California Western School of Law

Ranked #175+
2026 US News rankings
San Diego, California

Admissions stats

Accepts GRE
Offers part-time
Median GPA
3.5
Median LSAT
155
Acceptance rate
47%

LSAT vs GPA

See all applications & decisions
Last cycle's acceptance stats

Based on 2025 data from ABA

25TH
50TH
75TH
LSAT
152
155
158
GPA
3.16
3.5
3.66
Admissions funnel

Based on 2025 data from ABA

Count
Percent
Applications
2144
100%
Accepted
1006
47%
Matriculated
242
11%

Your chances

At California Western, your chances increase by 0.7% if your LSAT score increases by 3 points. Subscribe.
LSAT
GPA
Underrepresented minority

Trends

California Western acceptance rate trend

Based on data from ABA

California Western rankings trend

Based on data from US News and World Report

California Western LSAT trend

Based on data from ABA

California Western GPA trend

Based on data from ABA

Employment

Employment outcomes

Based on 2024 data from ABA

Full-time legal employment
74%
Full-time non-legal
10%
Unemployed
16%
Top employment locations

Based on 2024 data from ABA

Location
Jobs
California
151
Arizona
5
Nevada
5
International
1
Jobs by employer type
Based on 2024 data from ABA
Law firms
54%
1-25
38%
26-500
16%
501+
0.9%
Business & industry
4%
Government
9%
Public interest
10%
Clerkship
2%
Federal
1%
State
0.5%
Tribal
0%
International
0%
Education
0.9%
Unemployed
16%

Tuition & costs

Tuition
Annual tuition, 2025-2026
$62,400
Estimated 3 years: $187,200
Cost of living (off-campus)
$34,192
Estimated 3 years
$102,576
Total cost
$62,550
Estimated 3 years
$187,650
Tuition progression
Scholarships
Median scholarship
$30,688
25th percentile: $15,070
75th percentile: $48,224
Scholarship amounts
<50%
47%
50-100%
36%
100%
18%
>100%
0%

Demographics

Out of 650 students in 2024, 61% were women, and 54% were racially or ethnically minoritized [?].

By gender
Students
Men
38%
Women
61%
Other
0.6%
Full-time faculty
Men
53%
Women
47%
Other
0%
Part-time faculty
Men
46%
Women
54%
Other
0%
By race/ethnicity
Students
White
46%
Black
3%
Asian
7%
Hisp
35%
PI
0.2%
AI
0.3%
2+
5%
Unk
3%
Int'l
0%
Graduates
White
51%
Black
3%
Asian
6%
Hisp
28%
PI
0.5%
AI
0.5%
2+
7%
Unk
4%
Int'l
0%
Full-time faculty
White
78%
PoC
22%
Part-time faculty
White
76%
PoC
24%
California Western student and staff demographics

Based on 2024 data from ABA

STUDENTS
GRADUATES
FULL-TIME PROFESSORS
PART-TIME PROFESSORS
Men
248
-
19
32
Women
397
-
17
38
Other gender
4
-
0
0
White
302
112
28
53
Asian
47
12
-
-
Hispanic
227
61
-
-
Black
21
7
-
-
Pacific Islander
1
1
-
-
American Indian
2
1
-
-
International
0
0
-
-
2+ races
30
16
-
-
Other
20
8
-
-
People of Color
348
106
8
17
Frequently asked questions
Is California Western hard to get into?

Admission to California Western is moderately competitive. For the 2025 application cycle, the California Western acceptance rate was 46.92%.

What LSAT score do I need for California Western?

To be a competitive applicant at California Western, you should aim for an LSAT score around the median of 155 and a GPA of 3.5. The middle 50% of accepted students scored between 152 and 158 on the LSAT.

How much does California Western cost?

For the 2025 academic year, California Western tuition is $62,400 for full-time students. When factoring in the cost of living and additional fees, the total estimated cost of attendance is $62,550 per year.

Is California Western a good law school?

Whether California Western is the right fit depends heavily on your specific career goals and target job market. It is currently ranked as 175+ by U.S. News. Prospective students should closely review the school's recent employment outcomes and bar passage rates before applying.

Level up your application with 7Sage Admissions
7Sage's team of admissions officers and professional writers track which application strategies overperform. Learn how to submit the perfect application, nail an interview, or get off the waitlist.
Book a free consultation

Confirm action

Are you sure?