Deconstructing USNWR Bar Passage Rates

USNWR reports bar passage rates, and the state for which the results are applicable.  They also show the state bar passage rate.  They rate the schools by comparing the ratio of bar passage to the state rate.  For instance, Berkeley's 93% in California, a state with a 63% pass rate, counts more than Chicago's 97% in Illinois, which has a state pass rate of 82%.

That analysis makes sense.  But there is also an important argument for looking at raw pass rate (as opposed to adjusted).  In states with a single law school, the state's bar pass rate is virtually represented by the school's pass rate, so the adjustment has to be near 0.  And schools with high pass rates, like Chicago, wind up being penalized

So as not to prejudice these schools, I've decided to include a combined ranking that includes the raw and adjusted pass rates.  But for those who disagree, I've shown the separate rankings as well.  Use the ones that seem meaningful to you.

Of course, if you're not taking the bar exam in the listed state, you might prefer knowing how well the students do overall.  Unfortunately, no one publishes that data.  Can you assume the rate will be equally good?  I think not.  The ABA Guide to Law Schools, 2000 ed., shows Cornell as having a 95% bar passage rate for New York, but a 77% rate for California.  Is this an argument for taking the home state bar?  Again, evidence indicates not.  Howard has a respectable 65% bar passage rate for New York (compared to the state's 76% rate), but an abysmal 33% for Maryland, which has a state pass rate of 72%.  

Finally, for ease in comparing the most popular state bar exams, there's a mini-chart below the full one.

Note:  Schools marked with an asterisk in the "state" column did not report bar passage rates in USNWR.  I used the data reported in the ABA Guide to Law schools, 2000 ed.  Students at Wisconsin law schools are automatically admitted to the Wisconsin Bar, so the Illinois passage rate shown here is in addition to the 100% Wisconsin pass rate.  

