The best law schools in USA
Going to law school is no longer a guaranteed pathway to financial and career success. In a Gallup poll of over 4,000 American adults who earned a postgraduate degree between 2000 and 2015, just 23 percent of law school graduates said that their education was worth the cost and only 20 percent said that their schooling prepared them well for post-grad life.
But after analyzing 144 law schools across the country, U.S. News & World Report found that there are several law schools that definitely worth the cost.
According to U.S. News, the median private sector salary for recent J.D. recipients is $68,300, and the median public sector salary is $52,000. However, graduates from the top 10 law schools in the country earned over six figures.
Here are the 10 best law schools in the country:
9. University of California, Berkeley
Overall score: 85
Peer assessment: 4.4
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.5
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.66-3.88
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 164-168
Acceptance rate: 23 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 5.2/1
Employed at graduation: 84.5 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 87.6 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 83.1 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 54 percent
9. University of Virginia
Overall score: 85
Peer assessment: 4.3
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.4
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.56-3.94
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 163-170
Acceptance rate: 18 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 6.2/1
Employed at graduation: 87.9 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 90.3 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 93.2 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
8. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Overall score: 87
Peer assessment: 4.4
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.4
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.57-3.89
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 164-170
Acceptance rate: 22 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 7.3/1
Employed at graduation: 86.5 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 92.4 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 97.9 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
7. University of Pennsylvania
Overall score: 89
Peer assessment: 4.4
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.4
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.54-3.94
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 163-170
Acceptance rate: 18 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 5/1
Employed at graduation: 94.6 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 95.7 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 97.6 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
6. New York University
Overall score: 91
Peer assessment: 4.6
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.4
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.66-3.9
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 166-170
Acceptance rate: 27 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 6/1
Employed at graduation: 90.7 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 92 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 97.3 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
5. Columbia University (NY)
Overall score: 92
Peer assessment: 4.6
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.6
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.56-3.8
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 169-173
Acceptance rate: 20 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 5.4/1
Employed at graduation: 93.3 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 93.6 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 96.1 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
4. University of Chicago (IL)
Overall score: 95
Peer assessment: 4.6
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.6
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.73-3.95
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 166-172
Acceptance rate: 21 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 4.8/1
Employed at graduation: 93.5 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 95.3 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 97.7 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 77 percent
3. Harvard University (MA)
Overall score: 96
Peer assessment: 4.8
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.8
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.76-3.96
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 170-175
Acceptance rate: 16 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 8.1/1
Employed at graduation: 91.6 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 93.6 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 95.8 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
2. Stanford University (CA)
Overall score: 98
Peer assessment: 4.8
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.8
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.79-3.95
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 168-173
Acceptance rate: 10 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 4/1
Employed at graduation: 91.3 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 91.8 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 91 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 54 percent
1. Yale University (CT)
Overall score: 100
Peer assessment: 4.8
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.7
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.83-3.97
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 170-175
Acceptance rate: 8 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 4.2/1
Employed at graduation: 83.3 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 83.3 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 99 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
Yale University topped U.S. News' list of the best law schools in the country. Almost 100 percent of Yale Law School graduates pass the bar in the local jurisdiction. This prestigious law program has graduated several presidents, Supreme Court justices and high-powered business executives.
Getting into a top-tier law program like Yale is not easy. The 25th percentile of Yale students earned an undergraduate GPA of 3.83 and the 75th percentile earned an almost perfect 3.97. The acceptance rate for Yale Law School is just 8 percent.
However, Yalies were not the most likely to be employed upon graduation. While 83.3 percent of Yale Law grads had a job lined up, a whopping 94.6 percent of University of Pennsylvania students graduated with a job.
But after analyzing 144 law schools across the country, U.S. News & World Report found that there are several law schools that definitely worth the cost.
According to U.S. News, the median private sector salary for recent J.D. recipients is $68,300, and the median public sector salary is $52,000. However, graduates from the top 10 law schools in the country earned over six figures.
Here are the 10 best law schools in the country:
9. University of California, Berkeley
Overall score: 85
Peer assessment: 4.4
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.5
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.66-3.88
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 164-168
Acceptance rate: 23 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 5.2/1
Employed at graduation: 84.5 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 87.6 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 83.1 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 54 percent
9. University of Virginia
Overall score: 85
Peer assessment: 4.3
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.4
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.56-3.94
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 163-170
Acceptance rate: 18 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 6.2/1
Employed at graduation: 87.9 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 90.3 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 93.2 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
8. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Overall score: 87
Peer assessment: 4.4
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.4
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.57-3.89
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 164-170
Acceptance rate: 22 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 7.3/1
Employed at graduation: 86.5 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 92.4 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 97.9 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
7. University of Pennsylvania
Overall score: 89
Peer assessment: 4.4
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.4
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.54-3.94
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 163-170
Acceptance rate: 18 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 5/1
Employed at graduation: 94.6 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 95.7 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 97.6 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
6. New York University
Overall score: 91
Peer assessment: 4.6
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.4
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.66-3.9
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 166-170
Acceptance rate: 27 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 6/1
Employed at graduation: 90.7 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 92 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 97.3 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
5. Columbia University (NY)
Overall score: 92
Peer assessment: 4.6
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.6
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.56-3.8
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 169-173
Acceptance rate: 20 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 5.4/1
Employed at graduation: 93.3 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 93.6 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 96.1 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
4. University of Chicago (IL)
Overall score: 95
Peer assessment: 4.6
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.6
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.73-3.95
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 166-172
Acceptance rate: 21 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 4.8/1
Employed at graduation: 93.5 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 95.3 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 97.7 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 77 percent
3. Harvard University (MA)
Overall score: 96
Peer assessment: 4.8
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.8
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.76-3.96
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 170-175
Acceptance rate: 16 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 8.1/1
Employed at graduation: 91.6 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 93.6 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 95.8 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
2. Stanford University (CA)
Overall score: 98
Peer assessment: 4.8
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.8
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.79-3.95
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 168-173
Acceptance rate: 10 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 4/1
Employed at graduation: 91.3 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 91.8 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 91 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 54 percent
1. Yale University (CT)
Overall score: 100
Peer assessment: 4.8
Assessment by lawyers and judges: 4.7
Undergraduate GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.83-3.97
LSAT score 25th-75th percentile: 170-175
Acceptance rate: 8 percent
Student-to-faculty ratio: 4.2/1
Employed at graduation: 83.3 percent
Employed 10 months after graduation: 83.3 percent
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 99 percent
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 71 percent
Yale University topped U.S. News' list of the best law schools in the country. Almost 100 percent of Yale Law School graduates pass the bar in the local jurisdiction. This prestigious law program has graduated several presidents, Supreme Court justices and high-powered business executives.
Getting into a top-tier law program like Yale is not easy. The 25th percentile of Yale students earned an undergraduate GPA of 3.83 and the 75th percentile earned an almost perfect 3.97. The acceptance rate for Yale Law School is just 8 percent.
However, Yalies were not the most likely to be employed upon graduation. While 83.3 percent of Yale Law grads had a job lined up, a whopping 94.6 percent of University of Pennsylvania students graduated with a job.
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