CLEVELAND, Ohio - Case Western Reserve University is crediting the overhaul of its law school curriculum for 93 percent of graduates passing Ohio's bar exam.

The rate placed the school first among the nine law schools in the state, a dramatic increase from 2016, when the law school had a 78 percent passage rate and ranked seventh in the state, the university said.

"Our students' outstanding performance is first a testament to their intellects and dedication," co-deans Jessica Berg and Michael Scharf said in a statement.

Berg and Scharf also credited the faculty who updated and enhanced the coursework.

Following are bar-passage rates for those who took the exam the first time in July:

Capital University: 68 percent (2017), 61 percent (2016)

Case Western Reserve University: 93 percent (2017), 78 percent (2016)

Cleveland State University: 80 percent (2017), 76 percent (2016)

Ohio Northern University: 87 percent (2017), 66 percent (2016)

Ohio State University: 87 percent (2017), 89 percent (2016)

University of Akron: 74 percent (2017), 79 percent (2016)

University of Cincinnati: 82 percent (2017), 86 percent (2016)

University of Dayton: 63 precent (2017), 61 percent (2016)

University of Toledo: 74 percent (2017), 63 percent (2016)

The majority of law school students graduate in May and take the bar exam in July.

Sixty-one CWRU graduates took the exam for the first time in July. The number of text takers ranged from 15 from Ohio Northern to 137 from Ohio State.

CWRU radically revamped its curriculum to give students more skills and experience so they can find jobs after graduation.

The moves, approved in fall 2013, came as the the law school, like others across the country, grappled with declining admissions and enrollment.

The new curriculum required students to write more, work with clients beginning during their first semester and spend at least a semester during their third year in an externship or clinical position.

The university also launched several initiatives specifically targeted toward improving the bar-passage rate, including: