Top 10 Schools of Law in the United States
A career in law starts with finding the school that fits you best. For that one has to be mentally, financially and emotionally prepared and that is not a cakewalk.
To get into the best Law school in the United States one has to complete a Bachelor’s degree in any field of study, then take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), an official exam that tests your critical and analytical abilities – necessary for further pursuing a Law degree and then decide which law school they will study and start applying.
Law school rankings from the States are by far the most stable ones that haven’t changed for over 20 years. The only difference is the order of the first ten positions that is slightly different every year.
If you’re preparing to apply to Law schools in the United States, you are most certainly eager to know which the best schools for studying a Law degree are.
Below is the list of top Law Schools in the U.S and a lot of them are renowned in the world too in terms of education, faculty, environment, intellectual students, career and many more:
Table of Contents
1. Yale Law School (YLS) –
is the law school of Yale University. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States, Yale law school is one of the world’s premier law schools and also a member of the Ivy League. Established in 1824, Yale Law offers the Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Laws (L.L.M.), Doctor of Judicial Sciences (S.J.D.) Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) and Ph.D. degrees in law. Almost 100 percent of graduates pass the bar in the local jurisdiction.
The school’s small size and prestige make its admissions process the most selective of any law school in the United States, with an acceptance rate of 6.9%.
The prestigious law program has graduated several presidents, Supreme Court justices and high powered business executives. Notable alumni are U.S. former president Bill Clinton and Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.
Yale University’s ranking and General Information:
#1 in Best Law Schools
The application fee for the full-time program is $85.
Acceptance rate: 6.9%
Median LSAT score required: 173
Bar passage rate: 98.3%
Tuition fees: $64,267
Enrollment of (full time) students: 621 students out of which 49.8% is female and 50.1% is male
The student to faculty ratio is 4.2:1
Total faculty: 257
Graduates employed at graduation: 81.7%
Graduates employed ten months after graduation: 83.5%
Median private sector starting salary: $180,000.
Median public service starting salary: $62,591
Website: https://law.yale.edu
2. Stanford Law School–
(also known as Stanford Law or SLS) is a professional graduate school of Stanford University, located in Stanford, California. Established in 1893, Stanford Law has been ranked one of the top three law schools in the country, with Yale Law School and Harvard Law School every year since 1992. Since 2016, Stanford Law has been ranked 2nd. Stanford Law is consistently regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world.
The school enrolls over 550 students who are working toward their Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree. Stanford Law also confers four advanced legal degrees: a Master of Laws (LL.M.), a Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.), a Master of the Science of Law (J.S.M.), and a Doctor of the Science of Law (J.S.D.).
Ranking and General Information:
#2 in Best Law Schools
Application fee: $100.
Acceptance rate: 8.7%
Median LSAT score required: 171
Bar passage rate: 95.3%
Tuition fees: $62,373
Enrollment of (full time) students: 565 students out of which 49.6% is female and 50.4% is male
The student to faculty ratio is 4.0:1
Total faculty: 210
Employed at graduation: 88.8%
The graduate was employed ten months after graduation: 90.4%
Median private sector starting salary: $180,000.
Median public service starting salary: $65,228
Website: https://law.stanford.edu
3. Harvard Law School –
One of the most prestigious and preeminent centers of legal education in the world, itis the law school of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world.
Approximately 1990 students attend HLS each year (1,750 J.D. students, 180 L.L.M. and 60 S.J.D. students). Harvard’s uniquely large class size and prestige have led the law school to graduate a great many distinguished alumni in the judiciary, government and the business world.
Ranking and General Information:
#3 in Best Law Schools
Application fee: $85.
Acceptance rate: 12.9%
Median LSAT score required: 173
Bar passage rate: 97.2%
Tuition fees: $64,978
Enrollment of (full time) students: 1737 students out of which 49.8% is female and 50% is male
The student to faculty ratio is 7.6:1
Total faculty: 344
Graduates employed at graduation: 90.5%
Graduates employed ten months after graduation: 92.1%
Median private sector starting salary: $180,000.
