Home / Compare / California College of the Law, San Francisco vs San Diego
California College of the Law, San Francisco vs San Diego
University of California College of the Law, San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | University of San Diego Law School · San Diego, CA
This pairing is listed because these two schools are same state, similar selectivity in California — the circumstances in which one school is a realistic alternative to the other.
Side by side
All figures from the 2025 ABA 509 reporting cycle. Bold marks the stronger figure on each row where a direction exists.
| Measure | California College of the Law, San Francisco | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 27.48% | 23.51% | +4.0 |
| Median LSAT | 161 | 163 | −2 |
| Median GPA | 3.71 | 3.84 | −0 |
| Annual tuition | $53,087 | $66,950 | −13,863 |
| 3-year total cost | $266,385 | $320,844 | −54,459 |
| Median grant / year | $20,000 | $32,000 | −12,000 |
| Net tuition after grant | not reported | not reported | — |
| First-year class size | 380 | 240 | +140 |
| Offer yield | not reported | not reported | — |
| Class fill | 98.4% | 99.6% | −1.2 |
| Bar pass (1st time) | 86.3% | 86.7% | −0.5 |
Bold is not a recommendation. On cost and acceptance it marks the lower number; on grant aid and bar passage the higher one. Where no direction applies — median LSAT, GPA and class size — nothing is bolded, because a higher median LSAT is not obviously better than a lower one for a given applicant.
Where the two differ most
Ranked by the size of the gap relative to San Diego's figure. These are the differences most likely to change a decision.
| Measure | California College of the Law, San Francisco | San Diego | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-year class size | 380 | 240 | +140 |
| Median grant / year | $20,000 | $32,000 | −12,000in dollars |
| Annual tuition | $53,087 | $66,950 | −13,863in dollars |
| 3-year total cost | $266,385 | $320,844 | −54,459in dollars |
Cost compared
Both schools report tuition, mandatory fees and living costs, so a full three-year figure can be computed for each. This is the comparison that tuition-only rankings cannot make.
| Component (per year) | California College of the Law, San Francisco | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Annual tuition | $53,087 | $66,950 |
| 3-year total cost | $266,385 | $320,844 |
| Median grant / year | $20,000 | $32,000 |
| Net tuition after median grant | — | — |
Net tuition subtracts the median grant from annual tuition. It is an optimistic floor: the median covers only students who received aid, and it assumes the same award holds for all three years. See the full cost ranking for every school.
Outcomes compared
| Measure | California College of the Law, San Francisco | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| First-time bar passage | 86.3% | 86.7% |
| Offer yield | 29.6% | 24.0% |
| Class fill | 98.4% | 99.6% |
| Students enrolled | 374 | 239 |
| First-year class size | 380 | 240 |
The national median offer yield is 31.6%. Offer yield measures how many admitted students chose each school; class fill measures whether the class was filled. A low yield is common and usually reflects a wide offer policy rather than a school students avoid.
Choosing between them
- There is no better school here, only a different one. These figures describe cohort averages. Where your own profile falls relative to a school's admitted range matters more than any published median.
- Cost is a family question, not a ranking. The three-year figure covers tuition, fees and published living costs. It does not include books, a laptop, travel home, or the income lost to three years of not working.
- Grant figures are history, not offers. Both medians describe past cohorts. Your award depends on your circumstances, the school's policy and its aid budget that year.
- Bar passage is heavily shaped by selectivity. A school that admits broadly and passes fewer of its own admittees is not necessarily providing a weaker education; the comparison is confounded by who each school chooses.
Full details on each school
| California College of the Law, San Francisco | San Diego | |
|---|---|---|
| Admissions data | All California College of the Law, San Francisco admissions data | All San Diego admissions data |
| Admissions funnel | Funnel & yield | Funnel & yield |
| Financial aid | Grants & aid bands | Grants & aid bands |
| Cost | Cost of attendance | Cost of attendance |
Other comparisons
Other San Diego pairings, and other alternatives to California College of the Law, San Francisco.
- No further pairings available for these two schools.
Common questions
What is the acceptance rate at California College of the Law, San Francisco vs San Diego?
California College of the Law, San Francisco admitted 27.48% of applicants while San Diego admitted 23.51%.
Which is cheaper, California College of the Law, San Francisco or San Diego?
Over three years, California College of the Law, San Francisco costs $54,459 less. California College of the Law, San Francisco runs $266,385 and San Diego runs $320,844, including tuition, mandatory fees and disclosed living costs.
Which school offers more financial aid, California College of the Law, San Francisco or San Diego?
California College of the Law, San Francisco reports a median grant of $20,000 per year for full-time students, compared with $32,000 at San Diego. Median figures describe past cohorts and are not aid offers.
Source: ABA Standard 509 Required Disclosures, 2025 reporting cycle, for University of California College of the Law, San Francisco and University of San Diego Law School. Three-year cost totals multiply one year of disclosed tuition, mandatory fees and living costs by three; the 509 does not disclose program length. Figures describe the most recent entering class and past aid cohorts. Not financial advice and not a recommendation of either school.