Gould School of Law - University of Southern California
#26 in Best Law Schools
#9 in Lowest Acceptance Rate
#5 in Expensive Law School Tuition
#10 in Largest Law Schools
Founded in 1896, Gould School of Law - University of Southern California is a Private (not-for-profit) school located in Los Angeles, CA. The next statements briefly introduces Gould School of Law. The 2026 tuition data is from the school's financial office and admission and other information is based on American Bar Association (ABA) data.
- The average LSAT Score of enrolled students is 169 where the national average LSAT is 160.
- The average GPA of enrolled students is 3.91 where the national average GPA is 3.65.
- The 2027 law school tuition & fees is $88,436 where the national average law school tuition is $55,459.
- The acceptance rate at is 11.2% where the average acceptance rate is 36.1%.
- Total 1,543 law school students have enrolled.
- The bar exam pass rate (for first-time exam takers) is 94.0% where the average pass rate of all law schools is 80.3%.
2027 Tuition & Fees
The 2026-2027 law school tuition at Gould School of Law - University of Southern California is $88,436. The law school tuition has increased by 2.89% from last year. The undergraduate tuition & fees is $71,647. The graduate school tuition & fees other than law school is $71,515. (2025)
The average living costs including room & board, books, and other personal expenses is $24,241 when living on campus. This amount may not include health insurance fee and exam fees and varies by student's living setting.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law School Tuition & Fees | $81,940 | $85,948 | $88,436 |
| Law School Living Expenses | $31,686 | $24,241 | $24,241 |
| Undergraduate Tuition | $71,647 | - | -a |
| Graduate Tuition | $71,515 | - | -a |
a The amount is not published yet by IPEDS / NCES. It is an estimated amount based on 2024-2025 tuition increase rate.
LSAT Scores & GPA
The 2026 average LSAT score for Gould School of Law is 169. Compared to the average LSAT of all law schools, Gould School of Law's LSAT score is higher (competitive score) (the average is 160).
The average GPA at the school is 3.91, which is the extremely competitive scores of other law schools (average is 3.65).
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | |||
| 75th Percentile | 169 | 170 | 170 |
| 50th Percentile | 169 | 169 | 169 |
| 25th Percentile | 165 | 165 | 165 |
| GPA | |||
| 75th Percentile | 3.96 | 3.97 | 3.97 |
| 50th Percentile | 3.88 | 3.91 | 3.91 |
| 25th Percentile | 3.77 | 3.82 | 3.73 |
Acceptance Rate & Yield
The 2026 acceptance rate at Gould School of Law is 11.2% where 7,204 applicants have applied to and 805 students have accepted to admit. The acceptance rate at Gould School of Law is much lower (extremely difficult to get in) compared to other law schools in united states (the average acceptance rate is 36.1%).
The Yield, also known as enrollment rate, is 28.2% where 227 students finally enrolled out of 805 admitted students. The yield Gould School of Law is average compared to other law schools (the average yield is 36.1%).
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 4,850 | 6,203 | 7,204 |
| Admitted | 607 | 770 | 805 |
| Enrolled | 178 | 200 | 227 |
| Acceptance Rate | 12.5% | 12.4% | 11.2% |
| Yield | 29.3% | 26.0% | 28.2% |
Law School Enrollment
For the academic year 2025-2026, total 1,543 law school students have enrolled to Gould School of Law. 650 students have enrolled in JD (Juris Doctor degree) program and 893 students enrolled in Non-JD program.
228 first-time students have enrolled in Gould School of Law. By gender, 83 male and 145 female first-time students newly enrolled in Gould School of Law. With 1 pre-admitted students, there are 228 first-time law school Students at Gould School of Law.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Enrollment | 1,436 | 1,421 | 1,543 |
| JD Enrollment | 644 | 635 | 650 |
| Non-JD Enrollment | 792 | 786 | 893 |
| Non-JD Enrollment (Online) | - | -1 | - |
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 201 | 228 |
| Men | 80 | 83 |
| Women | 120 | 145 |
Bar Exam Pass Rate
For the first time bar exam takers at Gould School of Law, the bar exam pass rate is 94.01% - 217 students have taken and 204 students have passed the exam. The pass rate is higher than California average bar exam pass rate (78.74%).
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Graduates | 183 | 183 | 221 |
| First-Time Bar Exam Takers Total | 182 | 182 | 217 |
| New Graduates | 177 | 177 | 216 |
| Prior Year Graduates | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Early Exam Takers | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| No Exam Takers | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Exam Passer | 150 | 150 | 204 |
| Exam Pass Rate | 82.42% | 82.42% | 94.01% |
| California Pass Rate | 73.55% | 73.57% | 78.74% |
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