Median public service starting salary: $60,000
Website: https://law.harvard.edu
4. Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School(often referred to as Columbia Law or CLS) is a professional graduate school of Columbia University, a member of the Ivy League. It has always been ranked in the top five law schools in the United States. Renowned for its intellectual rigor and high professional standards it is also well known for its strength in corporate law and its placement power in the nation’s elite law firms.
Columbia Law School was founded in 1858 and it is situated in New York. The School offers three graduate degree programs: Master of Laws (LLM), Executive Master of Laws in Global Business Law (Executive LLM) and Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD). Additionally, Columbia offers the Special Student Program for attorneys who wish to continue their legal education without pursuing a degree.
Columbia has produced many distinguished alumni than any other law school in the world including US presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt and many other accomplished litigators, corporate lawyers, judges, legal scholars, human rights advocates, and international political figures are all part of this school.
Ranking and General Information:
#4 in Best Law Schools
Application fee: $85.
Acceptance rate: 16.8%
Median LSAT score required: 172
Bar passage rate: 97.7%
Tuition fees: $69,916
Enrollment of (full time) students: 1268 students out of which is 48.9% is female and is 51.1% male
The student to faculty ratio is 4.9:1
Total faculty: 451
Graduate employed at graduation: 92.4%
Graduate employed ten months after graduation: 93.3%
Median private sector starting salary: $180,000.
Median public service starting salary: $60,000
Website: https://law.columbia.edu
5. University of Chicago Law School-
This is a professional graduate school of the University of Chicago that was founded in 1902. It is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the world and has produced many distinguished alumni in the judiciary, academia, government, politics, and business.
Currently, the school offers Juris Doctor program (J.D.), the Master of Laws (L.L.M), Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L) and Doctor of Juridical Science degrees (S.J.D)in law.
Ranking and General Information:
#5 in Best Law Schools
Acceptance rate: 17.5%
Application fee: $75.
Median LSAT score required: 171
Bar passage rate: 98.9%
Tuition fees: $64,089
Enrollment of (full time) students: 600 out of which 47% is female and 53% is male
The student-faculty ratio is 5.1:1
Total faculty: 186
Graduates employed at graduation: 93%
Graduates employed ten months after graduation: 93.9%
Median private sector starting salary: $180,000.
Median public service starting salary: $63,000 s
Website: https://law.uchicago.edu
6. New York University School of Law–
New York University school of law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City, located in Manhattan. The school offers J.D., L.L.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law.
For almost two centuries, New York University School of Law has maintained a record of academic excellence and innovation. It is currently ranked the 6th best law school in the world. Nationally, it is ranked 1st in the country in both international law and tax law by U.S. News & World Report. NYU School of Law boasts the best overall faculty in the U.S. with leading renowned experts in all fields of law.
Ranking and General Information:
#6 in Best Law Schools
Acceptance rate: 23.6%
Application fee: $85.
Median LSAT score required: 170
Bar passage rate: 97.5%
Tuition fees: $66,422
Enrollment of (full time) students: 1380 students out of which is 53.4% are female and 46.4% is male
The student to faculty ratio is 5.3:1
Total faculty: 453
Graduate employed at graduation: 89.7%
Graduate employed ten months after graduation: 90.9%
Median private sector starting salary: $180,000.
Median public service starting salary: $60,000
Website: https://law.nyu.edu
7. University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
(also known as Penn Law, UPenn Law, or Carey Law) is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania? It is among the most selective and oldest law schools in the United States and is currently ranked 7th overall by U.S. News & World Report. The school prides itself on its collegiality and importance it places on diversity.
Currently, it offers the degrees of Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M.), Master of Comparative Laws (LL.C.M.), Master in Law (M.L.), and Doctor of the Science of Law (S.J.D.).
Among the school’s alumni are a US Supreme Court Justice, several state Supreme Court Justices, and Supreme Court justices of foreign countries, as well as several founders of law firms, university presidents and deans, business entrepreneurs, and politicians.
Ranking and General Information:
#7 in Best Law Schools
Acceptance rate: 14.6%
Application fee: $80.
Median LSAT score required: 170
Bar passage rate: 98.5%
Tuition fees: $65,804
Enrollment of (full time) students: 755 students out of which is 51.1% female and48.9% is male
The student to faculty ratio is 4.9:1
Total faculty: 255
Graduate employed at graduation: 94.9%
Graduate employed ten months after graduation: 96.9%
Median private sector starting salary of $180,000.
