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Law School Rankings for 2021

One way to compare schools is the USNews law school rankings of top law schools (but not the only way).

Below you will find the law school rankings for 2021 (which were published in 2020) as well as the GPA and LSAT scores of accepted students. Click on a school name for in-depth information on that school. If you scroll to the bottom you can find Top-5s on different metrics. We hope with these other rankings you will start to look beyond USNews to determine the top law schools for you.

Rankings for other years: 2021 (published 2020), 2022 (published 2021), 2023 (published 2022), 2024 (published 2023).

LSAT GPA
Rank Name 25th 50th 75th 25th 50th 75th Acceptance
20 Boston University 161 166 168 3.56 3.78 3.86
31 Boston College 161 164 165 3.45 3.64 3.73
23 George Washington University 159 166 167 3.39 3.73 3.83
47 University of Arizona 160 162 163 3.36 3.65 3.82
37 Brigham Young University 160 164 167 3.6 3.82 3.92
47 Pepperdine University 157 161 163 3.29 3.66 3.79
42 George Mason University 158 164 165 3.39 3.75 3.86
31 Washington and Lee University 157 163 164 3.43 3.64 3.73
24 Arizona State University 156 164 165 3.39 3.81 3.91
13 Cornell University 165 168 169 3.71 3.81 3.91
27 University of California—Irvine 162 165 167 3.39 3.59 3.74
38 Ohio State University 158 161 163 3.61 3.76 3.86
38 Indiana University - Bloomington 155 162 163 3.57 3.79 3.93
3 Harvard University 170 173 175 3.79 3.89 3.96
4 Columbia University 169 172 173 3.69 3.8 3.89
14 Georgetown University 163 168 169 3.55 3.78 3.89
38 University of Wisconsin 156 162 164 3.42 3.65 3.79
47 University of Maryland 153 159 161 3.49 3.66 3.79
15 University of California—Los Angeles 164 168 169 3.51 3.79 3.89
8 University of Virginia 164 170 172 3.47 3.9 3.96
9 Northwestern University 165 169 171 3.56 3.85 3.92
6 New York University 167 170 172 3.63 3.8 3.89
42 Wake Forest University 156 162 163 3.5 3.68 3.81
7 University of Pennsylvania 163 170 171 3.54 3.89 3.96
27 Fordham University 161 164 166 3.43 3.64 3.76
4 University of Chicago 167 170 172 3.78 3.9 3.96
18 University of Southern California 163 166 167 3.65 3.8 3.91
31 University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign 157 162 164 3.42 3.7 3.82
17 Washington University in St. Louis 162 169 170 3.4 3.83 3.93
50 University of Connecticut 157 159 161 3.27 3.49 3.67
27 University of North Carolina 158 161 162 3.46 3.63 3.77
27 University of Iowa 156 161 163 3.41 3.64 3.77
9 University of California—Berkeley 165 168 170 3.7 3.81 3.9
12 Duke University 167 169 170 3.65 3.78 3.87
2 Stanford University 169 171 174 3.79 3.91 3.96
21 University of Minnesota 161 165 166 3.48 3.75 3.87
42 University of Washington 158 162 164 3.5 3.68 3.79
31 University of Alabama 157 164 166 3.42 3.88 3.95
56 Southern Methodist University 155 161 163 3.33 3.7 3.83
56 University of Houston 156 160 161 3.33 3.61 3.75
24 University of Florida (Levin) 156 164 166 3.34 3.8 3.89
50 Florida State University 155 160 161 3.48 3.73 3.84
38 University of California—Davis 159 162 164 3.41 3.61 3.75
16 University of Texas at Austin 165 168 169 3.48 3.72 3.89
53 Yeshiva University (Cardozo) 157 162 163 3.39 3.6 3.74
59 University of California (Hastings) 154 158 160 3.2 3.45 3.62
56 Temple University 158 161 163 3.28 3.56 3.72
31 University of Georgia 157 164 165 3.46 3.73 3.87
54 Tulane University 154 159 161 3.27 3.5 3.65
22 University of Notre Dame 160 165 166 3.5 3.74 3.87
24 Emory University 158 165 166 3.43 3.8 3.9
18 Vanderbilt University 162 167 168 3.56 3.8 3.87
1 Yale University 170 173 175 3.85 3.93 3.99
9 University of Michigan 163 169 170 3.56 3.81 3.88
31 William & Mary Law School 159 163 164 3.46 3.76 3.89
46 University of Colorado—Boulder 157 163 165 3.36 3.61 3.81
45 University of Utah 157 160 162 3.43 3.6 3.8
