80.35% Average Bar Exam Pass Rate
A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Generally, earning a degree from a law school is a prerequisite for taking the bar exam.
In 2026, the average pass rate of bar exam is 80.35%. A total of 33,464 law school graduates have taken and 26,532 passed the bar exam.
Harvard Law School has the highest bar exam pass rate of 97.86% - 595 graduates passed the exam out of 608. Duke University School of Law and University of Chicago Law School follow it with 97.48% and 97.42% respectively.
Marquette Law is excluded for the ranking, which has 100% bar exam pass rate, but only 1 student took and passed the exam.
For comparison, you may want to explore law schools with the lowest bar exam pass rate.
Top 25 Law Schools with the Highest Bar Exam Pass Rate
The following table compares the top 25 Law Schools with the Highest Bar Exam Pass Rate with important academic indicators.
The rankings include 8 public and 17 law schools are included.
The average acceptance rate of the schools is 15.09% and the yield is 33.93%. The acceptance rate of Law Schools with the Highest Bar Exam Pass Rate is very low, compared to average rate of all law schools, 36.09%.
The average LSAT score submitted by enrolled students is 170 and the average GPA is 3.91 at Law Schools with the Highest Bar Exam Pass Rate. Their LSAT scores are very high, compared to average LSAT score of all law schools, 160.
For the Law Schools with the Highest Bar Exam Pass Rate, the average 2027 tuition & fees is $54,376 state residents and $65,042 for out-of-state students in public law schools. In private law schools in the rankings, the tuition & fees is $82,638. The average financial aid amount of them is $32,588 which is 42.32% of tuition & fees.
| Rank | School | Bar Exam Pass Rate | Exam Taker | Exam Passer | Acceptance Rate | Tuition & Fees | LSAT Score | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard Law SchoolPrivateCambridge, MA | 97.86% | 608 | 595 | 9.20% | $86,344 | 174 | 2,025 |
| 2 | Duke University School of LawPrivateDurham, NC | 97.48% | 278 | 271 | 12.88% | $85,074 | 171 | 830 |
| 3 | University of Chicago Law SchoolPrivateChicago, IL | 97.42% | 194 | 189 | 9.74% | $88,500 | 174 | 710 |
| 4 | New York University School of LawPrivateNew York, NY | 96.72% | 519 | 502 | 13.39% | $90,638 | 172 | 2,172 |
| 5 | University of Pennsylvania Law SchoolPrivatePhiladelphia, PA | 96.70% | 303 | 293 | 8.05% | $88,184 | 173 | 1,032 |
| 6 | Yale Law SchoolPrivateNew Haven, CT | 96.50% | 200 | 193 | 4.06% | $81,818 | 174 | 676 |
| 6 | Stanford Law SchoolPrivateStanford, CA | 96.50% | 200 | 193 | 6.10% | $82,122 | 173 | 670 |
| 8 | Cornell Law SchoolPrivateIthaca, NY | 96.41% | 195 | 188 | 18.19% | $88,609 | 173 | 933 |
| 9 | Texas A&M University School of LawPublicFort Worth, TX | 95.98% | 174 | 167 | 12.10% | $50,145 | 169 | 2,396 |
| 10 | University of Texas School of LawPublicAustin, TX | 95.86% | 411 | 394 | 13.99% | $56,822 | 172 | 960 |
| 11 | Columbia Law SchoolPrivateNew York, NY | 95.85% | 506 | 485 | 11.84% | $92,194 | 173 | 1,740 |
| 12 | University of Michigan Law SchoolPublicAnn Arbor, MI | 95.57% | 316 | 302 | 8.57% | $83,422 | 171 | 1,032 |
| 13 | Belmont University College of LawPrivateNashville, TN | 95.00% | 120 | 114 | 37.62% | $59,155 | 161 | 372 |
| 14 | University of Virginia School of LawPublicCharlottesville, VA | 94.98% | 299 | 284 | 10.17% | $84,900 | 173 | 982 |
| 15 | Baylor Law SchoolPrivateWaco, TX | 94.92% | 197 | 187 | 20.59% | $69,605 | 164 | 448 |
| 16 | S.J. Quinney College of LawPublicSalt Lake City, UT | 94.74% | 95 | 90 | 25.28% | $48,055 | 166 | 354 |
| 17 | Vanderbilt University Law SchoolPrivateNashville, TN | 94.51% | 164 | 155 | 13.26% | $81,492 | 170 | 656 |
| 18 | Los Angeles School of LawPublicLos Angeles, CA | 94.23% | 364 | 343 | 12.05% | $76,992 | 171 | 1,376 |
| 19 | University of Minnesota Law SchoolPublicMinneapolis, MN | 94.09% | 237 | 223 | 26.70% | $67,710 | 171 | 707 |
| 20 | Gould School of LawPrivateLos Angeles, CA | 94.01% | 217 | 204 | 11.17% | $88,436 | 169 | 1,543 |
| 21 | Boston College Law SchoolPrivateNewton, MA | 93.82% | 340 | 319 | 8.48% | $75,680 | 168 | 638 |
| 22 | Washington University School of LawPrivateSt. Louis, MO | 93.57% | 280 | 262 | 18.96% | $76,589 | 175 | 1,122 |
| 23 | University of Illinois College of LawPublicChampaign, IL | 93.56% | 202 | 189 | 32.93% | $52,293 | 166 | 670 |
| 24 | Georgetown University Law CenterPrivateWashington, DC | 93.05% | 633 | 589 | 15.75% | $87,588 | 171 | 3,028 |
| 25 | Fordham University School of LawPrivateNew York, NY | 92.98% | 456 | 424 | 16.22% | $82,814 | 168 | 1,691 |
*The tuition & fees for the 2026-2027 academic year and Other admission date is for the 2025-2026.