A Breakdown Of California Bar Exam Results By Law School (February 2018)

Results from the February 2018 administration of the California bar exam were released on May 18, 2018, and on that day, pass rates sank to a record low for the test. As we noted previously, the overall pass rate for the February 2018 exam was 27.3 percent, while the pass rate for first-time takers was 39 percent. The pass rate for retakers was a shockingly low 23 percent. This was the first time since 1986 that the overall pass rate had fallen below 30 percent, and the lowest pass rate recorded in California since 1951, the earliest date listed on the state’s summary of results.

Given the fact that so few of those who took the exam were able to pass it, people have been wondering about the pass rates by law school. Until now, the only information we’ve had with regard to law schools has been the overall pass rates for first-time takers who attended ABA-accredited law schools, both in-state (46 percent) and out-of-state (35 percent). A little more than one month has passed, and now we know all of the bar exam pass rates for California law schools.

Which in-state law schools did the best on the test, and which schools did the worst?

The state bar released figures for law schools that had more than 10 first-time or repeat takers, and this time around, congratulations go out to Santa Clara Law, which claimed the number-one pass rate for first-time takers, with 77 percent of its graduates passing the exam. Second-place honors go to Loyola (LA), with a 70 percent pass rate for first-timers. Considering how poorly other schools did, this is well done.

But how did everyone else do?

Here’s a list of pass rates on the February 2018 administration of the exam for ABA-accredited California law schools that had more than 10 first-time takers:

• Santa Clara: 77 percent
• Loyola (LA): 70 percent
• California Western: 52 percent
• Golden Gate: 50 percent
• ABA STATEWIDE AVERAGE: 45 PERCENT
• San Francisco: 35 percent
• Southwestern: 35 percent
• UC Hastings: 33 percent
• Western State: 29 percent
• Thomas Jefferson: 19 percent
• Whittier: 0 percent

ZERO PERCENT. Ouch! You don’t get to see that pass rate very often. Sorry, Whittier.

Because the February bar exam is primarily a test for repeat takers, that is where the true (sad) story lies for the 2018 California exam. Here’s a list of pass rates for ABA-accredited California law schools that had more than 10 repeat takers:

• UC Berkeley: 63 percent (17/27)
• UCLA: 53 percent (18/34)
• Loyola (LA): 53 percent (54/102)
• UC Davis: 45 percent (19/42)
• UC Hastings: 42 percent (53/127)
• San Diego: 41 percent (19/46)
• Santa Clara: 38 percent (20/53)
• USC: 38 percent (9/24)
• UC Irvine: 36 percent (9/25)
• Chapman: 35 percent (24/69)
• Pepperdine: 35 percent (23/66)
• California Western: 32 percent (22/68)
• Southwestern: 32 percent (55/171)
• ABA STATEWIDE AVERAGE: 31 PERCENT
• San Francisco: 28 percent (21/76)
• McGeorge: 25 percent (18/73)
• Thomas Jefferson: 20 percent (26/133)
• LaVerne: 19 percent (7/36)
• Whittier: 16 percent (20/123)
• Western State: 8 percent (4/50)
• Golden Gate: 7 percent (5/75)

Strangely enough, only one of the law schools in this region has been placed on probation by the American Bar Association (Thomas Jefferson). Given how things turned out on the bar exam this time around, that could be subject to change.

What are your thoughts on the bar passage rates for California’s law schools? Feel free to contact us by email, by text message (646-820-8477), or by tweet (@ATLblog).

Earlier: California Posts Worst Bar Exam Results The State Has Seen In Almost 70 Years

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Staci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.