University of San Francisco School of Law
San Francisco, California · Private · ABA-approved since 1935 · Data updated November 2, 2026
University of San Francisco School of Law is a private law school in San Francisco, California, approved by the American Bar Association since 1935. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 155, higher than 25% of ABA-approved schools, saw 80.9% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 76.3% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- 12% of first-year students left during the year, a higher share than at 9% of schools.
- 38% of students who entered with a conditional scholarship in 2024-25 had it cut or taken away.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, the University of San Francisco received 2,100 completed applications and made 890 offers, an acceptance rate of 42.4%. 201 students enrolled in the first-year class (197 full-time, 4 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 152 | 155 | 157 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.16 | 3.47 | 3.68 |
A quarter of the class scored 152 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 157 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 155, 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
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $59,990 a year. That is more than 70% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $34,100 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $59,800 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $190 |
| Living costs, on campus | $32,774 |
| Living costs, off campus | $34,100 |
In 2024-25, 63% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $33,718, and the middle half of awards ran from $24,343 to $43,928. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $26,272 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 | 25% |
| Half to full tuition | 36% |
| Full tuition | 0% |
| More than full tuition | 0% |
Scholarships that can be cut. The University of San Francisco awards some conditional scholarships, which shrink or end if a student's grades fall below a set mark. Of 96 students who entered in 2024-25 with one, 36 had it reduced or eliminated (38%). For students who entered in 2023-24 the figure was 28 of 73. 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 $282,270. With the median scholarship every year, about $181,116. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 115 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 93 passed: 80.9%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 82.6%, so the school finished within a few points of that average (-1.8 pts).
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 other jurisdictions | 5 | 4 | 80% | 80.4% |
| California | 110 | 89 | 80.9% | 82.7% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 83 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 77 had passed one within two years: 92.8%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 114 2025 graduates, 87 (76.3%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 8 more (7%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 13 (11.4%) were unemployed and looking for work. 5 of the full-time, long-term jobs were funded by the school.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 114 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 20 (17.5%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in California (92), followed by Arizona (2) and Guam (1).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 20 first-year students left the University of San Francisco: 18 for academic reasons (11%) and 2 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 7 first-year students transferred out and 3 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
The University of San Francisco offered 94 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 66% had fewer than 25 students and 6% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 118 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 97 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 149 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 465 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 16 |
The school reports 42 full-time faculty and 58 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 510 J.D. students, that is about 12 students per full-time faculty member.
How the University of San Francisco compares in California
California has 17 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, the University of San Francisco ranks 15th in median LSAT, 12th in first-time bar passage, 13th in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 4th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | 173 | $79,707 | 99.4% | 86.8% |
| University of California, Los Angeles | 171 | $61,862 | 96.7% | 94.3% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 170 | $66,374 | 94.8% | 96.8% |
| University of California, Irvine | 169 | $61,288 | 89.9% | 92.9% |
| University of Southern California | 169 | $85,948 | 94.1% | 94.3% |
| University of California, Davis | 165 | $59,870 | 93.2% | 91.7% |
| Pepperdine University | 164 | $73,550 | 90.7% | 91.8% |
| Chapman University | 163 | $63,201 | 80.3% | 76.2% |
| Loyola Marymount University (Loyola Law School) | 163 | $71,386 | 79.7% | 85.7% |
| University of San Diego | 163 | $67,751 | 86.7% | 88.6% |
| UC Law San Francisco | 161 | $54,329 | 86.2% | 87% |
| Santa Clara University | 159 | $65,777 | 82% | 75.3% |
| Southwestern Law School | 157 | $63,160 | 72.1% | 78.6% |
| University of the Pacific, McGeorge | 156 | $63,318 | 71.1% | 68.9% |
| California Western School of Law | 155 | $64,870 | 71.4% | 74.1% |
| University of San Francisco | 155 | $59,990 | 80.9% | 76.3% |
| Western State College of Law | 152 | $55,648 | 81.1% | 79.6% |
More on each, and on the California bar exam: law schools in California.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to the University of San Francisco'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of San Francisco | 155 | 3.47 | $59,990 | 80.9% | 76.3% |
| University of Baltimore Baltimore, MD | 155 | 3.45 | $36,418 | 70.5% | 73.5% |
| Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, LA | 154 | 3.47 | $56,894 | 71.2% | 80.8% |
| California Western School of Law San Diego, CA | 155 | 3.50 | $64,870 | 71.4% | 74.1% |
| Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH | 155 | 3.50 | $31,566 | 72.7% | 72.7% |
| University of New Hampshire Concord, NH | 155 | 3.50 | $42,348 | 73.8% | 57.8% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into University of San Francisco School of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 155, with the middle half scoring 152 to 157. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.47. The school accepted 42.4% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at University of San Francisco School of Law?
80.9% of University of San Francisco graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 82.6%. Within two years of graduating, 92.8% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does University of San Francisco School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $59,990 a year. Most students pay less: 63% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $33,718.
Do University of San Francisco School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 76.3% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 7% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 11.4% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is University of San Francisco School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. University of San Francisco School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1935, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.