Law School Ranking 2025: What Students Need to Know

Every fall, thousands of students begin typing the same search: best law schools in the US. And the process feels daunting. Accepted law school rates hover near 10 percent at the most selective programs, median LSAT scores stretch well above 170, and tuition can top $70,000 a year. Numbers like these raise the stakes, pressing students to measure themselves against news rankings and peer assessment scores. 

This article explores law school ranking in 2025 with two aims: first, to show how rankings are built and why they matter, and second, to help students recognize where those numbers serve as a guide and where they are just one factor.

For students balancing application stress with writing deadlines and personal statements, the pressure can feel relentless. That’s where support from EssayHub’s essay writing service makes a difference, helping applicants sharpen their applications and ease the weight of preparation.

U.S. Law School Rankings 2025

Each year, new law school rankings set the tone for admissions season. That’s why understanding the story behind law school rankings matters: they provide context but never tell the full story of what life at a campus will mean for an individual student.

Applying goes beyond numbers. Crafting a compelling law school personal statement helps candidates stand out in a field dominated by statistics. Rankings may guide choices, but the narrative of why a student hopes to enter the legal field is what makes an application resonate.

Stanford Law School

Stanford brings in approximately 180 JD students each year. That size shapes almost everything. First-year sections average about 30 students. With the low student-to-faculty ratio, you’re expected to engage on a different level. 

Stanford runs 11 clinics, including the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, the Three Strikes Project, etc. Beyond clinics, the school offers more than 25 joint-degree programs, where students combine law with computer science, medicine, business, and other fields. Because of its Silicon Valley setting, students have unique access to tech and venture capital that not many schools can match. 

• Tuition/Fees: $76,608 (full-time);
• Median LSAT: 173;
• City and State: Stanford, California;
• Acceptance Rate: 8.85%;
• Application Deadline: November 1, 2025.

Yale Law School

Yale’s influence stretches across the legal field, but its real distinction comes from scale. Each incoming class has just over 200 students, making it the smallest among the top programs. Classes are small enough that professors know their students by name, and nearly 80 percent of students join clinics before graduation. Yale’s library holds close to 800,000 volumes, but its influence is measured more in clerkship outcomes. Roughly half of Yale graduates clerk at some point, and more than 300 alumni have gone on to clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court. The acceptance rate is the lowest of any U.S. law school.

Discussions don’t get lost in crowded lecture halls. Professors expect you to explain not just what you think, but how you arrived there. That attention reshapes the way students carry arguments, long past graduation.

• Tuition/Fees: $76,369 (full-time);
• Median LSAT: 174;
• City and State: New Haven, Connecticut;
• Acceptance Rate: 5.3%;
• Application Deadline: February 15, 2026.

University of Chicago Law School

Chicago Law is defined by its intellectual rigor and focus on analytical training. About 190 JD students enter each year, and the Socratic method is a hallmark across most classes. The school supports several clinics, including the Supreme Court and Appellate Clinic and the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship. 

Attending law school here comes with federal clerkships: more than a quarter of the class of 2024 went directly into these positions, the highest percentage among peer schools. Graduates also move into BigLaw at high rates, reflecting the school’s national reach.

• Tuition/Fees: $81,069 (full-time);
• Median LSAT: 173;
• City and State: Chicago, Illinois;
• Acceptance Rate: 12.7%;
• Application Deadline: March 1, 2026.

University of Virginia Law School

UVA Law admits about 300 students each year, keeping first-year sections around 30 students. That structure makes classroom interaction deliberate and consistent. Students choose from nearly 300 courses and seminars annually, and over 20 clinics connect them to practice areas ranging from immigration law to patent and licensing. Externship programs place students in state and federal agencies. The law school’s employment numbers remain strong, with graduates moving into clerkships, government positions, and large firms. 

• Tuition/Fees: $74,700 (in‑state) / $77,700 (out‑of‑state);
• Median LSAT: 172;
• City and State: Charlottesville, Virginia;
• Acceptance Rate: 13.9%;
• Application Deadline: March 1, 2026.

