Three Key Takeaways
79.7 percent passed: FAMU College of Law had 59 of 74 first-time test takers pass the July 2026 Florida Bar Examination.
Performance improved: The passage rate rose from 76.1 percent in July 2025 to 79.7 percent this year.
Eighth statewide: FAMU ranked eighth among Florida’s 12 accredited law schools.
FAMU College of Law continued its upward climb on the Florida Bar Examination, with nearly four out of five first-time test takers passing the July 2026 exam.
Fifty-nine of FAMU Law’s 74 first-time test takers passed, producing a 79.7 percent passage rate, according to statistics released by the Supreme Court of Florida. The result placed FAMU eighth among the state’s 12 accredited law schools.
The result represents an improvement over July 2025, when FAMU recorded a 76.1 percent first-time passage rate. The college cited that result as part of a broader improvement in bar performance.
The latest numbers also underscore how much FAMU Law’s performance has changed in recent years. The college’s first-time passage rate was about 40 percent in 2023 before climbing into the mid-70s. FAMU said in June that the rate had increased from 40 percent to 76 percent over two years.
FAMU’s 79.7 percent rate put it just behind St. Thomas University, at 79.8 percent, and ahead of Nova Southeastern University, at 73.4 percent. Stetson posted 81.1 percent, while the University of Miami recorded 84.9 percent and Florida State 91.8 percent.
Overall, graduates of Florida’s accredited law schools had an 80.4 percent first-time passage rate. Across all first-time Florida examinees, the rate was 75.2 percent.
FAMU Law has increasingly emphasized bar preparation through its Academic Success and Bar Preparation program, which begins with skills assessment during orientation and continues through its post-graduation RISE program.
The July examination was also the first results cycle under Simone Marstiller, who became dean of FAMU College of Law on July 1. She succeeded Cecil Howard, whose tenure included significant gains in bar passage and graduate employment outcomes.
For FAMU, the latest result marks another step in a broader turnaround, from a first-time passage rate of roughly 40 percent three years ago to nearly 80 percent today.