The U.S. News & World Report law school rankings are back, catching the attention of students, attorneys and law school administrators throughout the country. This year’s rankings reveal upgrades or downgrades for schools like the University of Michigan, the University of Cincinnati and Brooklyn Law School, as well as tuition and enrollment variations among schools.
None of the three highest ranked schools took top honors in any specialty category, but all three placed in the top ten of at least two specialties categories.
- See Does Law School Rank Determine Success? for more information.
View the top 100 law schools by their updated rankings in the below chart:
| Rank | Law School Name | Tuition and Fees | Enrollment (full-time) | LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) | Acceptance Rate | Employed 10 months after graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yale University | $58,050 per year (full-time) | 614 | 171-176 | 9.7% | 86.1% |
| 2 | Harvard University | $58,242 per year (full-time) | 1,767 | 170-175 | 17.9% | 94.4% |
| 2 | Stanford University | $56,274 per year (full-time) | 572 | 169-173 | 11.3% | 93.0% |
| 4 | Columbia University | $62,700 per year (full-time) | 1,165 | 168-173 | 21.3% | 95.7% |
| 4 | University of Chicago | $56,916 per year (full-time) | 617 | 166-172 | 21.9% | 96.2% |
| 6 | New York University | $59,330 per year (full-time) | 1395 | 166-171 | 33.1% | 96.7% |
| 7 | University of Pennsylvania | $58,918 per year (full-time) | 753 | 163-170 | 18.8% | 97.8% |
| 8 | University of California-Berkeley | $48,679 per year (in-state, full-time); $52,630 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 935 | 162-168 | 21.1% | 95.5% |
| 8 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $53,112 per year (in-state, full-time); $56,112 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 932 | 164-169 | 28.0% | 93.3% |
| 8 | University of Virginia | $54,000 per year (in-state, full-time); $57,000 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 934 | 163-170 | 20.2% | 96.6% |
| 11 | Duke University | $57,717 per year (full-time) | 668 | 166-170 | 23.3% | 93.0% |
| 12 | Northwestern University (Pritzker) | $58,398 per year (full-time) | 658 | 163-169 | 22.6% | 90.0% |
| 13 | Cornell University | $59,900 per year (full-time) | 588 | 164-168 | 30.6% | 96.3% |
| 14 | Georgetown University | $55,255 per year (full-time) | 1725 | 161-168 | 28.1% | 87.2% |
| 15 | University of Texas-Austin | $33,162 per year (in-state, full-time); $49,244 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 949 | 162-169 | 21.9% | 86.9% |
| 16 | Vanderbilt University | $51,360 per year (full-time) | 538 | 161-168 | 38.1% | 87.1% |
| 17 | University of California-Los Angeles | $45,284 per year (in-state, full-time); $51,778 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 974 | 162-169 | 29.7% | 87.5% |
| 18 | Washington University in St. Louis | $51,626 per year (full-time) | 684 | 161-168 | 27.6% | 91.1% |
| 19 | University of Southern California (Gould) | $58,022 per year (full-time) | 598 | 161-167 | 29.9% | 85.7% |
| 20 | Boston University | $49,330 per year (full-time) | 672 | 160-164 | 37.9% | 80.5% |
| 20 | University of Iowa | $24,177 per year (in-state, full-time); $42,021 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 387 | 156-162 | 43.5% | 86.9% |
| 22 | Emory University | $51,510 per year (full-time) | 836 | 156-166 | 32.0% | 89.9% |
| 22 | University of Minnesota | $42,231 per year (in-state, full-time); $50,373 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 632 | 158-166 | 44.4% | 81.5% |
| 22 | University of Notre Dame | $52,372 per year (full-time) | 581 | 161-165 | 35.0% | 85.5% |
| 25 | Arizona State University (O'Connor) | $27,074 per year (in-state, full-time); $42,794 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 623 | 158-163 | 43.3% | 88.4% |
| 25 | George Washington University | $54,114 per year (full-time) | 1469 | 158-166 | 39.7% | 89.2% |
| 25 | Indiana University-Bloomington (Maurer) | $31,800 per year (in-state, full-time); $51,800 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 538 | 155-162 | 53.1% | 82.4% |