54 University of Richmond 155 161 162 3.27 3.6 3.7
147-193 St. Thomas University (Florida) 151 154 158 3.25 3.51 3.69
105 Drake University 152 154 158 3.17 3.44 3.73
60 Pennsylvania State - Penn State Law 153 160 161 3.34 3.65 3.8
74 University of Denver 155 159 161 3.18 3.49 3.66
90 Florida International University 155 157 158 3.23 3.61 3.77
133 University of Wyoming 150 152 154 3.11 3.32 3.55
118 Gonzaga University 152 154 156 3.16 3.41 3.63
147-193 Ave Maria School Of Law 146 148 152 2.87 3.21 3.5
147-193 New England Law | Boston 148 152 155 2.9 3.25 3.58
90 Saint Louis University 152 155 158 3.18 3.45 3.68
136 Pace University 149 151 153 3.0 3.28 3.55
147-193 Texas Southern University 143 145 147 2.78 3.07 3.33
76 American University 155 159 161 3.24 3.5 3.62
60 Texas A&M University 154 159 160 3.34 3.62 3.8
105 Stetson University 153 155 158 3.05 3.3 3.55
147-193 Barry University 146 148 151 2.75 3.07 3.39
118 University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) 146 149 151 2.89 3.25 3.51
147-193 North Carolina Central University 144 146 149 2.94 3.24 3.48
147-193 Northern Illinois University 147 150 153 3.07 3.28 3.56
147-193 Touro College 147 149 151 2.75 3.1 3.39
62 Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles 157 160 162 3.3 3.57 3.73
136 Suffolk University 149 152 156 3.08 3.33 3.55
107 CUNY 151 154 158 3.11 3.36 3.63
76 Case Western Reserve University 156 159 161 3.36 3.63 3.76
122 Indiana University - Indianapolis 150 154 157 3.14 3.44 3.64
90 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 153 156 158 3.15 3.5 3.69
147-193 California Western School Of Law 149 151 153 2.99 3.26 3.44
147-193 University of Arkansas, Little Rock 148 152 155 3.06 3.35 3.61
76 Georgia State University 156 158 160 3.34 3.51 3.66
62 Pennsylvania State - Dickinson Law 158 161 162 3.05 3.4 3.73
147-193 Campbell University 150 153 155 3.08 3.33 3.54
107 Howard University 149 152 156 3.09 3.33 3.58
122 Quinnipiac University 150 152 154 3.26 3.46 3.77
136 University of Idaho 148 153 155 2.98 3.28 3.57
93 Drexel University 152 157 158 3.15 3.47 3.67
147-193 Northern Kentucky University 148 151 154 3.0 3.28 3.53
136 University of Toledo 148 152 155 3.0 3.31 3.62
147-193 Nova Southeastern University 149 151 153 2.85 3.16 3.4
107 Santa Clara University 153 156 159 3.1 3.33 3.53
93 Lewis And Clark College 155 158 161 3.19 3.46 3.67
62 Seton Hall University 153 158 160 3.18 3.5 3.69
122 University of Maine 151 154 158 3.2 3.48 3.68
76 Rutgers University 153 156 158 3.13 3.41 3.63
147-193 University of Detroit Mercy 150 153 155 3.02 3.24 3.46
147-193 Capital University 147 150 155 2.89 3.22 3.6
50 Baylor University 157 160 161 3.38 3.6 3.72
140 University of Illinois—Chicago 147 150 153 2.95 3.22 3.43
93 Michigan State University 152 155 157 3.29 3.58 3.77
76 University of Nebraska 154 157 160 3.51 3.73 3.91
122 University of Montana 152 154 157 3.12 3.4 3.66
107 Washburn University 150 154 157 3.03 3.41 3.71
147-193 Charleston School Of Law 146 148 151 2.75 3.12 3.39
147-193 Ohio Northern University 147 151 155 2.95 3.31 3.67
62 University of Nevada—Las Vegas 154 159 161 3.28 3.69 3.81
147-193 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 147 149 153 2.98 3.22 3.53
62 Villanova University 154 159 161 3.37 3.6 3.78
147-193 Oklahoma City University 146 149 152 2.95 3.29 3.5
76 University of Oklahoma 153 157 159 3.34 3.63 3.78
126 University of Baltimore 150 153 156 2.92 3.19 3.44
111 Catholic University Of America 152 155 158 3.21 3.42 3.61
96 Louisiana State University 152 155 157 3.19 3.48 3.72
147-193 University of North Dakota 145 149 152 2.97 3.3 3.66
76 University of Pittsburgh 155 158 160 3.22 3.49 3.71
147-193 University of San Francisco 151 153 155 3.0 3.29 3.51
67 Northeastern University 156 162 163 3.4 3.63 3.75
141 University of Akron 151 153 155 3.05 3.45 3.67
126 Loyola University—New Orleans 148 151 154 3.0 3.3 3.5
