ABA Standard 509 · 2025 cycle · Last synced May 31, 2026

Santa Clara University School of Law

California · Private · School ID: santa-clara-university

Santa Clara University School of Law is a private law school in California. In the most recent ABA Standard 509 cycle it reported a 74.8% first-time bar passage rate (state average 78.0%). 79.8% of graduates landed full-time, long-term JD-required or JD-advantage jobs, and 19.2% joined large firms of 251+ attorneys. Resident tuition is $65,540 per year; a median grant of $40,000 brings median net tuition to about $25,540. The median LSAT is 159 with a 52.6% acceptance rate.

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Admissions

LSAT (25 / 50 / 75)157 / 159 / 162
uGPA (25 / 50 / 75)3.21 / 3.50 / 3.74
Acceptance rate52.6%
Applications received2,575
Offers extended1,354
1L enrollment256
Total JD enrollment746
GRE-only takers18
Transfers in / out4 / 4

Cost & scholarships

Resident tuition$65,540
Non-resident tuition$65,540
Mandatory fees
Living-expense estimate$35,618
Median grant$40,000
Grant 25 / 75 percentile$30,000 / $57,262
No-grant share38.6%
< half-tuition grants17.4%
Half-to-full grants24.1%
Full-tuition grants18.4%
Above-full grants (stipend)1.4%
Conditional-scholarship loss rate

Bar passage

First-Time Bar (2024 cohort)74.8%
Two-Year Ultimate Bar88.0%
State average (same exam)78.0%
Difference vs. state-3.2 pts

Different cohorts: first-time bar passage reflects graduates who entered law school about three years before the current admissions class shown above. Read the two as separate snapshots, not a single pipeline.

Job outcomes (10 months after graduation)

Total graduates198
FTLT (full-time, long-term, JD-required/advantage)79.8%
Bar-required jobs75.3%
MegaLaw 500+16.7%
BigLaw 251–5002.5%
Mid 101–2504.0%
Small 2–10032.8%
Solo1.0%
Clerkships1.0%
Government6.6%
Public interest8.6%
Business / industry8.1%
Academia2.0%
Seeking employment11.1%

Top destination states (2024)

Demographics (current JD enrollment)

Male enrollment295 (39.5%)
Female enrollment451 (60.5%)
White310
Black19
Hispanic146
Asian204
Two or more races47
Other / unreported20

Faculty

Total faculty139
Full-time53
Faculty of color31

State market context

Mean attorney salary in state$213,860

Frequently asked questions

What is the first-time bar passage rate at Santa Clara University School of Law?

Santa Clara University School of Law reported a 74.8% first-time bar passage rate in the most recent ABA Standard 509 disclosure, versus a 78.0% state average.

How much does Santa Clara University School of Law cost?

Resident tuition at Santa Clara University School of Law is $65,540 per year (about $196,620 over three years). The median grant is $40,000, bringing median net tuition to roughly $25,540 per year.

What LSAT and GPA do you need for Santa Clara University School of Law?

The median (50th-percentile) LSAT at Santa Clara University School of Law is 159 and the median GPA is 3.50; the acceptance rate is 52.6%.

What are the job outcomes at Santa Clara University School of Law?

79.8% of Santa Clara University School of Law graduates held full-time, long-term JD-required or JD-advantage jobs about ten months after graduation. 19.2% joined large firms of 251+ attorneys. 11.1% were still seeking employment.

Other law schools in California

Source: ABA Standard 509 Required Disclosure for Santa Clara University, published by the American Bar Association at abarequireddisclosures.org. State attorney salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2024 (occupation code 23-1011). Cost-of-living from U.S. BEA Regional Price Parities. Methodology: /methodology.html.