California Law Schools
17 ABA-Accredited Law Schools • 199,126 active attorneys
All California Law Schools
Compare all 17 ABA-accredited law schools in California. Click column headers to sort.
Table Legend
| Stanford University | #1 | 173 | 3.96 | 6% | 45.3% | 99.4% | $77K |
| University of California - Los Angeles | #13 | 171 | 3.95 | 12% | 54.8% | 96.7% | $71K |
| University of California - Berkeley | #16 | 170 | 3.92 | 15% | 57.2% | 94.8% | $76K |
| University of Southern California | #26 | 169 | 3.91 | 11% | 58.6% | 94.1% | $84K |
| University of California - Irvine | #34 | 169 | 3.80 | 15% | 27.7% | 89.9% | $71K |
| Pepperdine University | #46 | 164 | 3.85 | 23% | 12.0% | 90.7% | $73K |
| University of California - Davis | #52 | 165 | 3.70 | 16% | 22.1% | 93.2% | $70K |
| University of San Diego | #54 | 163 | 3.84 | 24% | 13.1% | 86.7% | $67K |
| Loyola Marymount University | #70 | 163 | 3.74 | 26% | 16.3% | 79.7% | $70K |
| University of California College of Law, San Francisco | #85 | 161 | 3.71 | 27% | 22.9% | 86.3% | $62K |
| Chapman University | #112 | 163 | 3.70 | 21% | 10.0% | 80.3% | $63K |
| Santa Clara University | #150 | 159 | 3.50 | 53% | 16.7% | 82.0% | $68K |
| University of the Pacific - McGeorge | #152 | 156 | 3.52 | 54% | 3.4% | 71.1% | $63K |
| University of San Francisco | #156 | 155 | 3.47 | 42% | 14.0% | 80.9% | $60K |
| Southwestern Law School | #161 | 157 | 3.51 | 36% | 4.1% | 72.1% | $63K |
| California Western School of Law | #175 | 155 | 3.50 | 47% | 3.4% | 71.4% | $65K |
| Western State College of Law at Westcliff University | #175 | 152 | 3.36 | 44% | 2.2% | 81.1% | $55K |
California Bar Exam 2024: Pass Rates & Difficulty
Bar exam statistics and difficulty rating for California law school graduates
Pass Rate Comparison
Understanding Bar Exam Difficulty
Rating 1 (Easiest, 88%+): Very high pass rates indicating easier bar exams or exceptional law school preparation.
Rating 2 (Below Average Difficulty, 83-88%): Above-average pass rates showing moderate difficulty.
Rating 3 (Average Difficulty, 76-83%): Pass rates near national average of ~79%.
Rating 4 (Difficult, 70-76%): Below-average pass rates indicating challenging bar exams.
Rating 5 (Most Difficult, <70%): Significantly below national average. California (68%) and Florida (72%) are notably difficult.
Note: Bar difficulty rating based solely on first-time pass rates from ABA 2024 Bar Passage Statistics. Lower pass rates indicate more challenging bar exams. Individual law school preparation quality also affects outcomes.
California Legal Market Overview
Employment opportunities and top legal employers in California
Market Overview
California boasts the largest legal market in the United States, with significant opportunities in entertainment law, technology law, and traditional BigLaw. Los Angeles and San Francisco are major legal hubs, while Silicon Valley offers unique tech-focused legal positions. The state's large population and diverse economy create demand across all practice areas.
Top Legal Employers in California
Includes BigLaw firms, government offices, and public interest organizations. Rankings are not ordered by size or prestige.
Career Paths in California
Private Sector
- • BigLaw firms (501+ attorneys)
- • Midsize firms (50-100 attorneys)
- • Regional and boutique firms
- • Solo practice and small firms
- • In-house corporate counsel
Public Sector
- • Federal clerkships
- • State and federal prosecutors
- • Public defenders
- • Government agencies
- • Public interest organizations
Frequently Asked Questions
This is backward-looking data that relies on assumptions. Different outcomes are possible. This is not financial advice.