school Bpass bprank state St.pass % var %rank tot totrank
Cal-Berkeley 93 18 CA 63 48 1 141 1
Stanford 88 39 CA 63 40 2 128 2
Cal-Hastings 87 51 CA 63 38 3 125 3
NYU 96 3 NY 76 26 8 122 4
Marquette 100 1 IL* 82 22 16 122 4
Yale 95 7 NY 76 25 9 120 6
Penn 95 7 NY 76 25 9 120 6
Duke 95 7 NY 76 25 9 120 6
Alabama 96 3 AL 78 23 16 119 9
Louisiana St. 83 75 LA 61 36 4 119 9
Harvard 94 13 NY 76 24 12 118 11
Michigan 94 13 NY 76 24 12 118 11
Cornell 94 13 NY 76 24 12 118 11
Campbell 94 13 NC 77 22 16 116 14
Emory 96 3 GA 80 20 21 116 14
Chicago 97 2 IL 82 18 27 115 16
Cal-UCLA 83 75 CA 63 32 5 115 16
Southern Cal. 83 75 CA 63 32 5 115 16
Northwestern 96 3 IL 82 17 31 113 19
Georgetown 92 22 NY 76 21 20 113 19
Colorado 93 18 CO 78 19 24 112 21
Wash & Lee 88 39 VA 71 24 12 112 21
Boston College 92 22 MA 77 19 24 111 23
Washington 88 39 WA 72 22 16 110 24
Cal-Davis 81 90 CA 63 29 7 110 24
George Wash. 90 29 NY 76 18 27 108 26
Hawaii 90 29 HI 76 18 27 108 26
Baylor 93 18 TX 81 15 38 108 26
Wayne State 93 18 MI 81 15 38 108 26
Villanova 88 39 PA 74 19 24 107 30
Columbia 89 34 NY 76 17 31 106 31
William & Mary 85 64 VA 71 20 21 105 32
N. Carolina 89 34 NC 77 16 33 105 32
Boston U. 89 34 MA 77 16 33 105 32
Minnesota 95 7 MN 87 9 54 104 35
Fordham 88 39 NY 76 16 33 104 35
Cincinnati 88 39 OH 76 16 33 104 35
Virginia 84 68 VA 71 18 27 102 38
Wake Forest 88 39 NC 77 14 40 102 38
Houston 90 29 TX 81 11 45 101 40
Kentucky 91 25 KY 83 10 50 101 40
Stetson 89 34 FL 80 11 45 100 42
Ind. Indianapolis 94 13 IN 89 6 69 100 42
Brigham Young 95 7 UT 91 4 87 99 44
Utah 95 7 UT 91 4 87 99 44
MO-Columbia 91 25 MO 84 8 60 99 44
Oklahoma 90 29 OK 83 8 60 98 47
Georgia 88 39 GA 80 10 50 98 47
Nebraska 91 25 NE 86 6 69 97 49
Texas 88 39 TX 81 9 54 97 49
Memphis 86 57 TN 78 10 50 96 51
Samford 86 57 AL 78 10 50 96 51
Florida 87 51 FL 80 9 54 96 51
Montana 92 22 MT 89 3 93 95 54
Illinois 88 39 IL 82 7 67 95 54
Rutgers-Camden 81 90 NJ 71 14 40 95 54
Ohio State 84 68 OH 76 11 45 95 54
Texas Tech 87 51 TX 81 7 67 94 58
Iowa 89 34 IA 85 5 79 94 58
Mercer 86 57 GA 80 8 60 94 58
Ind. Bloomington 91 25 IN 89 2 97 93 61
S. Carolina 87 51 SC 82 6 69 93 61
Rutgers-Newark 80 96 NJ 71 13 43 93 61
Tulane 73 126 LA 61 20 21 93 61
Brooklyn 83 75 NY 76 9 54 92 65
Arizona 86 57 AZ 81 6 69 92 65
S.Texas 86 57 TX 81 6 69 92 65
Tennessee 84 68 TN 78 8 60 92 65
Drake 88 39 IA 85 4 87 92 65
Florida St. 85 64 FL 80 6 69 91 70
Loyola-Chicago 86 57 IL 82 5 79 91 70
Pittsburgh 81 90 PA 74 9 54 90 72
Penn State 81 90 PA 74 9 54 90 72
Creighton 88 39 NE 86 2 97 90 72
Seton Hall 79 103 NJ 71 11 45 90 72
Arizona St. 85 64 AZ 81 5 79 90 72
Vermont 82 82 VT 76 8 60 90 72
Connecticut 86 57 CT 83 4 87 90 72
Georgia St. 84 68 GA 80 5 79 89 79
Santa Clara 73 126 CA 63 16 33 89 79
Mississippi 85 64 MS 82 4 87 89 79
Northeastern 82 82 MA 77 6 69 88 82
N. C. Central 82 82 NC* 77 6 69 88 82
Duquesne 80 96 PA 74 8 60 88 82
New Mexico 90 29 NM 92 -2 117 88 82
Pepperdine 72 130 CA 63 14 40 86 86
Kansas 87 51 KS 88 -1 107 86 86
Detroit Mercy 83 75 MI 81 2 97 85 88
Case Western 80 96 OH 76 5 79 85 88
Albany 80 96 NY 76 5 79 85 88
Akron 80 96 OH 76 5 79 85 88
W. Virginia 84 68 WV 83 1 100 85 88
Valparaiso 87 51 IN 89 -2 117 85 88
Loyola-L.A. 71 135 CA 63 13 43 84 94
Saint John's 79 103 NY 76 4 87 83 95
Notre Dame 82 82 IL 82 0 102 82 96
S. Dakota 84 68 SD 86 -2 117 82 96
Idaho 79 103 ID 77 3 93 82 96
San Diego 70 142 CA 63 11 45 81 99
Louisville 82 82 KY 83 -1 107 81 99
Quinnipiac 82 82 CT 83 -1 107 81 99
N. Kentucky 82 82 KY 83 -1 107 81 99
Oklahoma City 82 82 OK 83 -1 107 81 99
Richmond 75 119 VA 71 6 69 81 99
Wisconsin 81 90 IL 82 -1 107 80 105
N. Dakota 83 75 ND 86 -3 121 80 105
Washburn 84 68 KS 88 -5 135 79 107
Wyoming 73 126 WY 69 6 69 79 107
Thomas Cooley 80 96 MI 81 -1 107 79 107
William Mitchell 83 75 MN 87 -5 135 78 110
Cardozo 77 112 NY 76 1 100 78 110
Miss. Coll 80 96 MS 82 -2 117 78 110
Wash. U. 81 90 MO 84 -4 128 77 113
Syracuse 76 116 NY 76 0 102 76 114
San Francisco 68 152 CA 63 8 60 76 114
Vanderbilt 77 112 TN 78 -1 107 76 114
Denver 77 112 CO 78 -1 107 76 114
DePaul 79 103 IL 82 -4 128 75 118
S. Illinois 79 103 IL 82 -4 128 75 118
Saint Mary's 78 108 TX* 81 -4 128 74 120
Ark. Little Rock 71 135 AR 69 3 93 74 120
Chicago-Kent 78 108 IL 82 -5 135 73 122
SMU 77 112 TX 81 -5 135 72 123
Buffalo-SUNY 74 122 NY 76 -3 121 71 124
Hofstra 74 122 NY 76 -3 121 71 124
Nova 76 116 FL 80 -5 135 71 124
MO-Kansas City 78 108 MO 84 -7 145 71 124
Southwest 66 158 CA 63 5 79 71 124
Oregon 69 147 OR 69 0 102 69 129
Maine 69 147 ME 69 0 102 69 129
Lewis & Clark 69 147 OR 69 0 102 69 129
Miami 75 119 FL 80 -6 143 69 129
Golden Gate 65 159 CA 63 3 93 68 133
American 72 130 MD 75 -4 128 68 133
Baltimore 72 130 MD 75 -4 128 68 133
Franklin Pierce 74 122 NH 79 -6 143 68 133
Hamline 78 108 MN 87 -10 154 68 133
Detroit C./MSU 75 119 MI 81 -7 145 68 133
Seattle 70 142 WA 72 -3 121 67 139
Roger Wms 70 142 RI 72 -3 121 67 139
NYLS 72 130 NY 76 -5 135 67 139
Willamette 68 152 OR 69 -1 107 67 139
Saint Louis 76 116 MO 84 -10 154 66 143
Maryland 71 135 MD 75 -5 135 66 143
Pace 71 135 NY 76 -7 145 64 145
Dayton 71 135 OH 76 -7 145 64 145
Cleveland St. 71 135 OH 76 -7 145 64 145
Saint Thomas 73 126 FL 80 -9 152 64 145
Ark-Fayetteville 67 156 AR 69 -3 121 64 145
George Mason 68 152 VA 71 -4 128 64 145
Tulsa 74 122 OK 83 -11 157 63 151
Temple 69 147 PA 74 -7 145 62 152
Toledo 70 142 OH 76 -8 151 62 152
Suffolk 70 142 MA 77 -9 152 61 154
Texas Wesleyan 72 130 TX 81 -11 157 61 154
New England 69 147 MA 77 -10 154 59 156
McGeorge 61 165 CA 63 -3 121 58 157
N. Illinois 71 135 IL 82 -13 163 58 157
Catholic 67 156 MD 75 -11 157 56 159
W. New England 68 152 MA 77 -12 161 56 159
Loyola-N.O. 58 166 LA 61 -5 135 53 161
Gonzaga 64 164 WA 72 -11 157 53 161
Widener 65 159 PA 74 -12 161 53 161
Howard 65 159 NY* 76 -14 164 51 164
Capital 65 159 OH 76 -14 164 51 164
John Marshall 65 159 IL 82 -21 168 44 166
Cal. Western 54 169 CA 63 -14 164 40 167
Regent 58 166 VA 71 -18 167 40 167
Touro 57 168 NY 76 -25 169 32 169
Whittier 47 172 CA 63 -25 169 22 170
Texas Southern 54 169 TX 81 -33 171 21 171
Ohio Northern 50 171 OH 76 -34 172 16 172
NY-CUNY 46 173 NY* 76 -39 173 7 173
Southern 36 174 LA* 61 -41 174 -5 174

