Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law
Ponce, Puerto Rico · Private · ABA-approved since 1967 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law is a private law school in Ponce, Puerto Rico, approved by the American Bar Association since 1967. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 139, higher than 0% of ABA-approved schools, saw 44.9% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 17% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- A median LSAT of 139, lower than 99% of ABA-approved schools.
- 17% of 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs, fewer than at 99% of schools.
- It accepted 61.5% of applicants, more than 96% of schools did.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico received 325 completed applications and made 200 offers, an acceptance rate of 61.5%. 161 students enrolled in the first-year class (96 full-time, 65 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 136 | 139 | 143 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 2.97 | 3.33 | 3.61 |
A quarter of the class scored 136 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 143 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 139, is in the stronger half of this class; one below the 25th percentile is a long shot unless something else in the file stands out.
Where would your numbers fall in this class?
Enter an LSAT score and undergraduate GPA. We compare them with the class that entered in fall 2025. This shows where your numbers sit, not your chances: admissions offices read the whole file.
Tuition, living costs and scholarships
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico charges tuition by the credit hour: $540 a credit, plus $1,090 in annual fees. The degree takes 94 credits, so a full-time year of about 31 credits comes to roughly $18,010. That is less than 95% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $26,644 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition per credit hour, full-time, resident | $540 |
| Annual fees, resident | $1,090 |
| Living costs, on campus | $20,807 |
| Living costs, off campus | $26,644 |
| Living costs, at home | $17,186 |
In 2024-25, 25% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $1,593, and the middle half of awards ran from $1,000 to $4,372. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $16,417 a year in tuition and fees, before living costs. That is a rough guide, since awards vary and some students get nothing.
| Size of grant, all students | Share of students |
|---|---|
| Less than half tuition | 20% |
| Half to full tuition | 2% |
| Full tuition | 1% |
| More than full tuition | 0% |
Scholarships that can be cut. Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico awards some conditional scholarships, which shrink or end if a student's grades fall below a set mark. Of 85 students who entered in 2024-25 with one, 12 had it reduced or eliminated (14%). For students who entered in 2023-24 the figure was 27 of 81. Ask any school that offers you one exactly what you must do to keep it.
Three years, roughly. At 2025-26 prices, three years of full-time tuition and fees plus off-campus living costs come to about $133,962. With the median scholarship every year, about $129,183. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 136 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 61 passed: 44.9%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 54.8%, so the school finished 9.9 points below that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 other jurisdictions | 2 | 0 | 0% | 79.2% |
| Puerto Rico | 134 | 61 | 45.5% | 54.4% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 84 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 70 had passed one within two years: 83.3%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 147 2025 graduates, 25 (17%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 11 more (7.5%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 43 (29.3%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 147 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 0 (0%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Puerto Rico (69), followed by District of Columbia (1) and Florida (1).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 22 first-year students left Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico: 18 for academic reasons (12%) and 4 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (3%).
Transfers run both ways: 2 first-year students transferred out and 0 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico offered 104 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 70% had fewer than 25 students and 0% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 252 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 180 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 19 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 113 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 8 |
The school reports 42 full-time faculty and 39 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 479 J.D. students, that is about 11 students per full-time faculty member.
How Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico compares in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico has 3 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico ranks 3rd in median LSAT, 3rd in first-time bar passage, 3rd in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 3rd-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Puerto Rico | 152 | $9,953 | 75.7% | 48.4% |
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico | 144 | $17,760 | 56% | 25.9% |
| Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico | 139 | $18,010 | 44.9% | 17% |
More on each, and on the Puerto Rico bar exam: law schools in Puerto Rico.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico's, so an applicant who fits here is likely to be a similar fit there. Compare what each costs and how its graduates fare.
| School | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico | 139 | 3.33 | $18,010 | 44.9% | 17% |
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico San Juan, PR | 144 | 3.39 | $17,760 | 56% | 25.9% |
| Appalachian School of Law Grundy, VA | 146 | 3.20 | $41,000 | 54.8% | 53.5% |
| Southern University Baton Rouge, LA | 147 | 3.15 | $18,832 | 68.1% | 40.3% |
| Ohio Northern University Ada, OH | 149 | 3.34 | $33,900 | 56.4% | 83.7% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL | 149 | 3.38 | $22,088 | 74.2% | 73% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 139, with the middle half scoring 136 to 143. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.33. The school accepted 61.5% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law?
44.9% of Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 54.8%. Within two years of graduating, 83.3% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are about $18,010 a year. The school charges by the credit hour, so that figure assumes a full-time load of 31 credits a year. Some students pay less: 25% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $1,593.
Do Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 17% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 7.5% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 29.3% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1967, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.