Bar pass rates increased in 2025, new ABA data shows
Bar pass rates for first-time bar candidates increased to 84.1% in 2025 from 83.02% a year earlier, according to data released Wednesday from the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.
Of the 2023 law graduates who took a bar exam, 92.15% passed it within two years of graduation, more than a percentage point higher than the 90.52% for 2022 graduates, according to the data.
“The council is focused on bar passage outcomes as an important indicator of a quality legal education, one that helps to protect the public,” said Jennifer L. Rosato Perea, the managing director for accreditation and legal education at the ABA, in a statement. “Through this report and others, law school applicants can access essential, comprehensive and reliable data to help them make informed decisions, including details about law school costs, admissions criteria, licensure and career outcomes.”
The council operates separately and independently from the ABA, including the collection of a host of law school metrics. The annual comprehensive report on bar admission outcomes relies on information reported to the council by law schools.
Data for council-approved law schools is available online.
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