MANILA, Philippines – The Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, among those that had over 100 first-time Bar examinees, is the top performing school in the 2023 Bar examinations.

Ateneo Law topped the said bracket after 159 takers out of 169 passed the exams. This translates to a 94.08% passing rate. Ateneo Law is also the top school – with first time and multiple takers combined (all candidates) – that registered 164 passers out of 176, equivalent to a 93.18% passing rate.

Last year, Ateneo Law was also the top among schools with 51 to 100 candidates (for first timers) and the top among schools with over 100 candidates (all types of candidates combined). Below is the list of top performing schools per category and bracket:

First-time candidates

• Ateneo De Manila University (Over 100 candidates)
• University of Cebu (51 to 100 candidates)
• University of Makati (11 to 50 candidates)
• St. Thomas More School of Law and Business; St. Mary’s College of Tagum, Inc., Western Leyte College of Ormoc City, Inc. (One to 10 candidates)

All candidates

• Ateneo de Manila University (Over 100 candidates)
• Polytechnic University of the Philippines (51 to 100 candidates)
• University of Makati (11 to 50 candidates)
• Bicol University; St. Mary’s College of Tagum, Inc. (One to 10 candidates)

Here’s the full list of all top performing schools:

This year, 2023 Bar chair and Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando announced the top 20 passers – still different from the usual top 10. For the 2022 exams, Bar chair Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa released the top 30 Bar examinees.

Ephraim Bie of the University of Santo Tomas faculty of civil law earned the highest grade with an 89.2625% rating. He was followed by Mark Vivit of Ateneo Law with an 89.1250% rating, and Frances Francisco of San Beda University with a rating of 88.9125%.

 A total of 3,812 out of 10,387 examinees passed the 2023 Bar examinations, with a passing rate of 36.77%. This means nearly four out of 10 examinees passed the Bar.

This year’s results are much lower compared to the previous year’s. The passing rate for the 2022 Bar was 43.47%, or 3,992 hopefuls out of 9,183, passing. Czar Matthew Dayda UP Law garnered the highest score back then. – Rappler.com