Home / Compare / California Western School of Law vs San Francisco
California Western School of Law vs San Francisco
California Western School of Law · San Diego, CA | University of San Francisco Law School · San Francisco, 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 Western School of Law | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 46.92% | 42.38% | +4.5 |
| Median LSAT | 155 | 155 | identical |
| Median GPA | 3.5 | 3.47 | +0 |
| Annual tuition | $64,720 | $59,800 | +4,920 |
| 3-year total cost | $297,636 | $278,292 | +19,344 |
| Median grant / year | $37,440 | $33,718 | +3,722 |
| Net tuition after grant | not reported | not reported | — |
| First-year class size | 242 | 201 | +41 |
| Offer yield | not reported | not reported | — |
| Class fill | 97.1% | 98.5% | −1.4 |
| Bar pass (1st time) | 71.4% | 80.9% | −9.4 |
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 Francisco's figure. These are the differences most likely to change a decision.
| Measure | California Western School of Law | San Francisco | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-year class size | 242 | 201 | +41 |
| Bar pass (1st time) | 71.4% | 80.9% | −9.4 |
| Median grant / year | $37,440 | $33,718 | +3,722in dollars |
| Acceptance rate | 46.92% | 42.38% | +4.5percentage points |
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 Western School of Law | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Annual tuition | $64,720 | $59,800 |
| 3-year total cost | $297,636 | $278,292 |
| Median grant / year | $37,440 | $33,718 |
| 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 Western School of Law | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| First-time bar passage | 71.4% | 80.9% |
| Offer yield | 23.4% | 22.2% |
| Class fill | 97.1% | 98.5% |
| Students enrolled | 235 | 198 |
| First-year class size | 242 | 201 |
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 Western School of Law | San Francisco | |
|---|---|---|
| Admissions data | All California Western School of Law admissions data | All San Francisco 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 Francisco pairings, and other alternatives to California Western School of Law.
- No further pairings available for these two schools.
Common questions
What is the acceptance rate at California Western School of Law vs San Francisco?
California Western School of Law admitted 46.92% of applicants while San Francisco admitted 42.38%.
Which is cheaper, California Western School of Law or San Francisco?
Over three years, San Francisco costs $19,344 less. California Western School of Law runs $297,636 and San Francisco runs $278,292, including tuition, mandatory fees and disclosed living costs.
Which school offers more financial aid, California Western School of Law or San Francisco?
California Western School of Law reports a median grant of $37,440 per year for full-time students, compared with $33,718 at San Francisco. Median figures describe past cohorts and are not aid offers.
Source: ABA Standard 509 Required Disclosures, 2025 reporting cycle, for California Western School of Law and University of San Francisco 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.