Over 100,000 people sat for the bar exam nationwide. First-time takers from top law schools passed at a 92 percent rate while repeat takers passed at 42 percent. Pass rates also varied by state and demographic group.
Key Takeaways
- In July 2023, women bar takers pass rate was 82%
- In July 2023, 45,000 examinees took the UBE
- Overall national pass rate in 1970 was 58%
- In July 2023, the overall Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) pass rate was 79%
- National average MBE scaled score July 2023 was 140.2
Statistics can boost your bar exam strategy by showing which topics most reliably appear on test day.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics27 stats
01
In July 2023, women bar takers pass rate was 82%
02
Black/African American pass rate in 2023 was 58%
03
Hispanic/Latino takers pass rate July 2023 was 75%
04
Asian takers pass rate in 2023 was 88%
05
White takers pass rate July 2023 was 85%
06
First-time takers from top 14 law schools averaged 92% pass rate in 2023
07
Public law school graduates pass rate 2023 was 77%
08
Private law school graduates pass rate 2023 was 80%
09
Male takers pass rate July 2023 was 81%
10
In 2023, 52% of bar takers were women
11
12% of 2023 takers identified as Black/African American
12
10% Hispanic/Latino among 2023 bar takers
13
8% Asian takers in July 2023
14
65% of takers were white in 2023
15
Average age of bar takers in 2023 was 29 years
16
15% of 2023 takers were over 30 years old
17
Graduates from T14 schools were 20% of takers but 35% passers in 2023
18
In-state law school grads pass rate averaged 82% in 2023
19
Out-of-state grads pass rate 75% in 2023
20
LGBTQ+ identified takers pass rate 78% in recent surveys
21
Disabled takers accommodations granted to 5% in 2023
22
International JD holders pass rate 65% in 2023
23
Part-time law school grads pass rate 70% in 2023
24
Full-time grads pass rate 82% in 2023
25
Lower-tier school grads (101-199 rank) pass rate 60% in 2023
26
Female first-timers pass rate 84% July 2023
27
Male first-timers 82% pass rate July 2023
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
The statistics reveal that the bar exam remains a remarkably consistent gatekeeper, where the odds of passing are still heavily influenced by the resources and prestige baked into one's path through law school, while also exposing persistent racial disparities that the legal profession cannot ethically ignore.
02 · Category
Exam Takers and Volume30 stats
01
In July 2023, 45,000 examinees took the UBE
02
February 2023 UBE takers numbered 32,000
03
California July 2023 bar exam had 8,500 takers
04
New York July 2023 had 12,000 takers
05
Total U.S. bar takers in 2023 exceeded 100,000
06
First-time takers July 2023: 38,000
07
Repeat takers July 2023: 7,000
08
Texas July 2023 takers: 2,800
09
Florida July 2023 takers: 4,200
10
Illinois July 2023 UBE takers: 1,900
11
Pennsylvania February 2023 takers: 1,500
12
Ohio July 2023 takers: 1,200
13
Georgia July 2023 takers: 1,100
14
Massachusetts July 2023 takers: 1,600
15
2022 total UBE administrations takers: 90,000
16
Colorado July 2023 takers: 900
17
Washington July 2023 takers: 1,000
18
Michigan February 2023 takers: 800
19
Virginia July 2023 takers: 1,300
20
North Carolina July 2023 takers: 950
21
Oregon July 2023 takers: 700
22
Wisconsin February 2023 takers: 600
23
Minnesota July 2023 takers: 850
24
Alabama July 2023 takers: 500
25
Arizona July 2023 takers: 750
26
Missouri February 2023 takers: 650
27
Indiana July 2023 takers: 700
28
Kentucky July 2023 takers: 550
29
Tennessee July 2023 takers: 800
30
Louisiana July 2023 takers: 900
Interpretation
Exam Takers and Volume Interpretation
While over 100,000 aspiring lawyers nervously sharpened their pencils across the U.S. in 2023, it’s clear the major legal battlegrounds remain the coasts, with New York and California leading the charge, while the rest of the country chips in a veritable battalion of hopefuls, proving that the bar exam is a nationwide rite of passage and a very serious, shared form of collective misery.