| 28 | University of Alabama | $22,324 per year (in-state, full-time); $37,664 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 431 | 156-164 | 36.7% | 85.4% |
| 28 | University of California-Irvine | $44,765 per year (in-state, full-time); $51,259 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 334 | 161-165 | 26.5% | 84.9% |
| 30 | Boston College | $48,670 per year (full-time) | 694 | 158-163 | 45.3% | 83.9% |
| 30 | Ohio State University (Moritz) | $29,131 per year (in-state, full-time); $44,081 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 523 | 156-161 | 49.7% | 89.0% |
| 30 | University of California-Davis | $47,339 per year (in-state, full-time); $56,590 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 494 | 159-165 | 31.1% | 82.2% |
| 33 | College of William and Mary (Marshall-Wythe) | $30,800 per year (in-state, full-time); $39,800 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 645 | 158-164 | 36.2% | 82.3% |
| 33 | University of Georgia | $19,476 per year (in-state, full-time); $37,524 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 576 | 156-164 | 33.0% | 77.9% |
| 33 | University of Washington | $31,962 per year (in-state, full-time); $44,124 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 496 | 159-166 | 26.9% | 74.5% |
| 33 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | $21,378 per year (in-state, full-time); $40,074 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 519 | 155-162 | 48.8% | 79.7% |
| 37 | Fordham University | $54,116 per year (full-time) | 956 | 160-165 | 35.1% | 74.3% |
| 38 | Brigham Young University (Clark) | $11,970 per year (LDS member, full-time); $23,940 per year (Non-LDS member, full-time) | 392 | 156-164 | 40.3% | 88.4% |
| 38 | University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill | $23,041 per year (in-state, full-time); $39,672 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 657 | 160-164 | 44.6% | 77.0% |
| 40 | University of Arizona (Rogers) | $24,500 per year (in-state, full-time); $29,000 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 359 | 155-162 | 32.5% | 81.9% |
| 40 | University of Colorado-Boulder | $31,864 per year (in-state, full-time); $38,650 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 555 | 157-163 | 46.3% | 78.8% |
| 40 | University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign | $41,328 per year (in-state, full-time); $49,078 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 477 | 158-163 | 45.7% | 82.2% |
| 40 | Wake Forest University | $42,738 per year (full-time) | 492 | 157-162 | 56.1% | 83.4% |
| 40 | Washington and Lee University | $46,497 per year (full-time) | 314 | 158-162 | 48.6% | 74.8% |
| 45 | George Mason University | $25,351 per year (in-state, full-time); $40,737 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 329 | 156-162 | 34.9% | 79.9% |
| 45 | Southern Methodist University (Dedman) | $49,962 per year (full-time) | 560 | 156-163 | 46.9% | 82.7% |
| 45 | University of Utah (Quinney) | $25,752 per year (in-state, full-time); $48,908 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 322 | 154-160 | 47.1% | 78.0% |
| 48 | University of Florida (Levin) | $22,299 per year (in-state, full-time); $38,904 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 961 | 155-160 | 61.8% | 76.1% |
| 48 | University of Maryland (Carey) | $30,177 per year (in-state, full-time); $43,657 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 514 | 154-160 | 53.7% | 77.4% |
| 50 | Florida State University | $20,683 per year (in-state, full-time); $40,695 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 565 | 156-161 | 43.9% | 77.2% |
| 50 | Temple University (Beasley) | $23,336 per year (in-state, full-time); $36,336 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 534 | 155-162 | 43.1% | 71.4% |
| 50 | Tulane University | $51,130 per year (full-time) | 570 | 155-161 | 60.2% | 76.1% |
| 50 | University of California (Hastings) | $48,638 per year (in-state, full-time); $54,638 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 903 | 155-161 | 42.1% | 58.0% |
