Contents
Clio law school rankings 2024 How we determined the top law schools of 2024 USWNR law school rankings 2024 ATL law school rankings 2023 Princeton Review law school rankings 2023 Factors beyond ranking of law schools to consider Final notes on law school rankings
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Where should you go to law school? There are nearly 200 law schools in the United States, and the right law school rankings can help you choose.
With a myriad of factors to consider, including tuition cost, career outcomes, average first-year lawyer salaries, and quality of life, many prospective students look to the rankings to determine where to spend their time applying.
Here, we look at the best-known law school rankings and provide our own ranking—weighing key factors for law students in 2024, such as whether schools offer technology classes and classes related to artificial intelligence (AI). Today, law students must have a firm grasp of technology for a successful career in law moving forward.
What are the top-ranking law schools?
The top law schools in the United States include Yale, Stanford, the University of Chicago, and Duke University. The top 14 law schools in the US World and News Report (USWNR) annual rankings, typically referred to as the T14, or Top 14, have been top-ranked since the 1990s and are generally considered the best law schools in the country.
Clio law school rankings 2024
Schools with the Clio logo are part of Clio’s Academic Access Program (CAAP), which offers free Clio access to prepare students for the future of law.
How we determined the top law schools of 2024
To create a law school ranking that is relevant for law students in 2024, we used a combination of existing rankings as well as a score for remote class options and technology class offerings.
Here’s how the rankings break down:
- 40% – USWNR ranking. The annual law school rankings from USWNR have been the most influential rankings in the US for over three decades.
- 25% – Above the Law (ATL) ranking. ATL looks heavily at employment outcomes, weighing heavily towards a quality jobs score, employment score, and education cost it assigns to each school.
- 12% – Technology classes score. We assigned a score to each law school based on how many, if any, technology-related classes were offered—covering either the use of technology or the implications of technology for the law. Knowledge of technology is crucial for successful legal careers in 2024 and beyond.
- 10% – AI classes rank. Staying up-to-date with artificial intelligence is increasingly crucial for law students, so we ranked law schools based on whether they offer classes related to AI.
- 3% – Remote classes score. The ability to attend some or all classes remotely is an important accessibility option for many students.
- 2% – Princeton Review Best Professors ranking. Based on student ratings of their professors—the quality of one’s legal education provides a rich foundation for their legal career.
- 2% – Princeton Diverse Faculty ranking. This takes into account the diversity represented in a school’s faculty, based on two key factors: school demographic data indicating the percentage of faculty from underrepresented minority groups and law student ratings of their perception of diversity among the law faculty.
- 2% – Princeton Review Best Career Prospects ranking. We believe it’s important that law students are able to launch strong careers after graduation.
- 2% – Princeton Review Best Quality of Life ranking. Based on some troubling law student mental health statistics, it’s crucial to consider the environment at any law school you’re thinking of attending.
- 2% – Princeton Review Best Classroom Experience ranking. Whether in the classroom or attending remotely, the experience in class needs to be top-notch to get the most out of your legal education.
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USWNR law school rankings 2024
USWNR has released annual law school rankings since 1990. It is widely respected, with terms such as “T14 law school” arising from its ranking system. Over 196 law schools were included in its rankings for 2024.
The USWNR ranking is based on the following factors—relevant weightings are in brackets:
- Outcomes 10 months after graduation (33%)
- Bar passage rate for first-time test takers (18%)
- Ultimate bar passage rate (7%)
- Peer assessment score (12.5%)
- Lawyers and judges assessment score (12.5%)
- Median Law School Admission Test and Graduate Record Examination scores (5%)
- Median undergraduate grade point average (4%)
- Acceptance rate (1%)
- Student-faculty ratio (5%)
- Library resources (2%)
Read more about the USWNR methodology for ranking here.
What is a Top 14 law school?
The top 14 law schools—or T14—are the top 14 law schools in America according to the USWNR. T14 law schools are often referred to as Tier 1 law schools. The USWNR law school rankings evaluate law schools on graduate placement, faculty, student achievement, and opinions from law schools, lawyers, and judges on program quality.
What is a Tier 3 law school?
