University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law

By | January 5, 2023

The University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law was founded in 1924 as the Pacific Coast School of Law. It was located in San Francisco and was one of the first law schools to be established in Northern California. The school’s founders included prominent attorneys and judges from around the state, as well as a former mayor of San Francisco. The school moved to Sacramento in 1966, and its name changed to McGeorge School of Law after acquiring a generous endowment from the McGeorge family. Since then, it has become one of the premier law schools in California, offering students an outstanding legal education and access to a wide range of professional opportunities. It is well-known for its strong emphasis on practical training, with rigorous coursework that prepares students for success after graduation. In addition to its traditional Juris Doctor program, McGeorge also offers dual degree programs with other universities, including a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) and Master’s Degree in Public Policy (MPP).

University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law

University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law is located in the state of California. As one of the leading law programs, University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law has a high average LSAT score of 153-159 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $72,000 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

Admissions: University of the Pacific (McGeorge)

The University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law is a highly competitive law school with a competitive admissions process. The school reported that their 2020 entering class had an average LSAT score of 153 and an average undergraduate GPA of 3.27. The majority of applicants had higher GPAs and LSAT scores than the averages. The class was also highly diverse, with students from all 50 states and 28 countries represented in the class. Additionally, over 50% of the students were women, and 30% of students identified as underrepresented minorities (URMs). This is reflective of McGeorge’s commitment to creating a diverse learning environment that provides equal opportunity for all students regardless of race, gender, or background.

In addition to its diverse student body, McGeorge boasts a successful job placement rate for its graduates. In 2020, 93% of McGeorge graduates were employed within 10 months after graduation in either full-time or part-time jobs requiring bar passage or for which bar passage was preferred or anticipated. Furthermore, many alumni have gone on to become successful attorneys in large law firms around the country and even hold positions in government and public service organizations. With its rigorous academic program, diverse student body and successful job placement rate – it is no wonder why so many people are eager to attend University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law!

Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants 3,035
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances 1,287
Overall acceptance rate 42.4%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled 321
Number of full-time program applicants 2,657
Number of full-time program acceptances 1,138
Full-time acceptance rate 42.8%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled 236
Number of part-time program applicants 378
Number of part-time program acceptances 149
Part-time acceptance rate 39.4%
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled 85
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students 3.05-3.58
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students 153-159
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students 3.07-3.6
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students 155-160
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students 3.05-3.51
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students 151-157

Careers: University of the Pacific (McGeorge)

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar CA
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers 79.6%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers 70.7%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates 301
Graduates employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 95.5%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary $60,000
Median private sector starting salary $72,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $90,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 68%
Median public service starting salary $56,400
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia 3.0%
Percent employed in business and industry 9.0%
Percent employed in government 25.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 3.0%
Percent employed in law firms 50.0%
Percent employed in public interest 9.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field 1.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge 0.7%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state 90%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 0.2%
Number of states where graduates are employed 14
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 0.3%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 0.3%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 1.5%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.3%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 0.3%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 90.3%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 3.7%
Employment location unknown 3.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations The Career Development Office offers a full range of counseling and employment resource services for students and alumni, including the opportunity for many law firms, government agencies, and businesses to interview students on campus, or to solicit resumes, for summer or postgraduate positions. Its mission is to provide individualized career counseling and assistance for each student.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 73.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 5.0%
Professional/other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse) 7.0%
Nonprofessional/other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path) 0.0%