Pre-law students have long relied on these rankings as an authoritative source. But Tuesday’s release has generated heated discussion.
Kaplan conducted a law school admissions officers survey that revealed 51 percent believe rankings have diminished over recent years; 18 percent disagreed while 31 took no stance at all.
U.S. News & World Report
Following several hiccups and an embarrassing mix-up last year, US News has revised their law school rankings methodology. Now placing greater emphasis on student outcomes like employment rates and bar passage rates while decreasing LSAT and undergraduate GPA scores as factors, its updated law school rankings methodology now puts less weight on them.
But many schools still lack much say in the ranking process and even with changes like these can see their ranks fluctuating drastically – some even moved up and down more than fifteen spots!
That can create an array of ups and downs for a school, which can be hard to explain. Furthermore, it could result in angry alumni phone calls, online speculation about declining quality and shifts of future law students to competitor schools; all risks no school wants to take. As such, some have even stopped taking U.S. News risks altogether because it can be too expensive; instead relying on new research that evaluates multiple factors to measure law school value instead.
The National Law Journal
Selecting a law school can be a complex and personal choice for prospective students, and rankings shouldn’t be seen as the sole deciding factor. Instead, prospective students should carefully evaluate each institution on its own merits while considering factors like tuition costs, location, program strengths and career outcomes when making this important decision.
Yale and Stanford held on to their joint top spots of U.S. News & World Report ranking in 2024, with University of Chicago and Pennsylvania Carey joining UCLA and Texas Austin by moving up one spot each. New York University, Northwestern (Pritzker) University and Michigan-Ann Arbor all fell one or more spots respectively.
Each year, THE publishes 13 subject rankings including law using its global methodology – covering teaching quality, research output, international outlook and industry collaboration. However, in relation to legal education specifically these indicators may be weighted differently to reflect specific characteristics of legal education.
The Wall Street Journal
Yale has long held onto its position at the top of U.S. News & World Report’s law school rankings; never faltering from being #1. These rankings take into account factors like academic reputation, employment outcomes, faculty credentials and student selectivity among others.
This university excels at offering a scholarly approach to law that cultivates critical thinking and innovation, such as with its international, criminal, and tax law programs; additionally it offers clinical opportunities that give hands-on legal experience.
Notable among this year’s rankings was relatively little movement among the T-14. Instead, the most dramatic gains occurred further down the list; University of Chicago and Pennsylvania both saw their rankings move by four spots this year.
The Economist
Rankings are subjective measures; while some law students may view them as essential, others don’t pay them any mind. What matters more than rankings is what the school can offer rather than solely how many places it appears on any list.
Considerations should also include considering your career goals when making their selection. For instance, schools known for strong focuses in legal theory or interdisciplinary approaches could be worthy candidates. Students should keep in mind that certain law schools may be suitable for certain career goals while not for others. Furthermore, ranking fluctuations can occur over time due to various factors including faculty changes, student selectivity and graduate employment rates. Changes can make it hard for prospective law students to compare schools over time, yet updates are typically made annually and provide an up-to-date snapshot of a school’s performance. Prospective law students should keep this in mind when evaluating schools.