2022 Above The Law Law School Rankings

LSAT medians, acceptance rates, BigLaw placement, and employment outcomes across 44 ABA-accredited schools. LSAT/GPA stats →

44

Schools

LSD LSD USN US News ATL Above The Law Peer Peer Assessment

Year:

About Above The Law rankings

Above The Law ranks schools primarily by employment outcomes and student debt. The focus is on what happens after graduation: BigLaw placement, federal clerkships, public interest positions, and debt-to-salary ratios.

ATL's approach weights outcomes more heavily than selectivity or reputation, which means some schools rank significantly differently here than in US News.

#

School

LSAT

GPA

Accept

BigLaw

Duke University Durham, North Carolina

#1 ↑2 Duke University

Durham, North Carolina

171 LSAT · 3.91 GPA · 68% BigLaw

University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia

#2 University of Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia

173 LSAT · 3.99 GPA · 60% BigLaw

University of Chicago Chicago, Illinois

#4 ↓3 University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

174 LSAT · 3.97 GPA · 49% BigLaw

Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tennessee

#5 ↑10 Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

170 LSAT · 3.91 GPA · 48% BigLaw

Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri

#6 ↑3 Washington University in St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

175 LSAT · 3.96 GPA · 39% BigLaw

T6

Top 6 - near-universal BigLaw and clerkship access regardless of class rank

HYS plus Chicago, Columbia, and NYU. The T6 has been remarkably stable for decades. The distinction between HYS and the rest of the T6 is real but narrow, mostly relevant for academia and Supreme Court clerkships.

T6 Top 6 - near-universal BigLaw and clerkship access regardless of class rank

HYS plus Chicago, Columbia, and NYU. The T6 has been remarkably stable for decades. The distinction between HYS and the rest of the T6 is real but narrow, mostly relevant for academia and Supreme Court clerkships.

University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan

#7 ↓2 University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan

171 LSAT · 3.88 GPA · 50% BigLaw

Columbia University New York City, New York

#8 ↑5 Columbia University

New York City, New York

173 LSAT · 3.92 GPA · 65% BigLaw

Northwestern University Evanston, Illinois

#9 ↑3 Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

173 LSAT · 3.96 GPA · 64% BigLaw

University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

#10 ↓3 University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

173 LSAT · 3.95 GPA · 64% BigLaw

University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas

#11 ↑3 University of Texas at Austin

172 LSAT · 3.89 GPA · 42% BigLaw

University of California—Berkeley Berkeley, California

#12 ↓1 University of California—Berkeley

Berkeley, California

170 LSAT · 3.92 GPA · 52% BigLaw

University of Georgia Athens, Georgia

#13 ↑9 University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

169 LSAT · 3.92 GPA · 17% BigLaw

University of Notre Dame South Bend, Indiana

#14 ↑7 University of Notre Dame

South Bend, Indiana

170 LSAT · 3.89 GPA · 40% BigLaw

T14

Top 14 - the historic prestige boundary for national BigLaw placement

For decades, the same 14 schools held the top 14 spots — hence the name. That streak broke recently as Georgetown dropped out and Texas and UCLA moved in. The term persists because it marks a meaningful employment boundary: T14 graduates can find BigLaw or federal clerkships in any US market. Below the T14, placement becomes increasingly regional.

T14 Top 14 - the historic prestige boundary for national BigLaw placement

For decades, the same 14 schools held the top 14 spots — hence the name. That streak broke recently as Georgetown dropped out and Texas and UCLA moved in. The term persists because it marks a meaningful employment boundary: T14 graduates can find BigLaw or federal clerkships in any US market. Below the T14, placement becomes increasingly regional.

Yale University New Haven, Connecticut

#15 ↓9 Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

174 LSAT · 3.96 GPA · 31% BigLaw

Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts

#16 ↓6 Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

174 LSAT · 3.96 GPA · 51% BigLaw

New York University New York City, New York

#17 ↓1 New York University

New York City, New York

172 LSAT · 3.92 GPA · 54% BigLaw

University of Southern California Los Angeles, California

#18 ↑9 University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

169 LSAT · 3.91 GPA · 57% BigLaw

University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign Champaign, Illinois

#19 ↑6 University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign

Champaign, Illinois

166 LSAT · 3.81 GPA · 34% BigLaw

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina

#20 ↑4 University of North Carolina

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

168 LSAT · 3.89 GPA · 25% BigLaw

Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, North Carolina

#21 ↑9 Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

166 LSAT · 3.79 GPA · 25% BigLaw

Brigham Young University Provo, Utah

#22 ↑14 Brigham Young University

170 LSAT · 3.95 GPA · 23% BigLaw

University of California—Los Angeles Los Angeles, California

#23 ↓5 University of California—Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

171 LSAT · 3.95 GPA · 51% BigLaw

University of Florida (Levin) Gainesville, Florida

#24 ↓1 University of Florida (Levin)

Gainesville, Florida

169 LSAT · 3.91 GPA · 25% BigLaw

Boston College Newton, Massachusetts

#25 ↑7 Boston College

Newton, Massachusetts

168 LSAT · 3.83 GPA · 44% BigLaw

T25

Top 25 - strong national programs, often best ROI with scholarships

Schools in the 15–25 range often offer the best return on investment when scholarships are factored in — similar career outcomes to lower T14 schools at significantly lower cost. Market strength tends to be concentrated in 1–2 geographic regions.

