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California Western School of Law vs Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
Where graduates end up, what each school really costs, and who gets in, side by side from each school's official ABA data. Add your LSAT and GPA to see your chances and scholarship estimates at both.
VS
Add your numbersSee your admission chances and scholarship estimates at both schools.
The short version
- Cleveland-Marshall places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 6.8% of the Class of 2025, against 4.9% at California Western.
- Cleveland-Marshall costs about $108K less over three years after the average scholarship: $125K against $234K, and more of its students get a scholarship (98% vs 60%).
- Cleveland-Marshall is harder to get into: a 155 median LSAT and a 34.4% acceptance rate, against 155 and 46.9% at California Western.
- Cleveland-Marshall has the higher first time bar pass rate: 72.7% against 71.4%.
California Western
vs
Cleveland-Marshall
Where graduates go
Cleveland-Marshall leads 4 of 5
4.9%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓6.8%
3.4%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
✓6.8%
✓1.5%
Federal clerkships
0.0%
81.5%
Graduates employed
✓86.4%
71.4%
First time bar passage
✓72.7%
What it costs
Even, 2 each
$234K
Three year net cost
✓$125K
60%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓98%
✓$37,440/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$11,000/yr
✓$21,354/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$11,839/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: California Western 46.9% · Cleveland-Marshall 34.4%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
California Western
152155158
Cleveland-Marshall
152155158
150152154156158160
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
California Western
3.163.503.66
Cleveland-Marshall
3.113.503.76
3.053.153.253.353.453.553.653.753.85
California Western School of Law
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
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Frequently asked questions
Is California Western or Cleveland-Marshall better for BigLaw?
Cleveland-Marshall placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 6.8% against 4.9%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), California Western placed 3.4% and Cleveland-Marshall placed 6.8%. Federal clerkships were 1.5% at California Western and 0.0% at Cleveland-Marshall.
Which is harder to get into, California Western or Cleveland-Marshall?
California Western's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 155 and a median GPA of 3.50, with a 46.9% acceptance rate. Cleveland-Marshall's had 155 and 3.50, with 34.4%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, California Western or Cleveland-Marshall?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $234K at California Western and $125K at Cleveland-Marshall, including living costs. Public schools are shown at out of state tuition. Your own scholarship can move these numbers a lot, so add your numbers above for an estimate.
Which gives more scholarship money, California Western or Cleveland-Marshall?
60% of California Western students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $37,440 a year among recipients. 98% of Cleveland-Marshall students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $11,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
71.4% of California Western's first time takers passed in 2025, against 72.7% at Cleveland-Marshall. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose California Western or Cleveland-Marshall?
It depends on your goals, your odds and your offers. Compare where each school's graduates end up, then add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances and scholarships at both. Your scholarship offer usually changes the cost more than anything else.
What a higher LSAT changes
Move the LSAT slider in the admissions calculator to watch your odds and scholarship estimates change at every school.
Figures come from each school’s official ABA disclosures. Admission chances and scholarship estimates are modeled from that data and are not predictions of any individual decision. Our data and methodology