Southwestern Law School ABA 509 Report
The 2025 Standard 509 disclosure for Southwestern Law School, laid out by section: admissions, costs, aid, conditional scholarships, enrolment, bar passage and class composition.
Southwestern Law School's 2025 Standard 509 disclosure reports that 3,584 applicants received 1,307 offers (36.5%), the entering class had a median LSAT of 157, the median grant was $29,166 per year, the first-time bar passage rate was 72.1%.
What this is. Every figure below comes from the school's own Standard 509 filing to the ABA, as published in the public disclosure data. Tables follow the report's own sections rather than a reorganisation by topic, so you can line each number up against the original. Where a school did not report a figure, it saysnot reported — nothing here is filled in with an average or an estimate. How to read these numbers →
Los Angeles, California · Report year 2025 · all Southwestern Law School data →
Admissions
Applications, offers and enrolment for the entering class, plus the LSAT and GPA percentiles of the students who matriculated.
Source: Standard 509(b)(1)
| Completed applications | 3,584 |
|---|---|
| Offers of admission | 1,307 |
| Acceptance rate | 36.5% |
| Enrollees from the applicant pool | 454 |
| Enrolled in the first-year class | 459 |
| First-year class size | 459 |
| LSAT 25th percentile | 154 |
| LSAT median | 157 |
| LSAT 75th percentile | 160 |
| Undergraduate GPA 25th percentile | 3.23 |
| Undergraduate GPA median | 3.51 |
| Undergraduate GPA 75th percentile | 3.72 |
| Students who submitted LSAT scores | 458 |
| Students who submitted GRE scores | 0 |
How Southwestern Law School compares within California
Among the 17 law schools in California that report acceptance rate, Southwestern Law School has the 6th highest.
The 17 law schools in California, ordered by acceptance rate. Schools that did not report a figure are shown as — and are not ranked.
| School | Acceptance rate | Median LSAT | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific, University of the | 54.4% | 156 | 1,248 |
| Santa Clara University | 52.6% | 159 | 2,575 |
| California Western School of Law | 46.9% | 155 | 2,144 |
| Western State, Westcliff University | 43.7% | 152 | 916 |
| University of San Francisco | 42.4% | 155 | 2,100 |
| Southwestern Law School ← this school | 36.5% | 157 | 3,584 |
| University of California-San Francisco | 27.5% | 161 | 4,593 |
| Loyola Marymount University-Los Angeles | 26.1% | 163 | 4,549 |
| University of San Diego | 23.5% | 163 | 4,241 |
| Pepperdine University | 23.4% | 164 | 4,272 |
| Chapman University | 20.5% | 163 | 2,514 |
| University of California-Davis | 16.0% | 165 | 3,896 |
| University of California-Irvine | 14.9% | 169 | 3,720 |
| University of California-Berkeley | 14.8% | 170 | 6,562 |
| University of California-Los Angeles | 12.1% | 171 | 8,623 |
| University of Southern California | 11.2% | 169 | 7,204 |
| Stanford University | 6.1% | 173 | 5,526 |
Tuition, fees and living costs
What the school charges and what it estimates students will spend living.
Source: Standard 509(b)(2)
| Tuition (annual, full-time) | $63,160 |
|---|---|
| Non-resident tuition (annual) | $63,160 |
| Tuition reporting basis | annual |
| Per credit hour | not reported |
| Mandatory fees (full-time) | not reported |
| Living on campus | $36,413 |
| Living off campus | $38,033 |
| Tuition guarantee | no |
How Southwestern Law School compares within California
Among the 16 law schools in California that report annual tuition, Southwestern Law School has the 7th highest.
The 17 law schools in California, ordered by annual tuition. Schools that did not report a figure are shown as — and are not ranked.
| School | Annual tuition | Living off campus |
|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California | $84,034 | $32,298 |
| Stanford University | $77,454 | $51,102 |
| Pepperdine University | $72,920 | $33,700 |
| Loyola Marymount University-Los Angeles | $70,360 | $43,030 |
| University of San Diego | $66,950 | $39,197 |
| California Western School of Law | $64,720 | $34,342 |
| Southwestern Law School ← this school | $63,160 | $38,033 |
| Chapman University | $63,126 | $41,778 |
| Pacific, University of the | $62,678 | $35,081 |
| University of California-Berkeley | $62,532 | $45,866 |
| University of San Francisco | $59,800 | $34,100 |
| University of California-Los Angeles | $59,084 | $40,046 |
| University of California-Irvine | $59,080 | $37,293 |
| University of California-Davis | $57,460 | $33,048 |
| Western State, Westcliff University | $54,840 | $32,140 |
| University of California-San Francisco | $53,087 | $34,466 |
| Santa Clara University | — | $35,618 |
Grants and scholarships awarded
The share of students receiving grant aid, the size of those awards, and how they are distributed across the four funding bands.
