PITTSBURGH, Jan. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Western State College of Law at Argosy University, the oldest law school in Orange County, California and one of Education Management Corporation's 110 locations (NASDAQ: EDMC), is pleased to announce that 79 percent of its graduates taking the State Bar of California's Committee of Bar Examiners exam for the first time in July 2012 were successful.

"We are thrilled that our graduates have outperformed the bar pass rate average for the state of California for the sixth consecutive time," says William Adams, Dean of the College. "Our graduates have demonstrated the value of their legal education at Western State and their commitment to the future of the profession."

Western State has produced more than 11,000 accomplished graduates who serve across California and around the country as respected judges, teachers, politicians, government administrators, and practicing legal professionals.  This marks the third consecutive year that Western State graduates have exceeded the pass rate for California law schools. In all, 77 percent of the first-time exam takers from California American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law schools succeeded.                        

The three-day General Bar Examination is administered twice a year, in February and July. The exam consists of three sections: a multiple-choice Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), six essay questions and two performance tests that are designed to assess an applicant's ability to apply general legal knowledge to practical tasks.

If the Western State College of Law graduates who passed the July 2012 California exam satisfy other requirements for admission, they will become members of the State Bar of California.

About Western State College of Law

Western State College of Law at Argosy University, (www.wsulaw.edu) was founded in 1966 and is the oldest law school in Orange County with more than 11,000 alumni. Located in the heart of Southern California, Western State College of Law offers both full- and part-time programs, taught by a dedicated and highly motivated faculty who serve as scholars and mentors both inside and outside of the classroom. Argosy University is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, California, 94501, http://www.wascsenior.org). Western State College of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association (321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60610, (312) 988-5000). Argosy University is licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, License No. 2610. See wsuprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees, and other costs, median debt, federal salary data, alumni success, and other important info.

About EDMC

Education Management Corporation (www.edmc.edu) is among the largest providers of private post-secondary education in North America, based on student enrollment and revenue, with a total of 110 locations in 32 U.S. states and Canada. We offer academic programs to our students through campus-based and online curriculum instruction, or a combination of both. We are committed to offering quality academic programs and continuously strive to improve the learning experience for our students. Our educational institutions offer students the opportunity to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees and certain specialized non-degree diplomas in a broad range of disciplines, including design, media arts, health sciences, psychology and behavioral sciences, culinary, fashion, business, education, legal and information technology.

SOURCE Education Management Corporation