T25 Top 25 - strong national programs, often best ROI with scholarships

Schools in the 15–25 range often offer the best return on investment when scholarships are factored in — similar career outcomes to lower T14 schools at significantly lower cost. Market strength tends to be concentrated in 1–2 geographic regions.

Washington and Lee University Lexington, Virginia

#26 ↑2 Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia

167 LSAT · 3.75 GPA · 21% BigLaw

Stanford University Stanford, California

#27 ↓19 Stanford University

Stanford, California

173 LSAT · 3.96 GPA · 40% BigLaw

HYS

Harvard, Yale, Stanford - the consensus top tier regardless of annual rank

HYS is the one tier that matters most in practice. Hiring partners at top firms and federal judges still treat these three schools as a class apart — no amount of US News reshuffling changes that. Yale held the #1 spot every single year until US News changed its methodology in 2023, and it remains the consensus top law school. Harvard and Stanford rotate behind it, but the prestige gap between HYS and everyone else remains the most durable line in legal hiring. Admission typically requires a 174+ LSAT and 3.9+ GPA.

HYS Harvard, Yale, Stanford - the consensus top tier regardless of annual rank

HYS is the one tier that matters most in practice. Hiring partners at top firms and federal judges still treat these three schools as a class apart — no amount of US News reshuffling changes that. Yale held the #1 spot every single year until US News changed its methodology in 2023, and it remains the consensus top law school. Harvard and Stanford rotate behind it, but the prestige gap between HYS and everyone else remains the most durable line in legal hiring. Admission typically requires a 174+ LSAT and 3.9+ GPA.

University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas

#30 ↑14 University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

162 LSAT · 3.85 GPA · 10% BigLaw

University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota

#31 ↑10 University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

171 LSAT · 3.88 GPA · 16% BigLaw

Georgetown University Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C.

#32 ↓12 Georgetown University

Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C.

171 LSAT · 3.93 GPA · 55% BigLaw

University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa

#33 ↓14 University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

164 LSAT · 3.78 GPA · 16% BigLaw

Boston University Boston, Massachusetts

#34 ↓5 Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

170 LSAT · 3.88 GPA · 36% BigLaw

Villanova University Villanova, Pennsylvania

#35 Villanova University

Villanova, Pennsylvania

164 LSAT · 3.80 GPA · 20% BigLaw

University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah

#36 ↓2 University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

166 LSAT · 3.87 GPA · 8% BigLaw

University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky

#37 ↓4 University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky

159 LSAT · 3.72 GPA · 6% BigLaw

Ohio State University Columbus , Ohio

#38 ↓12 Ohio State University

Columbus , Ohio

168 LSAT · 3.91 GPA · 13% BigLaw

University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama

#39 ↓22 University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

167 LSAT · 3.97 GPA · 20% BigLaw

University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri

#42 ↑8 University of Missouri

Columbia, Missouri

161 LSAT · 3.72 GPA · 11% BigLaw

Wayne State University Detroit, Michigan

#43 ↓5 Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

164 LSAT · 3.89 GPA · 5% BigLaw

University of Houston Houston, Texas

#44 ↑3 University of Houston

163 LSAT · 3.79 GPA · 22% BigLaw

Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida

#45 ↓5 Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

166 LSAT · 3.93 GPA · 16% BigLaw

Texas A&M University Fort Worth, Texas

#46 Texas A&M University

Fort Worth, Texas

169 LSAT · 4.00 GPA · 19% BigLaw

University of Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee

#48 ↓9 University of Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

164 LSAT · 3.89 GPA · 10% BigLaw

University of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin

#49 ↓7 University of Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin

167 LSAT · 3.81 GPA · 13% BigLaw

Drexel University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

#50 ↓13 Drexel University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

160 LSAT · 3.76 GPA · 17% BigLaw

T50

Top 50 - solid regional placement, class rank matters more

BigLaw placement rates vary widely (from ~10% to ~40%) and class rank matters significantly more than at higher-ranked schools. Many T50 schools are the dominant pipeline for their state's legal market.

T50 Top 50 - solid regional placement, class rank matters more

BigLaw placement rates vary widely (from ~10% to ~40%) and class rank matters significantly more than at higher-ranked schools. Many T50 schools are the dominant pipeline for their state's legal market.

75+

Below Top 50 - fewer cross-admit matchups, rankings are directional

Below around rank 50, cross-admit data becomes sparser. Rankings here are directionally useful but shouldn't be read as precise ordering. Focus on bar passage rates, regional employment strength, and scholarship offers alongside rank.

75+ Below Top 50 - fewer cross-admit matchups, rankings are directional

Below around rank 50, cross-admit data becomes sparser. Rankings here are directionally useful but shouldn't be read as precise ordering. Focus on bar passage rates, regional employment strength, and scholarship offers alongside rank.

44 schools

One data point, not a verdict

Rankings are a useful tool to orient yourself, but law schools are not sports teams. Flattening a three-year, six-figure investment into a single number will always leave out nuance. The school ranked #3 overall might be the wrong choice if your goal is public interest law in the Pacific Northwest on a full scholarship.

Use this list as a starting point, then dig deeper:

Look at school profiles for employment rates, debt loads, and geographic placement.
Use the admissions predictor to map your realistic options.
Search our applicant data to see where people with your numbers applied and what scholarships they received.

The best law school for you is the one that fits your career and your finances, not the one at the top of a list.

Know where you want to go. Now get help getting in.

Admissions consulting informed by the data behind these rankings. Former admissions officers, backed by LSD.Law analytics. Launching for the 2026–2027 cycle.

Also see: Best Law Schools