Interested in pursuing law but have no idea which school will propel you to the best law firm? Most people will say UP College of Law is the best place since most of the top politicians in the Philippines are law graduates from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Recently, however, the board exam top notchers have come from other schools.
In the last 7 years, Manila-based universities have dominated the Bar topnotcher lists, with the law schools of Ateneo de Manila, University of the Philippines, and San Beda taking the top spots.
But for the 2016 Bar examinations, the top 10 passers came from schools outside Metro Manila.
Four of the top 10 passers are from the University of San Carlos in Cebu City.
Other schools included (scroll all the way down to see our overall list of top law schools):
University of San Carlos (USC)
Location: Cebu City
Interesting Facts:
- Established in 1937
- Conferred in 2011 with an Award for Excellence in Legal Education by the Legal Education Board
- Notable alumni include Gabriel Ingles, Executive Justice of the Court of Appeals in Cebu
Silliman University (SU)
Location: Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental
Here is a list of schools you might consider on your journey to a law degree.
Interesting Facts:
- Established in 1935, with a freshman class of only 22 members
- The first law graduate in 1938 was Marcos Calo, who later became congressman of Agusan
- Notable alumni include Senator Lorenzo Teves and former Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals Jesus M. Elbinias
Andres Bonifacio College
Location: Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte
Interesting Facts:
- Began as a small institute of 7 students and 5 faculty members
- Currently offers more than 55 degree and diploma programs in the fields of law, nursing, accountancy, business, education, political science, mass communication, criminology, agriculture, and computer science, among others
University of San Agustin (USA)
Location: Iloilo City, Iloilo
Interesting Facts:
- Established in 1939, under the rector, Fr Dolse Garcia
- Classes stopped in 1941 due to World War II, with classes resuming 5 years later
- Notable alumni include former Commission on Elections commissioner Resurreccion Borra, Court of Appeals Justice Mario Guariña III, Bacolod Regional Trial Court Judge Edgar Garvilles
Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU)
Location: Davao City
Interesting Facts:
- Established in 1961, under the rector, Rev Hudson Mitchell SJ, with the first batch of students totalling 16
- The first graduates of the law school took the Bar examinations in 1965
- Notable alumni include Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process chief Jesus Dureza (10th placer in 1973 bar exams)
Northwestern University (NWU)
Location: Laoag City, Ilocos Norte
Interesting Facts:
- Established in 1949 with the late Judge Felix R. Domingo as the first Dean of the College.
- In 1977, the law program was phased out. The school re-applied for the opening of the course following the end of the Martial Law regime.
University of Batangas
Location: Batangas City, Batangas
The 2016 bar exams registered a 30-year record high passing rate of 59.06%. The highest percentage of exam passers was in 1954 with 75.17%, while the lowest was in 1999 with 16.59%.
Below is a list of some of the overall top law schools in the Philippines:
1. University of the Philippines (Diliman)
Board Exam Passing Rate: 73.71%
Tuition Fee Per Semester (Estimate): PHP 25,000 - PHP 30,000
2. Ateneo de Manila University
Board Exam Passing Rate: 67.55%
Tuition Fee Per Semester (Estimate): PHP 75,000 - PHP 98,000
3. San Beda College-Manila
Board Exam Passing Rate: 67.13%
Tuition Fee Per Semester (Estimate): PHP 63,000
4. University of San Carlos
Board Exam Passing Rate: 58.00%
Tuition Fee Per Semester (Estimate): PHP 32,000
5. Ateneo de Davao University
Board Exam Passing Rate: 53.02%
Tuition Fee Per Semester (Estimate): N/A
6. University of Santo Tomas
Board Exam Passing Rate: 43.98%
Tuition Fee Per Semester (Estimate): N/A
7. University of Cebu
Board Exam Passing Rate: 41.49%
Tuition Fee Per Semester (Estimate): PHP 25,000
8. San Beda College-Alabang
Board Exam Passing Rate: 39.10%
Tuition Fee Per Semester (Estimate): PHP 60,000
9. Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
Board Exam Passing Rate: 35.80%
Tuition Fee Per Semester (Estimate): PHP 32,000
10. Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan
Board Exam Passing Rate: 32.20%
Tuition Fee Per Semester (Estimate): PHP 33,000
Note: The passing rates just count the first-time takers; repeaters are not included in the passing rate. All figures are based on the 2012-2014 bar examinations.
Want more information about the colleges in the list? Search for them in our directory listing.
Source: PRC Philippines (prc.gov.ph); LAEPrepper.com, PinoyMoneyTalk.com, Rappler.com
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