Best Law Schools in California (2026)
California has 21 ABA-accredited law schools, including Stanford Law School, Berkeley Law and UCLA School of Law. Admitted students have a median LSAT of about 161 and a median GPA near 3.70. Compare every school below by LSAT, GPA, acceptance rate, and tuition — sourced from official ABA 509 disclosures.
21
Law Schools
161
Median LSAT
3.70
Median GPA
27.5%
Median Acceptance
Law Schools in California, Ranked
All 21 ABA-accredited law schools in California, sorted by ranking.
| # | School | LSAT |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Stanford Law School Stanford, CA | 173 |
| 9 | Berkeley Law Berkeley, CA | 170 |
| 15 | UCLA School of Law Los Angeles, CA | 171 |
| 19 | USC Gould School of Law Los Angeles, CA | 169 |
| 38 | UC Irvine School of Law Irvine, CA | 169 |
| 42 | UC Davis School of Law Davis, CA | 165 |
| 54 | Pepperdine Caruso School of Law Malibu, CA | 164 |
| 60 | University of California College of the Law, San Francisco San Francisco, CA | 161 |
| 64 | Loyola Law School Los Angeles, CA | 163 |
| 67 | USD School of Law San Diego, CA | 163 |
| 79 | Santa Clara Law Santa Clara, CA | 159 |
| 90 | USF School of Law San Francisco, CA | 155 |
| 91 | McGeorge School of Law Sacramento, CA | 156 |
| 100 | California Western Law San Diego, CA | 155 |
| 130 | Southwestern Law Los Angeles, CA | 157 |
| 132 | Thomas Jefferson Law San Diego, CA | 148 |
| 133 | Western State Law Irvine, CA | 152 |
| 134 | Whittier Law Costa Mesa, CA | 148 |
| 176 | Golden Gate Law San Francisco, CA | 150 |
| 178 | Chapman Fowler Law Orange, CA | 163 |
| 179 | La Verne Law Ontario, CA | 152 |
Law Schools in California: FAQ
How many ABA-accredited law schools are in California?
There are 21 ABA-accredited law schools in California that AdmitBase tracks, including Stanford Law School, Berkeley Law and UCLA School of Law. Each is listed below with its LSAT median, GPA median, acceptance rate, and tuition.
What are the best law schools in California?
By admissions selectivity and outcomes, the highest-ranked law schools in California are Stanford Law School, Berkeley Law and UCLA School of Law. Rankings are based on official ABA 509 disclosures, not opinion surveys — see the full California table below.
What LSAT score and GPA do you need for law schools in California?
Across California law schools, admitted students have a median LSAT of about 161 and a median GPA of about 3.70. Selective programs sit well above this; regional programs admit below it. Compare your own numbers school-by-school using the AdmitBase match calculator.
How hard is it to get into law schools in California?
The median acceptance rate among California law schools is about 27.5%, ranging from roughly 6.1% at the most selective to 72.5% at the least. Your individual odds depend on your LSAT and GPA versus each school's medians.
Is it easier to get into a law school as a California resident?
At public law schools in California, in-state residents often pay substantially lower tuition and, for some programs, face a more favorable applicant pool. Private programs generally apply one tuition rate and evaluate residents and non-residents the same way. Residency advantage varies by school — check each California listing below.
See Your Match at California Law Schools
Enter your LSAT and GPA to see which California law schools are a Safety, Target, Reach, or Far Reach for you. Free to start.
Get Started FreeStatistics sourced from official ABA 509 disclosures. Updated annually. AdmitBase is an independent admissions-data service and is not affiliated with any school.