Source: Standard 509(b)(2)
| Students receiving grant aid | 72.0% |
|---|---|
| Median grant (per year) | $29,166 |
| 25th percentile grant | $12,500 |
| 75th percentile grant | $42,372 |
| Half tuition or less | 37.0% |
| Above half, below full | 32.0% |
| Full tuition | 1.0% |
| Above full tuition | 2.0% |
How Southwestern Law School compares within California
Among the 17 law schools in California that report median grant, Southwestern Law School has the 12th highest.
The 17 law schools in California, ordered by median grant. Schools that did not report a figure are shown as — and are not ranked.
| School | Median grant | % receiving aid |
|---|---|---|
| Chapman University | $59,500 | 59.0% |
| Stanford University | $52,797 | 50.0% |
| Loyola Marymount University-Los Angeles | $45,000 | 62.0% |
| University of Southern California | $40,092 | 95.0% |
| Santa Clara University | $40,000 | 61.0% |
| California Western School of Law | $37,440 | 60.0% |
| University of San Francisco | $33,718 | 62.0% |
| University of San Diego | $32,000 | 91.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley | $31,158 | 86.0% |
| Pacific, University of the | $30,426 | 93.0% |
| Pepperdine University | $30,000 | 77.0% |
| Southwestern Law School ← this school | $29,166 | 72.0% |
| University of California-Davis | $25,000 | 99.0% |
| University of California-Irvine | $25,000 | 95.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles | $24,456 | 83.0% |
| Western State, Westcliff University | $23,616 | 78.0% |
| University of California-San Francisco | $20,000 | 86.0% |
Conditional scholarships
Awards that must be re-earned each year. The retention figure is the share that kept the award after review.
Source: Standard 509(b)(3)
| Offers conditional scholarships | yes |
|---|---|
| Entering with a conditional award (2024) | 295 |
| Kept the award after year one | 51.9% |
| Award reduced or eliminated | 142 |
How Southwestern Law School compares within California
Among the 11 law schools in California that report retention rate, Southwestern Law School has the 9th highest.
The 17 law schools in California, ordered by retention rate. Schools that did not report a figure are shown as — and are not ranked.
| School | Retention rate | Entering with award |
|---|---|---|
| University of San Diego | 89.3% | 234 |
| University of California-San Francisco | 83.6% | 304 |
| Loyola Marymount University-Los Angeles | 83.3% | 216 |
| Pepperdine University | 76.9% | 117 |
| Santa Clara University | 70.9% | 110 |
| Pacific, University of the | 66.4% | 128 |
| University of San Francisco | 62.5% | 96 |
| Chapman University | 57.1% | 84 |
| Southwestern Law School ← this school | 51.9% | 295 |
| California Western School of Law | 36.7% | 199 |
| Western State, Westcliff University | 33.9% | 115 |
| Stanford University | — | — |
| University of California-Berkeley | — | — |
| University of California-Davis | — | — |
| University of California-Irvine | — | — |
| University of California-Los Angeles | — | — |
| University of Southern California | — | — |
Enrollment
How many students the school enrolled, and how that breaks down by degree.
Source: Standard 509(b)(4)
| Total students enrolled | 1,108 |
|---|---|
| JD students (all years) | 1,108 |
| First-year JD students | 459 |
| Non-JD students | 0 |
| First-year class size | 459 |
How Southwestern Law School compares within California
Among the 17 law schools in California that report jd students, Southwestern Law School has the 2nd highest.