University of Pennsylvania Law School

Penn Law keeps its class size around 250, creating a selective but diverse student body. Seminars push students to refine arguments with precision, turning quick thoughts into deliberate reasoning. The school emphasizes cross-disciplinary study, and roughly one in three students pursue a joint law degree such as JD/MBA, JD/PhD, or JD/ML. Clinics include the Civil Practice Clinic, Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic, and International Human Rights Advocates. 

The school sits in Philadelphia, giving students both a major urban legal market and access to alumni across the country.

• Tuition/Fees: $80,592 (full-time);
• Median LSAT: 172;
• City and State: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
• Acceptance Rate: 9.95%;
• Application Deadline: December 1, 2025.

Duke University School of Law

Duke brings in about 225 new JD students each year, a size that allows for range without losing a sense of community. One of its signatures is the cross-disciplinary approach. Around a quarter of the class takes on a dual degree, most often combining the JD with an MBA or a master’s in political science. 

Clinics play a central role in student life. The Wrongful Convictions Clinic asks students to dig through case files and test evidence. The Start-Up Ventures Clinic has them working with entrepreneurs on early-stage legal challenges. The Environmental Law and Policy Clinic connects law with science and public policy. Each one shows how classroom theory gets tested in practice.

• Tuition/Fees: $78,774 (full-time);
• Median LSAT: 170;
• City and State: Durham, North Carolina;
• Acceptance Rate: 13.9%;
• Application Deadline: Mid-February, 2026.

Harvard Law School

Harvard Law’s scale is its most striking feature. With more than 560 JD students per class, it is the largest program among the good law schools. That size alters the learning environment. Where smaller schools offer intimacy, Harvard offers a range: dozens of clinics, hundreds of courses, and a network that pulls in every corner of the legal field, from corporate law in New York to human rights work abroad.

Once admitted, students encounter a spread of paths. Some head directly to BigLaw. Others funnel into clerkships or public interest work. The numbers prove entry is rare, but the outcomes show the program’s breadth.

• Tuition/Fees: $78,692 (full-time);
• Median LSAT: 174;
• City and State: Cambridge, Massachusetts;
• Acceptance Rate: 11%;
• Application Deadline: Mid-February, 2026.

University of Michigan Law School

Michigan Law does a curious thing: it goes large, yet tight. The 1L class of about 320 fits inside a law university of over 45,000 students, and that contrast shapes your experience. You feel the support of an intimate community within a sprawling research institution.

Clinics and experiential learning are where Michigan’s scale turns precise. Students join legal teams that handle real injustice, like the Michigan Innocence Clinic, or support fledgling startup founders through transactional work. Between 18 clinical offerings and externships abroad, students quickly find an axis that shapes their path.

• Tuition/Fees: $72,974 (in-state) / $75,974 (out-of-state);
• Median LSAT: 171;
• City and State: Ann Arbor, Michigan;
• Acceptance Rate: 11.9%;
• Application Deadline: February 28, 2026.

Columbia Law School

Columbia’s scale is obvious: there are around 394 incoming JD students each year. That size primes the program for range across clinics, journal groups, and career trajectories, yet strong expectations hold it all together.

Selectivity is part of the ecosystem. With 7,671 applicants in 2024 and just 901 admissions, acceptance settles around 11.8 percent. That filters the cohort into a concentrated group primed for influence, but the yield, nearly 40 percent of those admitted enrolling, sharpens the sense of mutual decision-making.

• Tuition/Fees: $84,820 (full-time);
• Median LSAT: 173;
• City and State: New York, New York;
• Acceptance Rate: 11.8%;
• Application Deadline: February 15, 2026.

NYU School of Law

NYU Law is massive, but in a way that tightens the focus. Each fall, about 434 JD students arrive in a dense ecosystem of clinics, journals, and cross-disciplinary centers. It’s an environment where anonymity isn’t possible, but neither is monolithic culture. 

Here’s where NYU surprises: its scale is a layered opportunity. You can go deep in public interest through the Root-Tilden-Kern scholarship (full tuition for work aligned to service). You can also go broad since NYU’s clinics span everything from cyberlaw to eviction defense, from international arbitration to tech policy.

• Tuition/Fees: $83,152 (full-time);
• Median LSAT: 172;
• City and State: New York, New York;
• Acceptance Rate: 16.7%;
• Application Deadline: February 15, 2026.

