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.
Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law has the lowest bar exam pass rate of 48.18% - 66 graduates passed the exam out of 137. Cooley Law School and Widener Law Commonwealth follow it with 51.54% and 54.00% 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 highest bar exam pass rate.
Top 25 Law Schools with the Lowest Bar Exam Pass Rate
The following table compares the top 25 Law Schools with the Lowest Bar Exam Pass Rate with important academic indicators.
The rankings include 9 public and 16 law schools are included.
The average acceptance rate of the schools is 49.20% and the yield is 36.25%. The acceptance rate of Law Schools with the Lowest Bar Exam Pass Rate is average, compared to average rate of all law schools, 36.09%.
The average LSAT score submitted by enrolled students is 151 and the average GPA is 3.37 at Law Schools with the Lowest Bar Exam Pass Rate. Their LSAT scores are low, compared to average LSAT score of all law schools, 160.
For the Law Schools with the Lowest Bar Exam Pass Rate, the average 2027 tuition & fees is $21,937 state residents and $30,942 for out-of-state students in public law schools. In private law schools in the rankings, the tuition & fees is $50,505. The average financial aid amount of them is $17,720 which is 40.77% of tuition & fees.
| Rank | School | Bar Exam Pass Rate | Exam Taker | Exam Passer | Acceptance Rate | Tuition & Fees | LSAT Score | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of LawPrivateSan Juan, PR | 48.18% | 137 | 66 | 50.92% | $17,760 | 144 | 654 |
| 2 | Cooley Law SchoolPrivateLansing, MI | 51.54% | 130 | 67 | 52.91% | $52,900 | 147 | 476 |
| 3 | Widener Law CommonwealthPrivateHarrisburg, PA | 54.00% | 100 | 54 | 60.40% | $60,688 | 150 | 411 |
| 4 | Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of LawPrivatePonce, PR | 54.90% | 102 | 56 | 61.54% | $18,344 | 139 | 479 |
| 5 | North Carolina Central University School of LawPublicDurham, NC | 55.94% | 143 | 80 | 39.06% | $40,050 | 151 | 361 |
| 6 | Roger Williams University School of LawPrivateBristol, RI | 57.06% | 177 | 101 | 61.32% | $50,304 | 150 | 489 |
| 7 | Northern Illinois University College of LawPublicDeKalb, IL | 57.14% | 91 | 52 | 44.27% | $26,925 | 150 | 352 |
| 8 | University of Puerto Rico School of LawPublicSan Juan, PR | 58.27% | 127 | 74 | 39.69% | $9,280 | 152 | 450 |
| 9 | University of Massachusetts School of LawPublicNorth Dartmouth, MA | 58.33% | 108 | 63 | 52.17% | $44,610 | 152 | 389 |
| 10 | Southern Illinois University School of LawPublicCarbondale, IL | 59.49% | 79 | 47 | 56.22% | $22,635 | 149 | 313 |
| 11 | University of Illinois Chicago School of LawPublicChicago, IL | 60.14% | 296 | 178 | 52.57% | $48,573 | 153 | 1,015 |
| 12 | Southern University Law CenterPublicBaton Rouge, LA | 60.33% | 121 | 73 | 56.55% | $34,332 | 147 | 809 |
| 13 | Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law CenterPrivateCentral Islip, NY | 61.69% | 154 | 95 | 45.62% | $64,590 | 153 | 606 |
| 14 | California Western School of LawPrivateSan Diego, CA | 62.91% | 213 | 134 | 46.92% | $67,840 | 155 | 669 |
| 15 | Appalachian School of LawPrivateGrundy, VA | 63.16% | 38 | 24 | 60.93% | $42,880 | 146 | 182 |
| 16 | Mississippi College School of LawPrivateJackson, MS | 63.41% | 123 | 78 | 59.80% | $41,176 | 152 | 401 |
| 17 | Western State College of LawPrivateIrvine, CA | 63.64% | 77 | 49 | 43.67% | $58,738 | 152 | 355 |
| 18 | Duncan School of LawPrivateKnoxville, TN | 63.73% | 102 | 65 | 52.17% | $45,050 | 153 | 429 |
| 19 | Southwestern Law SchoolPrivateLos Angeles, CA | 64.93% | 288 | 187 | 36.47% | $65,686 | 157 | 1,108 |
| 19 | Vermont Law SchoolPrivateSouth Royalton, VT | 64.93% | 134 | 87 | 58.53% | $58,395 | 152 | 914 |
| 21 | David A. Clarke School of LawPublicWashington, DC | 65.57% | 61 | 40 | 36.98% | $25,873 | 151 | 236 |
| 22 | City University of New York School of LawPublicLong Island City, NY | 65.67% | 201 | 132 | 28.65% | $26,204 | 155 | 695 |
| 23 | St. Mary's University School of LawPrivateSan Antonio, TX | 65.84% | 243 | 160 | 25.98% | $47,298 | 153 | 987 |
| 24 | Ave Maria School of LawPrivateNaples, FL | 65.88% | 85 | 56 | 46.95% | $53,750 | 155 | 334 |
| 25 | Widener Law DelawarePrivateWilmington, DE | 66.30% | 181 | 120 | 59.68% | $62,687 | 152 | 883 |
*The tuition & fees for the 2026-2027 academic year and Other admission date is for the 2025-2026.