school Bpass

California Bar
Berkeley 93
Stanford 88
Hastings 87
UCLA 83
Southern Cal. 83
Davis 81
Santa Clara 73
Pepperdine 72
Loyola-L.A. 71
San Diego 70
San Francisco 68
Southwest 66
Golden Gate 65
McGeorge 61
Cal. Western 54
Whittier 47

Illinois Bar
Marquette 100
Chicago 97
Northwestern 96
Illinois 88
Loyola-Chicago 86
Notre Dame 82
Wisconsin 81
DePaul 79
S. Illinois 79
Chicago-Kent 78
N. Illinois 71
John Marshall 65

New York Bar
NYU 96
Yale 95
Penn 95
Duke 95
Harvard 94
Michigan 94
Cornell 94
Georgetown 92
George Wash. 90
Columbia 89
Fordham 88
Brooklyn 83
Albany 80
Saint John's 79
Cardozo 77
Syracuse 76
Buffalo-SUNY 74
Hofstra 74
NYLS 72
Pace 71
Touro 57
Howard 65
NY-CUNY 46

Ohio Bar
Cincinnati 88
Ohio State 84
Case Western 80
Akron 80
Dayton 71
Cleveland St. 71
Toledo 70
Capital 65
Ohio Northern 50

Texas Bar
Baylor 93
Houston 90
Texas 88
Texas Tech 87
S.Texas 86
Saint Mary's 78
SMU 77
Texas Wesleyan 72
Texas Southern 54

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