71 | 27.5% | $54,329 | 86.2% | 87% |
| Santa Clara University Law School Santa Clara · Private | 159 | 3.50 | 52.6% | $65,777 | 82% | 75.3% |
| Southwestern Law School Los Angeles · Private | 157 | 3.51 | 36.5% | $63,160 | 72.1% | 78.6% |
| University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law Sacramento · Private | 156 | 3.52 | 54.4% | $63,318 | 71.1% | 68.9% |
| California Western School of Law San Diego · Private | 155 | 3.50 | 46.9% | $64,870 | 71.4% | 74.1% |
| University of San Francisco School of Law San Francisco · Private | 155 | 3.47 | 42.4% | $59,990 | 80.9% | 76.3% |
| Western State College of Law at Westcliff University Irvine · Private | 152 | 3.36 | 43.7% | $55,648 | 81.1% | 79.6% |
Tuition is full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26, at the in-state rate for public schools. Bar pass is the first-time rate on 2025 exams in every state where graduates sat; lawyer jobs is the share of 2025 graduates in full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage. Each school's page has the detail.
Stanford University had the highest first-time bar passage rate, 99.4%. The University of California, Berkeley placed the largest share of 2025 graduates in lawyer jobs, 96.8%. Stanford University was the hardest to get into, accepting 6.1% of applicants. UC Law San Francisco charged the least, $54,329.
The California bar exam
In 2025, 82.7% of graduates of ABA-approved law schools who took the California bar exam for the first time passed, as the ABA reports it. That is the yardstick each school's rate is compared with when its graduates sit here.
Graduates of these schools took it most often in 2025 (schools with at least 10 first-time takers here):
| School | Takers | Passed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Law San Francisco | 334 | 287 | 85.9% |
| Loyola Marymount University (Loyola Law School) | 285 | 228 | 80% |
| University of California, Los Angeles | 280 | 269 | 96.1% |
| Southwestern Law School | 276 | 197 | 71.4% |
| University of San Diego | 204 | 177 | 86.8% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 197 | 183 | 92.9% |
| California Western School of Law | 192 | 135 | 70.3% |
| University of California, Davis | 190 | 176 | 92.6% |
| Santa Clara University | 186 | 154 | 82.8% |
| University of Southern California | 183 | 171 | 93.4% |
| Pepperdine University | 161 | 144 | 89.4% |
| University of California, Irvine | 149 | 135 | 90.6% |
| University of the Pacific, McGeorge | 136 | 96 | 70.6% |
| Chapman University | 122 | 98 | 80.3% |
| University of San Francisco | 110 | 89 | 80.9% |
Out-of-state schools that send graduates to California
Each school reports the three states where most of its employed graduates work. These schools outside California count it among their top three:
- Georgetown University (DC): 47 employed 2025 graduates
- Columbia University (NY): 28 employed 2025 graduates
- University of Virginia (VA): 28 employed 2025 graduates
- Arizona State University (AZ): 25 employed 2025 graduates
- Northwestern University (IL): 25 employed 2025 graduates
- Duke University (NC): 24 employed 2025 graduates
- University of Chicago (IL): 23 employed 2025 graduates
- New York University (NY): 22 employed 2025 graduates
- Yale University (CT): 19 employed 2025 graduates
- University of Washington (WA): 17 employed 2025 graduates
Practicing in California: California Rules of Civil Procedure · California procedural guides · Divorce in California.
Check your own numbers against these schools with the LSAT and GPA school finder.
Frequently asked questions
How many law schools are in California?
California has 17 ABA-approved law schools: California Western School of Law, Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law, LMU Loyola Law School, Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law, Santa Clara University Law School, Southwestern Law School, Stanford Law School, UC Law San Francisco, UCLA School of Law, University of California, Berkeley School of Law, University of California, Davis School of Law, University of California, Irvine School of Law, University of San Diego, School of Law, University of San Francisco School of Law, University of Southern California Gould School of Law, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Western State College of Law at Westcliff University.
Which California law school has the highest bar passage rate?
Stanford Law School, where 99.4% of first-time takers passed in 2025.
What is the cheapest law school in California?
UC Law San Francisco, at $54,329 a year in full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 (in-state rate).
What is the hardest law school to get into in California?
By acceptance rate, Stanford Law School, which accepted 6.1% of applicants for fall 2025, with a median LSAT of 173.
What is the California bar exam pass rate?
In 2025, 82.7% of first-time takers from ABA-approved law schools passed the California bar exam, as the ABA reports it.