147-193 Regent University 150 155 157 3.12 3.45 3.69
96 University of Hawaii 153 156 159 3.15 3.45 3.71
147-193 Elon University 146 149 152 2.99 3.2 3.53
111 Chapman University 155 158 160 3.28 3.49 3.64
129 Seattle University 151 155 157 3.08 3.37 3.57
141 University of Dayton 147 150 153 3.05 3.38 3.67
147-193 University of the District of Columbia 146 148 150 2.87 3.08 3.35
67 University of Miami 156 158 161 3.24 3.44 3.64
111 Syracuse University 152 154 157 3.04 3.33 3.61
83 Brooklyn Law School 155 157 160 3.24 3.44 3.58
147-193 Roger Williams University 146 149 152 2.93 3.21 3.54
126 Mercer University 151 153 155 3.12 3.37 3.6
96 University of South Carolina 153 155 158 3.23 3.43 3.67
99 University of Buffalo—SUNY 151 154 157 3.19 3.49 3.75
83 Illinois Institute of Technology (Kent) 153 158 160 3.11 3.49 3.69
111 Texas Tech University 153 155 157 3.2 3.42 3.6
67 University of Missouri 152 157 160 3.32 3.64 3.84
147-193 University of the Pacific (Mcgeorge) 150 153 156 3.03 3.35 3.54
129 Belmont University 153 156 158 3.28 3.63 3.84
141 University of Memphis 148 152 155 2.93 3.32 3.55
147-193 Florida A&M University 145 146 149 2.87 3.1 3.43
147-193 Samford University 150 153 156 3.25 3.48 3.65
147-193 South Texas College Of Law—Houston 150 152 155 2.85 3.15 3.38
147-193 Western Michigan University (Cooley) 141 145 150 2.62 2.95 3.32
70 Loyola University—Chicago 157 159 161 3.2 3.4 3.57
111 University of Mississippi 151 155 157 3.16 3.48 3.75
83 University of Cincinnati 153 157 159 3.39 3.64 3.82
99 University of Louisville 151 154 157 3.16 3.46 3.67
129 Duquesne University 150 152 155 3.17 3.4 3.69
141 University of South Dakota 147 152 154 3.15 3.44 3.78
147-193 Florida Coastal School Of Law 146 147 151 2.66 2.94 3.36
141 Vermont Law School 145 150 154 2.88 3.24 3.51
83 University of San Diego 155 159 161 3.29 3.57 3.68
129 New York Law School 150 153 155 3.11 3.35 3.59
147-193 Western New England University 146 148 152 2.95 3.36 3.67
147-193 Southern Illinois University—Carbondale 147 149 153 2.99 3.22 3.5
147-193 Golden Gate University 147 150 152 2.79 3.14 3.38
70 University of Kansas 152 157 159 3.34 3.65 3.87
99 University of New Mexico 151 155 157 3.16 3.47 3.72
111 University of Tulsa 151 154 156 3.13 3.42 3.63
70 University of Kentucky 154 155 158 3.36 3.62 3.8
102 Cleveland State University 150 154 157 3.23 3.43 3.69
147-193 Western State College Of Law 147 148 152 2.68 3.17 3.4
111 West Virginia University 152 154 157 3.15 3.45 3.7
83 Wayne State University 154 159 161 3.16 3.56 3.73
147-193 Liberty University 149 152 154 3.02 3.37 3.76
141 Willamette University 149 153 156 2.77 3.16 3.51
147-193 Southern University 142 145 147 2.68 2.99 3.31
147-193 Appalachian School of Law 143 145 149 2.64 3.13 3.4
147-193 Widener University—Delaware 147 149 151 2.9 3.21 3.46
102 Hofstra University 150 154 156 3.19 3.53 3.73
118 Albany Law School Of Union University 151 153 156 3.07 3.37 3.64
147-193 Southwestern Law School 151 153 155 3.03 3.3 3.56
133 Creighton University 150 152 155 2.95 3.19 3.54
88 University of New Hampshire 152 156 158 3.16 3.45 3.61
70 University of Tennessee 156 159 161 3.32 3.65 3.85
147-193 St. Mary's University 149 151 154 2.87 3.24 3.5
118 DePaul University 152 155 156 3.05 3.39 3.61
74 St. John's University 153 159 161 3.32 3.62 3.78
88 University of Oregon 154 157 160 3.26 3.51 3.65
147-193 Mississippi College 145 148 152 2.89 3.19 3.43
102 Marquette University 150 154 156 3.25 3.44 3.63
147-193 Atlanta's John Marshall Law School 147 150 152 2.65 3.13 3.48
133 University of Missouri—Kansas City 151 153 156 3.19 3.41 3.67
A rank of 147-193 means that the school is in the bottom tier as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
* The data in this table is user-reported and may be inaccurate.
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Summary