| 50 | University of Houston | $29,784 per year (in-state, full-time); $44,044 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 605 | 155-161 | 38.3% | 83.6% |
| 55 | Baylor University | $55,547 per year (full-time) | 393 | 158-162 | 29.0% | 73.5% |
| 55 | University of Richmond | $39,950 per year (full-time) | 469 | 155-161 | 41.7% | 81.9% |
| 57 | Case Western Reserve University | $48,760 per year (full-time) | 380 | 156-162 | 41.8% | 66.1% |
| 57 | Georgia State University | $16,858 per year (in-state, full-time); $36,466 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 455 | 155-160 | 27.8% | 79.7% |
| 57 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | $14,721 per year (in-state, full-time); $33,415 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 330 | 152-158 | 62.2% | 87.2% |
| 60 | University of Cincinnati | $24,010 per year (in-state, full-time); $29,010 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 277 | 152-157 | 58.4% | 82.4% |
| 60 | University of Kentucky | $21,618 per year (in-state, full-time); $40,836 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 374 | 152-158 | 60.2% | 88.7% |
| 60 | University of Miami | $47,774 per year (full-time) | 909 | 154-160 | 54.4% | 79.4% |
| 60 | University of New Mexico | $16,490 per year (in-state, full-time); $35,183 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 344 | 150-157 | 41.7% | 86.5% |
| 60 | University of Oklahoma | $19,973 per year (in-state, full-time); $30,398 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 467 | 154-159 | 49.2% | 79.0% |
| 65 | Loyola Marymount University | $50,050 per year (full-time) | 800 | 156-161 | 44.7% | 71.0% |
| 65 | Pepperdine University | $51,180 per year (full-time) | 598 | 154-161 | 48.7% | 59.6% |
| 65 | Seton Hall University | $51,018 per year (full-time) | 353 | 153-159 | 48.6% | 83.5% |
| 65 | University of Connecticut | $27,934 per year (in-state, full-time); $57,852 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 328 | 153-158 | 50.9% | 69.0% |
| 65 | University of Kansas | $20,718 per year (in-state, full-time); $35,328 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 362 | 152-159 | 65.8% | 79.8% |
| 65 | University of Missouri | $20,771 per year (in-state, full-time); $38,400 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 324 | 154-159 | 58.8% | 80.7% |
| 65 | University of Tennessee-Knoxville | $19,256 per year (in-state, full-time); $37,930 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 385 | 153-161 | 37.3% | 66.9% |
| 72 | Loyola University Chicago | $45,288 per year (full-time) | 582 | 155-160 | 54.0% | 71.8% |
| 72 | University of Denver (Sturm) | $44,530 per year (full-time) | 701 | 154-158 | 45.1% | 65.3% |
| 74 | St. John's University | $53,290 per year (full-time) | 604 | 154-159 | 40.6% | 73.9% |
| 74 | University of San Diego | $48,830 per year (full-time) | 634 | 156-161 | 40.5% | 58.6% |
| 74 | Villanova University | $42,540 per year (full-time) | 491 | 152-158 | 48.5% | 77.7% |
| 74 | Yeshiva University (Cardozo) | $54,895 per year (full-time) | 852 | 156-161 | 56.4% | 67.3% |
| 78 | American University (Washington) | $51,002 per year (full-time) | 1052 | 152-158 | 59.2% | 70.2% |
| 78 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | $25,749 per year (in-state, full-time); $37,149 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 275 | 155-161 | 32.2% | 71.2% |
| 78 | University of Oregon | $31,506 per year (in-state, full-time); $39,210 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 366 | 154-159 | 49.0% | 59.8% |
| 78 | University of Pittsburgh | $32,426 per year (in-state, full-time); $40,250 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 453 | 153-159 | 36.8% | 71.5% |
| 82 | Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge (Hebert) | $21,947 per year (in-state, full-time); $41,297 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 525 | 153-158 | 59.2% | 82.0% |
| 82 | Northeastern University | $46,400 per year (full-time) | 453 | 152-162 | 34.7% | 61.1% |
| 82 | St. Louis University | $39,195 per year (full-time) | 418 | 152-158 | 66.3% | 78.3% |