UCLA School of Law

UCLA Law balances surprising intimacy with a sprawling public university. Every fall, about 315 first-year students join a campus of over 45,000, creating a small-scale law school feel inside a massive institution. That size anchors the community, but the larger setting fuels unexpected opportunities.

UCLA graduates who took the July 2024 California Bar Exam passed at around 93.6 percent on their first attempt. For the New York Bar, another common out-of-state choice, the pass rate was even higher, at 97.9 percent. That level of competence sticks with you beyond rankings.

• Tuition/Fees: $59,132 (in-state) / $71,377 (out-of-state);
• Median LSAT: 170;
• City and State: Los Angeles, California;
• Acceptance Rate: 16.1%;
• Application Deadline: January 30, 2026.

University of Texas School of Law

Texas Law frames itself at a different angle: public prestige, calibrated intimacy, and clear outcomes. Think of a first-year class of around 282 students embedded inside a university famous for its breadth. The law school defines itself by its focus within the expanse.

Outcomes tell the final chapter. Texas Law graduates pass the bar at some of the highest rates in the country: around 96.5 percent first-time pass rate for the class of 2023. Nine months after graduation, approximately 93 percent of graduates secure full-time, long-term positions requiring bar passage. 

• Tuition/Fees: $66,454 (in-state) / $78,881 (out-of-state);
• Median LSAT: 171;
• City and State: Austin, Texas;
• Acceptance Rate: 15.6%;
• Application Deadline: December 1, 2025.

Vanderbilt University Law School

At Vanderbilt Law School, selectivity is deliberate, not dramatic. About 4,808 law school hopefuls applied, and roughly 18.5% gained admission. Among those, nearly 18% decide to enrol. 

Money adds its own shade. Tuition clocks in at about $75,000, but the real story unfolds in aid: over 86% of students receive scholarships. Living costs hover near $34,000, putting total expenses in a frame that more students can manage, and that more realistically matches return expectations.

Vanderbilt reports a 97% first-time bar pass rate, along with strong placement in both law firms and judicial clerkships. In the class of 2025, around 72% entered law firms, 8% secured clerkships, and 7% moved into public interest sectors.

• Tuition/Fees: $75,440 (full-time);
• Median LSAT: 169;
• City and State: Nashville, Tennessee;
• Acceptance Rate: 18.5%;
• Application Deadline: April 1st, 2026.

UC Berkeley School of Law

Berkeley Law hides its compact focus inside the silhouette of a sprawling research university; roughly 320 to 330 JD students join each year out of thousands of applicants. That contrast shapes both the camaraderie and the breadth of opportunity you’ll experience. With around 6,463 applicants and 17.3 percent admitted, admission feels like a structured invitation. And yet once inside, your expectations shift.

Then there’s scale meeting precision: classrooms that range from sub-20 seminar groups to lectures over 120 students. First-year ‘mods’ group about 30 peers together, shaping both your work and your social compass.

• Tuition/Fees: $66,454 (in-state) / $78,881 (out-of-state);
• Median LSAT: 170;
• City and State: Berkeley, California;
• Acceptance Rate: 17.3%;
• Application Deadline: December 1, 2025.

Washington University School of Law (WashU Law)

WashU Law is big enough to boast rich resources, yet compact enough to feel purposeful. The 1L class hovers around 244 students, a size that avoids anonymity while enabling meaningful connections across a sprawling university.

WashU graduates don’t drift; they deploy. More than 98% secure full-time positions within nine months of graduation. Around 64% go into large law firms or clerk in federal courts, and nearly 12% land prestigious judicial clerkships. It’s not noise; it’s a launchpad with momentum.

• Tuition/Fees: $70,844 (full-time);
• Median LSAT: 173;
• City and State: St. Louis, Missouri;
• Acceptance Rate: 19.9%;
• Application Deadline: Rolling admissions.

If you’ve already entered your dream school and have trouble managing your assignments, you can use our law essay writing service to stay on top of your deadlines.