The U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) law school rankings for 2023 showcase a highly competitive landscape among top-tier institutions. Stanford University and Yale University share the first spot, closely followed by the University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University, Harvard University, and New York University, which all tie for the fifth rank. The rankings consider a multitude of factors including the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile LSAT scores and GPAs of enrolled students, as well as the acceptance rate, painting a comprehensive picture of each school's selectivity and the quality of its students.

Stanford and Yale Universities both have 25th percentile LSAT scores of 170 or above and 75th percentile scores reaching 176 and 178 respectively, indicating a highly accomplished student body. Yale, however, has a slightly lower acceptance rate at 5.7%, reflecting a higher level of competitiveness for admission. Both schools also boast strong GPA percentiles, with 75th percentile GPAs hitting 3.99 for both schools, illustrating the high academic achievements of their students.

In the fifth spot, Duke University, Harvard University, and New York University exhibit a diverse range of LSAT and GPA percentiles, with Duke showing slightly lower metrics, but still boasting strong figures. Duke’s 75th percentile LSAT score stands at 171, with Harvard and NYU reaching 176 and 174 respectively. Harvard's GPA and LSAT scores are highly competitive, tying with the leaders Stanford and Yale at several points. NYU, while still being a top-ranked institution, does have a higher acceptance rate at 15.7%, suggesting a slightly less selective admissions process. Nonetheless, the continued presence of these institutions at the top of the USNWR rankings underscores their esteemed reputation and the high caliber of their law programs.

General

General chat about the legal profession.
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trees1234567
19:27
people submit additional LORs
trees1234567
19:27
depending on the school tho
trees1234567
19:28
as a general piece of advice - whatever you wrote about your job in any material - make sure you share that w them so they can co sign that and expand on it!
trees1234567
19:28
as a baseline
TruthTheX
19:28
Yeah I was hoping to submit it to GULC to get off the WL. I’m assuming most of their medians are hit so they need diversity and experience etc
TruthTheX
19:29
@Hellwoods2025: gotcha yeah they actually offered first to try and help they’re super supportive so I’m not worried they’ll hate me and use it to screw me over hahaha
TruthTheX
19:30
@trees1234567: gotcha when I send my supervisor the list of things to talk about I’ll include the paragraph I wrote as a “job update” for my LOCI ty
trees1234567
19:31
ofc! i feel like as a baseline recommenders can cosign whatever cool stuff you say about yourself
trees1234567
19:31
like that is always helpful and then anything else they can do is above and beyond!
TruthTheX
19:32
Tbh I downplayed myself and more mentioned as a team we did x y and z and all that cuz I didn’t wanna come off as arrogant and be like “all me” so them backing it up or expanding on how I specifically helped even more than the “here were my notable contributions to this team effort” should strengthen I think
trees1234567
19:33
yep
trees1234567
19:33
you laid the foundation that your team is doing well and now they can highlight your leadership/contributions!
TruthTheX
19:34
I gotcha that makes sense to frame it that way ty
CallHerDaddy
19:40
Hi loves
CallHerDaddy
19:41
Who got vandy movement
BelligerentMagicalWarthog
19:51
^^^^
Obtainingdreams
20:03
Question: If you had a 177 3.96 would accept Northwestern for 90k (30 a year) off the waitlist
[] shereallysaidmeganslaw
20:06
umm yes
[] shereallysaidmeganslaw
20:07
its an incredible school, is there a reason why you're hesitant?
jb2029
20:11
WL? Lose my number
jb2029
20:11
lol
Obtainingdreams
20:25
the thought is i could reapply ED next year and get more they guarantee 40
Obtainingdreams
20:25
or get more at cornell they usually give 50 a year to people w my stats
WhatDoIHaveToLose
20:26
Gotta think if you're willing to re write your essays though - most schools expect/want new material
WhatDoIHaveToLose
20:26
that scholly at northwestern is nice if you get off the wl
jb2029
20:27
That does seem low for your stats
jb2029
20:30
unobtanium, when did you apply
Obtainingdreams
20:37
september
GreenJumbledScorpion
21:51
@jb2029: did you get into hls?
babybunny
22:13
Wittgenstein’s ladder
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