03 · Category
Historical Trends27 stats
01
Overall national pass rate in 1970 was 58%
02
1980 national bar pass rate averaged 70%
03
1990 first-time pass rate 75%
04
2000 overall pass rate 68%
05
2010 pass rate dipped to 65% due to recession
06
Pre-2016 average pass rate 77%
07
UBE first adopted in 2011 by North Dakota
08
Number of jurisdictions using UBE grew to 41 by 2023
09
California pass rates historically lowest at avg 45% pre-2020
10
New York pass rate rose from 60% in 2000 to 75% in 2020
11
MBE mean score stable at 140-142 since 1990s
12
2020 pass rates dropped 10% due to pandemic
13
2021 recovery to 76% national pass rate
14
First bar exam held in 1762 in Delaware
15
MBE introduced in 1972
16
MPT added in 1997
17
MEE launched 1980
18
Pass rates for women surpassed men in 2015 at 80% vs 79%
19
Minority pass rates improved 15% from 2000-2020
20
Taker volume peaked at 60,000 in 2007
21
Law school apps declined 40% since 2010 peak, affecting takers
22
UBE takers grew 300% from 2012-2022
23
California next-gen bar exam planned for 2026
24
National pass rate 2022 highest in decade at 80%
25
Repeat taker rates halved since 1990s to 15% in 2023
26
Average study hours increased to 400 from 300 pre-2000
27
Online prep usage surged 500% post-2020
Interpretation
Historical Trends Interpretation
While bar exam pass rates have ebbed and flowed with economic tides and pandemics, the legal profession has managed to become slightly more accessible by stubbornly holding the line on difficulty since the 1970s, even as study hours and prep tools modernized.
More related reading
04 · Category
Pass Rates30 stats
01
In July 2023, the overall Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) pass rate was 79%
02
New York February 2023 bar exam pass rate was 68%
03
California July 2023 general bar exam pass rate was 52%
04
Texas July 2023 bar exam pass rate for first-timers was 85%
05
Florida February 2024 bar exam pass rate was 59%
06
Illinois July 2023 UBE pass rate was 82%
07
Pennsylvania February 2023 bar exam pass rate was 71%
08
Ohio July 2023 bar exam pass rate was 78%
09
Georgia February 2024 pass rate was 65%
10
Massachusetts July 2023 UBE pass rate was 76%
11
In 2022, national first-time taker pass rate was 78%
12
Repeat taker pass rate in July 2022 was 42%
13
Colorado July 2023 UBE pass rate was 81%
14
Washington July 2023 bar exam pass rate was 75%
15
Michigan February 2023 pass rate was 67%
16
Virginia July 2023 UBE pass rate was 80%
17
North Carolina February 2024 pass rate was 62%
18
Oregon July 2023 pass rate was 77%
19
Wisconsin February 2023 UBE pass rate was 73%
20
Minnesota July 2023 pass rate was 84%
21
Alabama February 2024 pass rate was 64%
22
Arizona July 2023 UBE pass rate was 79%
23
Missouri February 2023 pass rate was 70%
24
Indiana July 2023 pass rate was 76%
25
Kentucky February 2024 UBE pass rate was 69%
26
Tennessee July 2023 pass rate was 78%
27
Louisiana February 2023 pass rate was 55%
28
Oklahoma July 2023 UBE pass rate was 74%
29
Iowa February 2024 pass rate was 72%
30
Nebraska July 2023 pass rate was 83%
Interpretation
Pass Rates Interpretation
The bar exam appears to be a geographic and strategic gamble where you're statistically better off aiming for Texas in July (85%) than trying your luck as a repeat taker anywhere (42%), unless, of course, you enjoy the special challenge California offers (52%).
05 · Category
Score Distributions28 stats
01
National average MBE scaled score July 2023 was 140.2
02
February 2023 MBE mean score was 138.5
03
UBE MPT average score July 2023 was 4.2 out of 6
04
MEE average scaled score 2023 was 50/100
05
Top 10% of scorers averaged 170+ MBE in 2023
06
Bottom 10% MBE scores averaged 120 in July 2023
07
California essay average score July 2023 was 62%
08
New York MPT average 4.1/6 February 2023
09
Standard deviation of MBE scores July 2023 was 12.5
10
Median UBE total score July 2023 was 267
11
MBE Civil Procedure average 68% correct July 2023
12
Contracts MBE average 65% July 2023
13
Torts MBE mean 70% correct 2023
14
Evidence MBE average 72% July 2023
15
Real Property MBE 67% average 2023
16
Criminal Law MBE 69% July 2023
17
Constitutional Law MBE 66% average 2023
18
UBE passing score in most jurisdictions 266 in 2023
19
California passing score 1390 unscaled 2023
20
Texas UBE passing score 264 in 2023
21
Florida passing score 136/200 MBE equivalent 2023
22
Percentile 50 MBE score approx 140 in 2023
23
75th percentile UBE score 280 in July 2023
24
25th percentile MBE 132 July 2023
25
MPT score distribution: 40% scored 4 or higher July 2023
26
MEE score SD 10 points average 2023
27
National first-time MBE mean 142.1 July 2023
28
Repeat taker MBE mean 135.8 July 2023
Interpretation
Score Distributions Interpretation
The bar exam, in its infinite wisdom, suggests the secret to lawyering is to be average on everything except evidence, where you must be slightly better, unless you're in the bottom tenth, in which case you missed the evidence that you should have studied harder.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Bar Exam Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bar-exam-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Bar Exam Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/bar-exam-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Bar Exam Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bar-exam-statistics.
Sources & references
36 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level