How Law School Rankings Are Calculated

Rankings look neat on the surface, but every number behind the top ranked law schools hides a choice about what matters in legal education. Let's break it down:

• Employment & Bar Passage (58%)
  
  • Employment (33%): Full-time, bar-required jobs carry the most weight. A federal clerkship and a contract-review job both count, even though they shape very different careers.
  • First-Time Bar Passage (18%): Passing on the first try shows how well a college connects theory to exam prep.
  • Ultimate Bar Passage (7%): Tracks graduates who eventually clear the hurdle, even if not the first time.

• Reputation Scores (25%)
  
  • Peer Assessment (12.5%): Scores from law school faculty contribute to a quarter of the rankings.
  • Lawyer/Judge Assessment (12.5%): Evaluations from members of the profession make up the other half of the reputation measure. 

• Selectivity (10%)
  
  • LSAT/GRE (5%): Median scores show the academic profile of admitted students.
  • UGPA (4%): Undergraduate performance plays a smaller role.
  • Acceptance Rate (1%): Reflects exclusivity more than teaching quality.

• Faculty & Library Resources (7%)
  
  • Student-Faculty Ratio (5%): Indicates how much access students have to professors.‍
  • Library Resources (2%): Adds context about academic support, though it rarely shapes day-to-day life for students.

Does Law School Ranking Matter?

Rankings matter most where prestige works like currency. BigLaw firms and federal clerkships rely on shortcuts, and a school’s number on a list often decides who even gets an interview. In those circles, the ranking is a key.

Outside that lane, the picture shifts. The colleges for lawyers planning to work in state courts, public service, or a specific region offer local networks that better suit the career goals than a national rank. A strong regional school can outpace a higher-ranked one if its ties run deep where you want to practice.

And then there’s fit: scholarships, clinics, culture, professors. Those things shape your career in ways a ranking never shows.

So yes, rankings matter. But only sometimes. The smart move is to use them as a guide, then weigh them against what really builds your future.

Importance of T14 Law Schools Ranking

For decades, 14 schools held those top spots: Yale, Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, Chicago, NYU, Penn, Michigan, Virginia, Berkeley, Duke, Northwestern, Cornell, and Georgetown. They became a shorthand in hiring conversations, a kind of passport into the upper tier of the legal field.

Then, 2025 cracked the pattern. Vanderbilt, Texas, and Washington climbed into the group, pushing Duke and even Harvard lower. Suddenly, the club looked less eternal. 

For students chasing BigLaw or federal clerkships, the T14 still matters. Recruiters use it as a filter. But law school admissions demand near-perfect stats: LSATs above 170, GPAs close to 3.9, and acceptance rates in the low teens. The door is narrow.

Yet, a strong regional school can outpace  T14 schools if your career is rooted locally. Networks, judges, and scholarships can matter more than prestige. And when people ask what is the best law school in the US, the usual answer is Yale. But ‘best’ depends on what kind of lawyer you plan to become.

Factors to Consider Beyond Law School Ranking

Rankings can’t capture the full picture. Choosing a law school is less about chasing a number and more about matching your needs to the right environment. A few points carry real weight:

• Location. Where you study often sets the stage for where you’ll practice. Courts, firms, and alumni networks tend to cluster regionally.
• Funding. Tuition may look high everywhere, but scholarships or in-state rates can cut debt in half. That difference shapes career freedom long after graduation.
• Career prospects. Some schools feed BigLaw pipelines. Others excel in state and local clerkships, public interest, or niche practice areas.
• Legal direction. Clinics and concentrations matter. A school strong in environmental law may not be as strong in corporate law, and vice versa.
• Culture. Class size, teaching style, and peer support shape daily life. You’ll spend three years here, so the fit has to work.

And when those goals include mastering writing, resources like how to write a law essay can prepare you for the challenges ahead.

The Bottom Line

Rankings offer a snapshot, but they don’t tell the whole story. Numbers can point you toward opportunity, yet the real choice depends on fit: where you want to practice, how much debt you can manage, and which programs sharpen the lawyer you hope to become.

Understanding the top-ranked law schools is useful. But the smarter move is to read those lists alongside your own goals. The ‘best’ school on paper isn’t always the best school for you.

And while applications, essays, and deadlines pile up, support matters. That’s when EssayHub steps in with a college essay writer service and resources that help you present your strongest points!