Home / Compare / Southwestern Law School vs the Pacific (McGeorge)
Southwestern Law School vs the Pacific (McGeorge)
Southwestern Law School · Los Angeles, CA | University of the Pacific (McGeorge) Law School · Sacramento, 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 | Southwestern Law School | the Pacific (McGeorge) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 36.47% | 54.41% | −17.9 |
| Median LSAT | 157 | 156 | +1 |
| Median GPA | 3.51 | 3.52 | −0 |
| Annual tuition | $63,160 | $62,678 | +482 |
| 3-year total cost | $298,719 | $295,197 | +3,522 |
| Median grant / year | $29,166 | $30,426 | −1,260 |
| Net tuition after grant | not reported | not reported | — |
| First-year class size | 459 | 213 | +246 |
| Offer yield | not reported | not reported | — |
| Class fill | 98.9% | 97.2% | +1.7 |
| Bar pass (1st time) | 72.1% | 71.1% | +0.9 |
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 the Pacific (McGeorge)'s figure. These are the differences most likely to change a decision.
| Measure | Southwestern Law School | the Pacific (McGeorge) | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-year class size | 459 | 213 | +246 |
| Acceptance rate | 36.47% | 54.41% | −17.9percentage points |
| Median grant / year | $29,166 | $30,426 | −1,260in dollars |
| Bar pass (1st time) | 72.1% | 71.1% | +0.9 |
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) | Southwestern Law School | the Pacific (McGeorge) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual tuition | $63,160 | $62,678 |
| 3-year total cost | $298,719 | $295,197 |
| Median grant / year | $29,166 | $30,426 |
| 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 | Southwestern Law School | the Pacific (McGeorge) |
|---|---|---|
| First-time bar passage | 72.1% | 71.1% |
| Offer yield | 34.7% | 30.5% |
| Class fill | 98.9% | 97.2% |
| Students enrolled | 454 | 207 |
| First-year class size | 459 | 213 |
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
| Southwestern Law School | the Pacific (McGeorge) | |
|---|---|---|
| Admissions data | All Southwestern Law School admissions data | All the Pacific (McGeorge) 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 the Pacific (McGeorge) pairings, and other alternatives to Southwestern Law School.
- No further pairings available for these two schools.
Common questions
What is the acceptance rate at Southwestern Law School vs the Pacific (McGeorge)?
Southwestern Law School admitted 36.47% of applicants while the Pacific (McGeorge) admitted 54.41%.
Which is cheaper, Southwestern Law School or the Pacific (McGeorge)?
Over three years, the Pacific (McGeorge) costs $3,522 less. Southwestern Law School runs $298,719 and the Pacific (McGeorge) runs $295,197, including tuition, mandatory fees and disclosed living costs.
Which school offers more financial aid, Southwestern Law School or the Pacific (McGeorge)?
Southwestern Law School reports a median grant of $29,166 per year for full-time students, compared with $30,426 at the Pacific (McGeorge). Median figures describe past cohorts and are not aid offers.
Source: ABA Standard 509 Required Disclosures, 2025 reporting cycle, for Southwestern Law School and University of the Pacific (McGeorge) 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.