The 17 law schools in California, ordered by jd students. Schools that did not report a figure are shown as — and are not ranked.
| School | JD students | First-year JD |
|---|---|---|
| University of California-Berkeley | 1,128 | 374 |
| Southwestern Law School ← this school | 1,108 | 459 |
| University of California-San Francisco | 1,048 | 382 |
| University of California-Los Angeles | 1,020 | 328 |
| Loyola Marymount University-Los Angeles | 1,000 | 338 |
| Santa Clara University | 746 | 262 |
| University of San Diego | 725 | 240 |
| California Western School of Law | 669 | 269 |
| University of Southern California | 650 | 228 |
| Pacific, University of the | 615 | 212 |
| University of California-Davis | 606 | 209 |
| Stanford University | 570 | 193 |
| Pepperdine University | 553 | 230 |
| University of San Francisco | 510 | 201 |
| University of California-Irvine | 493 | 189 |
| Chapman University | 420 | 153 |
| Western State, Westcliff University | 355 | 120 |
Bar passage
First-time passage is the share passing on the first attempt; ultimate passage counts retakes over two years.
Source: Standard 509(b)(8)
| First-time takers | 290 |
|---|---|
| First-time passers | 209 |
| First-time passage rate | 72.1% |
| Ultimate passage rate (2023) | 92.5% |
| Ultimate passage rate (2024) | 88.0% |
How Southwestern Law School compares within California
Among the 17 law schools in California that report first-time rate, Southwestern Law School has the 15th highest.
The 17 law schools in California, ordered by first-time rate. Schools that did not report a figure are shown as — and are not ranked.
| School | First-time rate | Ultimate rate |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | 99.4% | 99.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles | 96.7% | 97.8% |
| University of California-Berkeley | 94.8% | 97.0% |
| University of Southern California | 94.1% | 96.3% |
| University of California-Davis | 93.2% | 97.0% |
| Pepperdine University | 90.7% | 95.6% |
| University of California-Irvine | 89.9% | 97.4% |
| University of San Diego | 86.7% | 96.8% |
| University of California-San Francisco | 86.3% | 94.0% |
| Santa Clara University | 82.0% | 92.0% |
| Western State, Westcliff University | 81.1% | 89.3% |
| University of San Francisco | 80.9% | 93.6% |
| Chapman University | 80.3% | 87.5% |
| Loyola Marymount University-Los Angeles | 79.7% | 94.6% |
| Southwestern Law School ← this school | 72.1% | 88.0% |
| California Western School of Law | 71.4% | 86.0% |
| Pacific, University of the | 71.1% | 88.2% |
Entering class composition
Race and gender of the entering class, as reported by the school. Categories follow the school's own reporting.
Source: Standard 509(b)(1)
| Students in the entering class | 459 |
|---|---|
| White | 239 |
| Black | 12 |
| Hispanic | 115 |
| Asian | 61 |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0 |
| Multiracial | 25 |
| Race not reported | 7 |
| Men | 185 |
| Women | 269 |
| Another gender | 2 |
| Gender not reported | 3 |
Where to go next
- Admissions funnel — applications through to enrolment, with yield rates
- Cost of attendance — three-year totals, and what aid changes
- Financial aid breakdown — the four funding bands in detail
- Bar passage — first-time and ultimate rates
- Employment outcomes — where graduates went
- Scholarship calculator — what your own LSAT and GPA would place you in
Common questions
What does the Southwestern Law School 509 report show?
Southwestern Law School's 2025 Standard 509 disclosure reports that 3,584 applicants received 1,307 offers (36.5%), the entering class had a median LSAT of 157, the median grant was $29,166 per year, the first-time bar passage rate was 72.1%.
How does Southwestern Law School compare with other law schools in California?
Among the 17 law schools in California that report acceptance rate, Southwestern Law School has the 6th highest.
How many applicants did Southwestern Law School receive, and how many were admitted?
Southwestern Law School received 3,584 completed applications and issued 1,307 offers of admission, an acceptance rate of 36.5%.
What is the tuition and grant aid at Southwestern Law School?
For Southwestern Law School, in-state tuition is $63,160 per year, off-campus living costs are estimated at $38,033, the median grant is $29,166 per year, 72% of students receive grant aid.
What is the bar passage rate at Southwestern Law School?
Southwestern Law School had a first-time bar passage rate of 72.1% across 290 takers in the most recent cycle. The two-year ultimate passage rate was 88.0%.