Mercer University vs University of Hawaii
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
- Mercer places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 6.3% of the Class of 2025, against 3.1% at Hawaii.
- Mercer costs about $53K less over three years after the average scholarship: $153K against $206K, and more of its students get a scholarship (87% vs 69%).
- Hawaii is harder to get into: a 158 median LSAT and a 26.2% acceptance rate, against 157 and 37.8% at Mercer.
- Mercer has the higher first time bar pass rate: 86.5% against 77.1%.
Mercer
vs
Hawaii
Where graduates go
Mercer leads 4 of 5
✓6.3%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
3.1%
✓4.9%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
0.0%
1.4%
Federal clerkships
✓3.1%
✓94.4%
Graduates employed
92.9%
✓86.5%
First time bar passage
77.1%
What it costs
Mercer leads 4 of 4
✓$153K
Three year net cost
$206K
✓87%
Students receiving a scholarship
69%
✓$20,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$7,000/yr
✓$17,467/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$6,163/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Mercer 37.8% · Hawaii 26.2%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Mercer
155157160
Hawaii
155158162
152154156158160162164
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Mercer
3.303.623.80
Hawaii
3.403.623.80
3.253.353.453.553.653.753.85
Mercer University
University of Hawaii
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Frequently asked questions
Is Mercer or Hawaii better for BigLaw?
Mercer placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 6.3% against 3.1%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Mercer placed 4.9% and Hawaii placed 0.0%. Federal clerkships were 1.4% at Mercer and 3.1% at Hawaii.
Which is harder to get into, Mercer or Hawaii?
Mercer's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 157 and a median GPA of 3.62, with a 37.8% acceptance rate. Hawaii's had 158 and 3.62, with 26.2%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Mercer or Hawaii?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $153K at Mercer and $206K at Hawaii, 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, Mercer or Hawaii?
87% of Mercer students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $20,000 a year among recipients. 69% of Hawaii students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $7,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
86.5% of Mercer's first time takers passed in 2025, against 77.1% at Hawaii. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Mercer or Hawaii?
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