| 82 | University of New Hampshire School of Law | $37,383 per year (in-state, full-time); $41,383 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 215 | 153-159 | 53.2% | 73.0% |
| 86 | Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago-Kent) | $46,822 per year (full-time) | 635 | 152-158 | 62.0% | 67.6% |
| 86 | Pennsylvania State University (Dickinson) | $45,078 per year (in-state, full-time); $45,078 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 157 | 158-161 | 38.6% | 72.2% |
| 86 | Pennsylvania State University-University Park | $45,392 per year (in-state, full-time); $45,392 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 354 | 152-159 | 43.0% | 72.2% |
| 86 | Syracuse University | $47,178 per year (full-time) | 505 | 151-156 | 54.6% | 72.0% |
| 86 | University of Arkansas-Fayetteville | $15,224 per year (in-state, full-time); $31,443 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 350 | 151-158 | 67.0% | 79.1% |
| 86 | University of Tulsa | $35,529 per year (full-time) | 238 | 151-156 | 37.2% | 84.7% |
| 92 | Lewis & Clark College (Northwestern) | $41,328 per year (full-time) | 414 | 154-161 | 58.8% | 64.1% |
| 92 | Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | $26,842 per year (in-state, full-time); $39,048 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 893 | 153-158 | 48.8% | 71.1% |
| 92 | University of Hawaii-Manoa (Richardson) | $20,880 per year (in-state, full-time); $42,384 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 232 | 151-158 | 36.7% | 72.4% |
| 92 | University of Louisville (Brandeis) | $20,288 per year (in-state, full-time); $37,628 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 302 | 151-157 | 68.2% | 81.3% |
| 92 | University of South Carolina | $24,208 per year (in-state, full-time); $48,472 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 618 | 152-157 | 58.6% | 74.8% |
| 97 | Brooklyn Law School | $1,526 per credit (full-time) | 907 | 152-158 | 51.6% | 63.9% |
| 97 | Wayne State University | $30,111 per year (in-state, full-time); $32,894 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 365 | 154-159 | 52.1% | 62.1% |
| 97 | West Virginia University | $19,008 per year (in-state, full-time); $35,568 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 323 | 151-157 | 52.9% | 79.1% |
| 100 | Indiana University-Indianapolis (McKinney) | $25,625 per year (in-state, full-time); $45,210 per year (out-of-state, full-time) | 519 | 148-156 | 69.7% | 76.0% |
Top Ten
The rankings reveal few changes to the ranks of the most elite law schools. Yale University remains in the top spot, followed by Harvard University and Stanford University, which share the second spot.
Columbia University and the University of Chicago share the fourth spot, while the University of California, Berkeley, Michigan and the University of Virginia share the eighth spot. (Michigan switched places this year with Duke University, with Michigan moving up from No. 11 to No. 8 and Duke moving down from No. 8 to No. 11).
The remaining top ten law schools are New York University in the No. 6 spot and the University of Pennsylvania in the No. 7 spot.
- See Top 10 Law Schools Analyzed and Ranked by America's Top Legal Recruiter Harrison Barnes for more information.
Top Twenty-Five
The additional top 25 law schools are: Duke University (No. 11); Northwestern University (No. 12); Cornell University (No. 13); Georgetown University (No. 14); University of Texas, Austin (No. 15); Vanderbilt University (No. 16); University of California, Los Angeles (No. 17); Washington University in St. Louis (No. 18); University of Southern California (No. 19); Boston University (No. 20); University of Iowa (No. 20); Emory University (No. 22); University of Minnesota (No. 22); University of Notre Dame (No. 22); Arizona State University (No. 25); George Washington University (No. 25); and Indiana University, Bloomington (No. 25).
Indiana, Boston University, Michigan, Iowa, Vanderbilt, USC, and Arizona State moved up at least one slot.
Greatest Gains and Losses
Some law schools made significant gains this year, while others suffered losses. Within the top 100 ranked schools, Cincinnati had the most improved ranking, getting bumped up from No. 79 to No. 60.
