Top Law Schools: 2025 Philippine Bar Exam Results

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) releases on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, the full results of September 2025 Philippine Bar Exam, including the list of top law schools.

Law school ratings were grouped by category based on the number of Bar candidates and the number of first-time Bar candidates.

Bar Exam Results 2025 Summary

• Main Page:2025 Bar Exam Results
• A-G Passers: 2025 Bar Exam Results
• H-O Passers: 2025 Bar Exam Results
• P-Z Passers: 2025 Bar Exam Results
• Topnotchers: 2025 Bar Exam Results
• GUIDE: 2025 bar passers online clearance procedure, oathtaking

2025 Bar Exam, List of Top Law Schools

SUPREME COURT OF THE PHILIPPINES
TOP LAW SCHOOLS: 2025 BAR EXAM RESULTS
Held on September 7, 10 & 14, 2025
Released on January 7, 2026

The schools with the five highest passing percentages in their respective categories are:

For more than 100 examinees

1. Ateneo de Manila University – 96.52%
2. University of the Philippines – 94.63%
3. University of Santo Tomas-Manila – 87.16%
4. Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation – 64.88%
5. Far Eastern University – 59.22%

For law schools with 51 to 100 examinees

1. Ateneo de Davao University – 100%
2. Polytechnic University of the Philippines – 89.89%
3. Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila – 83.56%
4. Saint Louis University – 83.33%
5. De La Salle University–Manila – 82.89%

For law schools with 11 to 50 examinees

1. West Visayas State University – 100%
2. San Beda University – 97.78%
3. University of Makati – 95.65%
4. Notre Dame of Marbel University – 91.67%
5. University of Southeastern Philippines – 89.29%

For law schools with 1 to 10 examinees

1. North Eastern Mindanao State University and Polytechnic College of La Union – 100%
2. Saint Columban College – 75%
3. Fernandez College of Arts and Technology – 66.67%
4. Tomas Claudio College, Abra Valley Colleges, and St. Ferdinand College – 50%
5. Harvardian Colleges – 30%

On the other hand, the schools with the five highest passing percentages for first-time candidates in their respective categories are:

For more than 100 examinees

1. Ateneo de Manila University – 98.11%
2. University of the Philippines – 96.83%
3. University of Santo Tomas-Manila – 96.30%
4. Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation – 80.19%
5. San Beda College – Alabang – 69.91%

For law schools with 51 to 100 examinees

1. Ateneo de Davao University – 100%
2. De La Salle University–Manila – 94.34%
3. Polytechnic University of the Philippines – 94.20%
4. Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila – 85%
5. University of San Jose–Recoletos – 68.48%

For law schools with 11 to 50 examinees

1. University of Makati, Bulacan State University, San Beda University, Palawan State University School of Law, and West Visayas State University – 100%
2. Saint Louis University – 97.14%
3. Father Saturnino Urios University – 93.33%
4. Western Leyte College of Ormoc City, Inc. – 92.86%
5. Jose Maria College – 92.59%

For law schools with 1 to 10 examinees

1. Notre Dame of Marbel University, St. Thomas More School of Law and Business, North Eastern Mindanao State University, and Ateneo de Naga University – 100%
2. Leyte Colleges – 77.78%
3. Saint Columban College – 75%
4. The College of Maasin – 71.43%
5. Tomas Claudio College – 60%

Previous Examinations

In the 2024 Bar Examinations, Ateneo de Manila University topped the list of law schools with more than 100 examinees after posting a passing rate of 96.02% (169 out of 176). Meanwhile, Ateneo de Davao University led the category for schools with 51 to 100 examinees, achieving a 94.55% passing rate (52 out of 55).

For the 2023 Bar Examinations, Ateneo de Manila University likewise emerged as the top-performing school among those with more than 100 examinees, recording a 94.08% passing rate (159 out of 169). In the 51 to 100 examinees category, the University of Cebu topped the rankings with a 76.67% passing rate, equivalent to 46 out of 60 examinees.

Bar Exam Overview

The Philippine bar examination is a professional exam not handled by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). It is exclusively supervised by the Supreme Court.

The SC conducts the Bar examinations pursuant to Article VIII, Section 5 of the Constitution which provides that it shall have the power to promulgate rules governing the admission to the practice of law.

Some Filipino lawyers say the bar exam is hard because it is centralized on wide-range bar subjects, with the expected annual passing rate of 20% to 40%.

— The Summit Express