Median public service starting salary $61,218
Website: https://law.upenn.edu
8. University of Virginia School of Law
(also known as Virginia Law or UVA Law) was founded in Charlottesville in 1819. UVA Law is the fourth-oldest active law school in the United States and the second-oldest continuously operating law school. The law school offers the J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law.
UVA Law is perennially regarded as one of the 10 most prestigious law schools in the nation. The public school is known for its high-quality teaching, camaraderie and high quality of life. As of 2019, UVA Law is ranked as eighth in the nation.
Notable alumni include U.S. Supreme Court Justices, as well as numerous members of U.S. Congress and judges on federal courts throughout the United States.
Ranking and General Information:
#8 in Best Law Schools
Application fee: $80
Acceptance rate: 15.3%
Median LSAT score required: 169
Bar passage rate: 99.0%
Tuition fees: $60,700 (in state) & $63,700 (out of state)
Enrollment of (full time) students: 923 students out of which 45.8% is female and 54.2% is male
Student to faculty ratio is 6.5:1
Total faculty: 240
Graduate employed at graduation: 92.6%
Graduate employed ten months after graduation: 93.9%
Median private sector starting salary: $180,000.
Median public service starting salary: $62,000
Website: https://www.law.virginia.edu
9. The University of Michigan Law School (Michigan Law)-
University is one of the law schools of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. It is a renowned center for legal study and research in the U.S. Founded in 1859, the school offers Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (LLM), and Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) and the new intensive Master of Advanced Corporation Law (MACL) degree programs.
Michigan Law School is considered to have one of the best campuses and collegiate environment among U.S. law schools and has placed many graduates in government positions as well as some practice law in more than 80 countries.
Ranking and General Information:
#9 in Best Law Schools
Application fee: $75
Acceptance rate: 19.6%
Median LSAT score required: 169
Bar passage rate: 96.6%
Tuition fees: 59,762 (in-state) & $62,762 (out of state)
Enrollment of (full time) students: 1012 students out of which 48.4% is female and 51.6% is male
The student to faculty ratio is 6.8:1
Total faculty: 198
Graduate employed at graduation: 88.6%
Graduate employed ten months after graduation: 92.8%
Median private sector starting salary: $180,000.
Median public service starting salary: $60,210
Website: https://law.umich.edu
10. Duke University School of Law–
(also known as Duke Law School or Duke Law) is the law school of Duke University situated in Durham, North Carolina, United States.
Duke Law School is one of the world’s leading law schools, known for its outstanding faculty and scholarship. Duke Law admits roughly 20 percent of applicants. The school’s small size leads to students enjoying uniquely close interactions with faculty and peers.
Duke Law’s success is its faculty. Professors are deeply dedicated to teaching and are accessible and responsive to students. Faculty members’ backgrounds are as varied as they are former Fulbright Scholars, Rhodes Scholars, and Marshall Scholars. The school has produced many alumni that work in top law firms and companies across the globe.
Ranking and General Information:
#10 in Best Law Schools
Application fee: $70
Acceptance rate: 20.2%
Bar passage rate: 97.8%
Median LSAT score required: 169
The student-faculty ratio is 5.5:1
Total faculty: 183
Tuition fees: $64,722,
Enrollment of (full time) students: 682 students out of which 45.6% is female and 54.3% is male
Graduate employed at graduation: 91.6%
Graduate employed ten months after graduation: 95.6%
Median private sector starting salary: $180,000
Median public service starting salary: $60,000
Website: https://law.duke.edu
Conclusion
After successfully finishing a degree from the top Law school, there is one more step that will help you to become a genuine lawyer, and that is passing the bar exam. A bar exam can be taken in any state, but you have to select the exact state where you will then want to practice law. Each USA state has its own rules for bar admission and once you are admitted in one state, most often you will only be allowed to work as a lawyer in that state only.
Last but not least, the U.S. is a big country that provides numerous career opportunities. The lawyer profession is extremely rewarding from any point of view. Financially, the annual income of a “fresh” lawyer starts from around $160,000. Morally speaking, the legal system of the States is by far the most transparent, challenging and straightforward and you could make a difference in people’s lives.
