Private (nonprofit)

Thomas Jefferson School of Law

San Diego, California·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Far West·tjsl.edu
Acceptance
Grad-only
—
6-yr Graduation
Grad-only
—
Total enrollment
262
peer median 484
Avg net price
Grad-only
—
Use this data
Ask Clema
AboutProgram outcomesAccreditationFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsCampus safetyPeersIR OfficeDocumentsAlumni

About

Thomas Jefferson School of Law is a private law school located in San Diego, California, founded in 1969. The school offers both online and residential Juris Doctor (JD) programs, with a student body that includes a diverse range of individuals, many of whom are non-traditional learners. It emphasizes flexible scheduling, unique specializations in Criminal Law and Intellectual Property, and provides opportunities for real-world client representation through clinics and externships.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 3 Title IV programs, 1 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 2 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
3
Passing
1
33.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

3programs
  • Passing1 · 33.3%
  • No Data2 · 66.7%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
1
No data
2

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

1
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
+61.3%
$87,982 vs $54,534

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

1
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
247%
$217,239 debt · $87,982 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 2021Next review Jun 2027
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar

Accredited since 1996Next review Mar 2018
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1976

Action history · 6

  1. Aug 2023Removal of Approval of a Program
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
  2. Aug 2023Removal of Approval of a Program
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
  3. Mar 2023Grant Substantive Change: Program
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  4. Nov 2019Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Denial
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
  5. May 2019Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Denial
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, students received in Pell grants, alongside $14.8M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
—
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
—
null total
Direct Loans
$14.8M
478 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
’20
0k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
0k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Unsubsidized · Grad$4.8M
251 loan awards
Grad PLUS$10.0M
227 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 234 borrowers who entered repayment, 1 (0.4%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.4%
-1.9pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
234
Defaulted
1
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
3.1%
2017
2.1%
2018
2.1%
2019
0.4%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at TJSL

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs2
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

64 total completions
01Legal Professions
64100.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
262
12-mo unduplicated
286

Gender split

Men
34%96
Women
66%190

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 244 students

3-year trend

6.992 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
2
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

    Hate crimes by bias

    No hate crimes reported.

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons00
    Drugs00
    Liquor00

    Residence-hall fires

    No residence-hall fires reported.

    Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

    TJSL vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions TJSL selected for federal comparison reporting.

    IPEDS
    GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    This institutionPeer median

    A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

    Carnegie
    SubjectThomas Jefferson School of Law
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only262Grad-only—
    Abraham Lincoln University
    		0%Open admission112$28,584—
    Albany Law School
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only670Grad-only—
    Appalachian School of Law
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only154Grad-only—
    Atlanta's John Marshall Law School
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only379Grad-only—
    Ave Maria School of Law
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only299Grad-only—
    Brooklyn Law School
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only1,125Grad-only—
    Cal Northern School of Law
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only55Grad-only—
    California Western School of Law
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only650Grad-only—
    Charleston School of Law
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only692Grad-only—
    CUNY School of Law
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only669Grad-only—
    Massachusetts School of Law
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only273Grad-only—
    Mitchell Hamline School of Law
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only1,163Grad-only—
    New England Law-Boston
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only1,131Grad-only—
    New York Law School
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only1,062Grad-only—
    Roger Williams University School of Law
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only484Grad-only—
    San Joaquin College of Law
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only154Grad-only—
    South Texas College of Law Houston
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only1,089Grad-only—
    Southern University Law Center
    		32%Grad-only—Grad-only—
    Southwestern Law School
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only1,006Grad-only—
    The Colleges of Law at Santa Barbara
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only78Grad-only—
    The Colleges of Law at Ventura
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only288Grad-only—
    Thomas M Cooley Law School
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only420Grad-only—
    Trinity Law School
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only273Grad-only—
    University of California College of the Law-San Francisco
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only1,195Grad-only—
    University of New Hampshire-Franklin Pierce School of Law
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only718Grad-only—
    University of West Los Angeles
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry367No freshman cohort—
    Vermont Law and Graduate School
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only722Grad-only—
    Peer group median16%—484$28,584

    Institutions like TJSL

    Explore the federal data for institutions in TJSL's comparison group.

    IPEDS

    TJSL Institutional Research office

    The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

    Team
    1 member
    • Brian Stern
      Institutional Research Analyst

    Reports & documents (1)

    Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

    Notable alumni of TJSL (18)

    A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

    • Leslie Alexander
      Business
    • Cheryl Bazard
    • Roger Benitez
      Law
    • Jennifer Carroll Foy
      Politics
    • Roy Choi
    • Bonnie Dumanis
      Law
    • Harrison Gaines
      Sports
    • Joey Gilbert
    • Duncan L. Hunter
      Politics
    • Jessica King
      Politics
    • Derrick Kitts
      Politics
    • Kris Odegard
    Showing 1–12 of 18
    1 / 2

    Frequently asked questions about Thomas Jefferson School of Law

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about TJSL.

    What is the acceptance rate at Thomas Jefferson School of Law?

    Thomas Jefferson School of Law does not have a reported acceptance rate. This institution offers no undergraduate degree programs, so there is no undergraduate admissions cycle to report.

    What is the graduation rate at Thomas Jefferson School of Law?

    Thomas Jefferson School of Law does not have a reported federal graduation rate. Federal graduation rates track first-time, full-time undergraduates seeking a degree. This institution offers no undergraduate degree programs, so there is no cohort to follow.

    How many students attend Thomas Jefferson School of Law?

    Thomas Jefferson School of Law reports a total enrollment of 262 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at Thomas Jefferson School of Law?

    Thomas Jefferson School of Law does not have a reported average net price. Net price is a federal metric for first-time, full-time undergraduates receiving federal aid. This institution offers no undergraduate degree programs, so it does not report one.

    Where is Thomas Jefferson School of Law located?

    Thomas Jefferson School of Law is located in San Diego, California 92101.

    About the data on this page

    Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

    IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
    Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
    National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
    College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
    Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
    U.S. Department of Education
    FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
    Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
    U.S. Department of Education
    DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
    Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
    Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
    Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
    Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

    Have a question this page can’t answer?

    Ask Clema anything about Thomas Jefferson School of Law and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

    Try for freeBook a demo

    Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card