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2022 Above The Law Law School Rankings
LSAT scores, acceptance rates, and BigLaw placement across 44 ABA-accredited schools. LSAT/GPA stats →
About Above The Law rankings
Above The Law Rankings focus primarily on employment outcomes and student debt, offering a pragmatic alternative to traditional rankings. These rankings prioritize factors that directly impact graduates' career prospects and financial well-being, including job placement rates at law firms, federal clerkships, and public interest positions, while considering the cost of attendance and debt loads.
When evaluating law schools based on employment outcomes, consider which metrics matter most for your career goals. The best law school for job placement may vary depending on whether you're pursuing Big Law, public interest work, or government positions. Some schools with moderate overall rankings may have exceptional placement rates in specific markets or practice areas.
The return on investment for a legal education varies significantly across law schools. As you compare programs, consider both tuition costs and the salary outcomes for recent graduates. A lower-ranked school with generous scholarships might provide better long-term value than a prestigious institution requiring substantial student loans.
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
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
Columbia University
New York City, New York
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
University of California—Berkeley
Berkeley, California
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
University of Notre Dame
South Bend, Indiana
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
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
New York University
New York City, New York
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign
Champaign, Illinois
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah
University of California—Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
University of Florida (Levin)
Gainesville, Florida
Boston College
Newton, Massachusetts
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
Stanford University
Stanford, California
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
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Georgetown University
Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C.
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Ohio State University
Columbus , Ohio
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
Texas A&M University
Fort Worth, Texas
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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.
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.