Six law schools record perfect bar pass rates in July

New figures released by the California State Bar show six law schools recording a 100% pass rate for first-time takers on the July bar. Stanford Law School was the only California law school in that group.

Other schools to record a 100% pass rate were: Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School, Cornell University Law School, New York University School of Law, University of Texas at Austin School of Law and Yale University Law School.

All University of California law schools recorded pass rates above 90%, apart from University of California San Francisco, which recorded a pass rate of 85.5%. Other high-performing schools included Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law, with a 90.7% pass rate, and the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, with a 92.9% pass rate.

The statistics reflect the exam data as of Jan. 6, 2026.

The July exam reverted to the traditional format following a widely criticized roll out of a new, California-specific exam in February. Some February takers had to deal with disruptive technological issues. Multiple choice questions, some of which were later confirmed to have been written by artificial intelligence, were also criticized for their poor quality.

In response, the California Supreme Court ordered the bar to return to the MBE.

The pass rate for the two-day general bar exam was 69.7% for first-time takers in July. The pass rate for the July 2024 bar exam was 68.2%. Following revisions in August, the troubled February 2025 exam pass rate was 66.8%.

California ABA approved law schools recorded an 84.4% pass rate. California accredited law schools recorded a 35.1% pass rate. California unaccredited law schools recorded a 40% pass rate.

Full exam pass statistics can be found on the State Bar website.