2026 CLASS PROFILE AND ABA 509 DATA
Santa Clara Law School Admissions: LSAT, GPA, Cost, and Jobs (2026)
Get admitted to Santa Clara and there's a real shot at biglaw: 29.7% of the 2024 class landed there, well above what most schools at this LSAT band deliver. The median LSAT is 159, the median GPA a 3.5, and the school accepts 52.6% of applicants.
The 2026 entering class
Santa Clara Law School's 2026 entering class had a median LSAT of 161, up 2 from 159 in 2025. The median GPA was 3.52. The school hasn't published its 25th and 75th percentiles yet.
Source: the school's own 2026 class profile, as of September 26, 2026. These numbers can shift until the 2026 ABA 509 reports publish. Everything below this section is 2025 ABA 509 data.
What it takes to get in
These are the school's own reported 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile LSAT and GPA numbers from its ABA Standard 509 filing, the same disclosure every accredited law school has to file each year. The 50th percentile is the median: half the admitted class scored above it, half below.
| Year | LSAT 25th | LSAT 50th | LSAT 75th | GPA 25th | GPA 50th | GPA 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 157 | 159 | 162 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
| 2019 | 153 | 156 | 159 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.5 |
| 2015 | 153 | 155 | 157 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.4 |
The median LSAT is up 3 points since 2019 and the median GPA moved +0.2. The bar moved here.
What it costs
Tuition isn't on file for this school in the 509 master for 2025 or 2024. Check the school's own site before you plan around a number.
61.4% of the class received a grant, and a score at or above the 162 75th percentile is the strongest position for merit aid, since 38.6% pay full sticker.
What you get out (Class of 2024)
| Class year reported | 2024 |
| FT/LT employed, 10 months out | 79.2% |
| Biglaw (101+ lawyer firms) | 29.7% |
| Federal clerkships | 0.5% |
| Government + public interest | 9.4% |
| Bar pass rate | 61.8% |
79.2% of the 2024 class landed a full-time, long-term job within 10 months, and with a 61.8% bar pass rate for that same class, the strong biglaw share doesn't erase the fact that a real chunk of the class doesn't clear the bar on the first try.
Your odds
At 159 on the LSAT and a 3.5 GPA, you're right at Santa Clara's median, with a quarter of admits scoring 162 or better. Below 157 puts you in the bottom quarter, where a 52.6% acceptance rate still leaves room to miss. Run your own numbers through the calculator before you spend a filing fee guessing.
See where you land: the LSAT Unplugged law school chances calculator. What is 1 LSAT point worth here? See the scholarship math.
Schools like Santa Clara
These 6 are the closest match by median LSAT, then median GPA, out of all 196 schools in the 509 master (as of 2026). Use them as your realistic comparison set, not the list of "reach" schools everyone starts with.
FAQ
What LSAT score do you need for Santa Clara Law School?
The median LSAT for Santa Clara's 2025 class is 159, up 3 points from 2019. The 25th percentile is 157 and the 75th is 162.
What GPA do you need for Santa Clara Law School?
The median GPA is 3.5. The 25th percentile is 3.2 and the 75th is 3.7.
What is Santa Clara Law School's acceptance rate?
52.6% for the 2025 cycle, based on 1,354 offers out of 2,575 applications.
How much does Santa Clara Law School cost with and without aid?
Published sticker tuition isn't filed for Santa Clara in this data set. What is filed: 61.4% of the class got a grant, and 38.6% paid full price with nothing off.
What jobs do Santa Clara Law School graduates get?
79.2% of the 2024 graduating class had a full-time, long-term job within 10 months. 29.7% went to firms with 101 or more lawyers, well above the school's LSAT band, and the bar pass rate for that class was 61.8%.
Is Santa Clara Law School worth it at sticker?
Mixed but leaning positive. A 29.7% biglaw placement rate is strong for a 159-median school, and 61.4% of the class gets a grant. The 61.8% bar pass rate is the number to watch: passing on the first attempt isn't a given, and that cost belongs in the math too.
Source: ABA Standard 509 Information Reports, 2015 to 2025, via LSAT Unplugged's 509 master. Verify against the school's filing before relying on it. Last updated 2026-09-30.