Tier 3 law schools are law schools ranked by the USWNR that don’t fall into Tier 1 or Tier 2. Tier 3 law schools make up the vast majority of schools ranked by the USWNR.
In 2024, the top 11 law schools according to USWNR were:
| 1 | Stanford Law School (tie)
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| 1 | Yale Law School (tie)
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| 3 | University of Chicago Law School
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| 4 | Duke University (tie)
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| 4 | Harvard Law School (tie)
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| 4 | University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (tie)
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| 4 | University of Virginia School of Law (tie)
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| 8 | Columbia Law School
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| 9 | New York University School of Law (tie)
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| 9 | Northwestern University (Pritzker) (tie)
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| 9 | University of Michigan Law School (tie) |
ATL law school rankings 2023
ATL provides a ranking of the top 50 law schools each year. Their rankings are based on:
- 40% – Quality of jobs score (jobs where graduates can actually pay off their debt)
- 30% – Graduate employment score
- 10% – Education cost
- 10% – Debt per graduate
- 5% – Graduates who are active federal judges
- 5% – Graduates who are SCOTUS clerks
You can learn more about the rationale behind ATL’s law school ranking system here.
In 2023, the top 10 law schools according to ATL were:
Princeton Review law school rankings 2023
Princeton Review provides 14 unique ranking lists for law schools based on surveys of 17,000 US law school students and administrators. The categories include Best Online JD Programs, Greatest Resources for Minority Students, Best Career Prospects, and much more.
Read more about the Princeton Review Law School Rankings here.
Factors beyond ranking of law schools to consider
While law school rankings can be an important determining factor when weighing your options for law school, it’s important to note that a potential school’s ranking is not the only point to consider.
Other important factors to consider when choosing a law school include:
- Is the school located somewhere you want to live? Attending a law school that’s geographically far from friends and family can be difficult, so consider whether your dream school’s location is conducive to the lifestyle you want to live during your time as a law student.
- Where do you ultimately want to practice law? Attending a law school located in the area where you want to work can help you build valuable connections that may be useful once you’ve passed the bar.
- What type of law do you want to practice? If you have a specific area of law that you want to practice, consider schools with strong programs in that area.
- Is it affordable for your situation? Remember to realistically consider the financial factors that apply to law school you’re interested in—from tuition costs and fees to scholarship and funding opportunities.
Final notes on law school rankings
Law school rankings are a valuable resource when deciding which law schools to apply to. Ultimately, different considerations apply for different students when deciding on the best law schools for them—which is why we’ve created a law school ranking that combines both trusted rankings with factors law students should be considering to prepare themselves for a successful future, including technology considerations.
Wherever you choose to apply to law school, good luck with your applications! And don’t forget to sign up for Clio’s Academic Access Program—this program provides law students with a head-start on their legal practice by introducing them to the opportunities available through cloud-based practice management software. Sign up for Clio’s Academic Access Program here.
How do I get into law school?
Law school is incredibly competitive. To get in, you’ll need an undergraduate degree with a healthy GPA, and you’ll need to take the LSAT and get a strong score in order to be a contender for getting into most law schools.
How much does law school cost?
In 2023, law school tuition costs range from $13,438 (University of the District of Columbia (Clarke)) to $76,088 (Columbia University). The median tuition cost is $43,290. Tuition will cost more if you are an out-of-state student. In addition to tuition, factors like housing, textbooks, and living expenses will factor into your budget and vary wildly depending on your location.
How many law schools should I apply to?
You should apply to anywhere between 7-15 law schools. These should be a mix of reach, target, and safety schools, with at least two schools in each category:
- Reach schools are schools where, well, it’s a reach for you to get in, but you have a chance.
- Target schools are schools where you’re a fit with expectations for LSAT scores and other relevant scores, and thus have a pretty good chance of getting in.
- Safety schools are schools where you exceed benchmarks for relevant scores and where it’s extremely likely you’ll get in.
Of course, the number of law schools you apply to will depend on your financial resources for applying, as well as your goals.
When do law school applications open?
Law school applications typically open in the fall. Depending on the school, the deadline typically falls somewhere between February and April of the following year. For precise deadlines, check the website of each law school you are considering.
We published this blog post in February 2023. Last updated: .
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