Other schools that moved up five or more spots are Boston University (up 6 to No. 20); Indiana (up 9 to No. 25); Wake Forest University (up 7 to No. 40); University of California, Hastings (up 9 to No. 50); University of Houston (up 9 to No. 50); University of New Mexico (up 11 to No. 60); University of Oklahoma (up 7 to No. 60); Loyola Marymount University (up 10 to No. 65); Loyola University Chicago (up 6 to No. 72); St. John’s University (up 8 to No. 74); Villanova University (up 13 to No. 74); Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge (up 12 to No. 82); Northeastern University (up 5 to No. 82); St. Louis University (up 5 to No. 82); University of New Hampshire School of Law (up 5 to No. 82); and Wayne State University (up 8 to No. 97).
On the flip side, Brooklyn Law School experienced the greatest decline in ranking, getting downgraded from No. 78 to No. 97.
Other schools that moved down five or more spots are the University of Alabama (down 6 to No. 28); University of Washington (down 5 to No. 33); Pepperdine University (down 13 to No. 65); University of Tennessee, Knoxville (down 13 to No. 65); University of Denver (down 5 to No. 72); American University (down 7 to No. 78); University of Nevada, Las Vegas (down 11 to No. 78); Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago-Kent) (down 8 to No. 86); Pennsylvania State University (Dickinson) (down 15 to No. 86); Pennsylvania State University, University Park (down 15 to No. 86); University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (down 11 to No. 86); Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (down 5 to No. 92); University of Hawaii, Manoa (down 10 to No. 92); Michigan State University (down 6 to No. 100); and SUNY Buffalo Law School (down 13 to No. 100).
The U.S. News rankings are based on 2015 and 2016 data and calculated according to the weighted average of various measures including peer assessment scores, median LSAT scores, median undergraduate GPAs, acceptance rates, employment rates for graduates, bar passage rates, and library resources.
Enrollment and Cost
The U.S. News rankings also include information on enrollment and tuition. Of the top 50 law schools, the school with the highest enrollment is Harvard, with 1,767 students (followed by Georgetown, with 1,725 students). The school with the lowest enrollment is Washington and Lee University, with 314 students (followed by University of California, Irvine, with 334 students).
When it comes to tuition and fees, the most expensive of the top 50 law schools is Columbia, at $62,700 per year (followed by Cornell University, at $59,900 per year). The least expensive of the top 50 schools (at least for certain students) is Brigham Young University, at $11,970 per year for full time LDS members (followed by University of Georgia, at $19,476 per year for in state students).
Starting Salaries
The median starting private sector salary for 2014 law school graduates from 108 schools was between $50,000 and $74,999. Graduates of 39 schools had a median starting salary of between $75,000 and $100,000, while graduates of 30 schools had a median starting salary of more than $100,000.
For public sector jobs, graduates from 69 schools had a median starting salary of under $50,000, and graduates from 112 schools had a median starting salary of between $50,000 to $74,999.
Specialty Rankings
The following law schools each came in No. 1 for the following specialty areas of law: Georgetown for clinical programs (overall rank No. 14); Seattle University for legal writing (overall rank No. 111); Stetson University for trial advocacy (overall rank No. 103); St. Louis University for health care law (overall rank No. 82); Vermont Law School for environmental law (overall rank No. 132); Ohio State University for dispute resolution (overall rank No. 30); Berkeley for intellectual property law (overall rank No. 8); and NYU for both international law and tax law (overall rank No. 6).
None of the law schools ranked in the top three overall (Yale, Harvard and Stanford) earned the top spot in any specialty ranking. However, Harvard made the top ten for health care law, dispute resolution, international law and tax law. Yale made the top ten for clinical programs and international law, while Stanford made the top ten for clinical programs and intellectual property law.
Conclusions
With the rankings now in, ambitious college students can set their sights on making it into law schools in the coveted top ten. Those who aspire to practice in niche areas like environmental or tax law can hone in on the most appropriate schools for them. Meanwhile, law school administrators at upwardly mobile institutions can celebrate their accomplishments this year while their counterparts at schools heading in the other direction can assess how to reverse course and move up by the time the rankings roll around again next year.
Learn the 10 Factors That Matter to Big Firms More Than Where You Went to Law School
See the following articles for more information about law school rankings from previous years:
- 2016 U.S. News & World Report Law School Rankings Released
- 2014 Law School Rankings and Vital Statistics
