Harvard Law School
College Consensus: 50 Best Law Schools for 2025
“Legal education at American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law schools have faced tremendous challenges since the COVID pandemic. After a decade-long slump in graduating law students, the post-COVID numbers have soared as job demand outpaced graduates. In fact, the graduating class of 2023 had the highest job placement rate in the history of the ABA. However, ABA law schools also increased their enrollment dramatically to meet demand. In fact, the graduating class of 2024 will be the largest in law school history per the ABA. The good news for graduates is that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, legal employment is expected to grow 8% over the next decade with an average of just under 40,000 new jobs annually. Furthermore, recent graduating classes have seen higher salaries with averages well over $80,000 per year.
While demand for law students has led to higher admissions rates, employment rates, and salaries, it may have contributed to declining bar passage rates. Since most states require lawyers to pass their state bar exam, bar passage rates have also become an even more important metric in legal employment challenges facing law schools.
The complex, shifting nature of employment and law school graduates rates has also caused a notable shift in the ranking criteria for law schools. There are currently four major ranking lists for U.S. Law Schools. These rankings use a combination of weighted categories that weigh outcome data (job placement, employment quality, first time bar passage rates, all-time passage rates) along with qualitative categories including peer and judicial reputation, academic reputation, as well as data indicating the strength of the student body (incoming G.P.A. and LSAT score). In this year’s rankings, employment and bar passage rates received increased weight for two of the four ranking sources while the other two remain unchanged.”
How We Ranked the Top Law Degree Programs
At College Consensus, we take these four publicly available ranking systems and create a consensus ranking that averages all rankings. This approach leverages the vast data that is contained in all four rankings while balancing the variations that occur from one ranking to another. In short, the College Consensus Law School Rankings provides a robust snapshot of the top 50 law schools in the United States that encompasses all ranking data from the following sources:”
1) U.S. News & World Report
2) Above the Law
3) QS World University Rankings: Law and Legal Studies
4) EDU Rank
Top 5
1) Harvard Law School
2) Stanford Law School
3) Yale Law School
4) University of Chicago School of Law
5) University of Pennsylvania (Carey School of Law)
To see the Top 50 law schools from College Consensus and see details on cost, bar passage rate, and median LSAT for each school, click here.
Yale Law
The Law Schools Whose Professors Have The Most Scholarly Impact
What’s the best way to measure a law school’s scholarly impact? If you guessed that it involved calculating tenured professors’ citations, then you’d be right. In fact, U.S. News thought this was such a great idea that the publication decided to turn it into a (now abandoned) law school ranking. For those who are truly interested in which law schools are the “best” when it comes to their professors’ scholarship, then have we got a new ranking for you.
Earlier this week, Professor Gregory Sisk of the University of St. Thomas released the most recent version of his closely watched, long-awaited triennial ranking of the most-cited law school faculties, and there was a little bit of movement among the top 10 law schools this time around.”
Top 3
1) Yale Law School
2) University of Chicago School of Law
3) Harvard Law School
To see the full list and analysis from Above the Law on how the rankings have changed, click here.
Berkeley Law Unveils Groundbreaking AI-Focused Law Degree Program
“Berkeley Law, renowned for its innovative legal education and leadership in law and technology, is proud to announce the launch of the first-ever law degree with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI). Set to begin in summer 2025, the AI-focused Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree is now open for applications.
Berkeley Law has long been recognized as the nation’s leading program in IP and tech law. The introduction of the AI Law and Regulation certificate for students in the LL.M. executive track represents a major step forward in this tradition, further equipping legal professionals to navigate the complexities of AI. The program can be completed over two summers or through remote study combined with one summer on campus.
“At Berkeley Law, we are committed to leading the way in legal education by anticipating the future needs of our profession. Our AI-focused degree program is a testament to our dedication to preparing our students for the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies,” said Dean Erwin Chemerinsky. “This program underscores our commitment to innovation and excellence, ensuring our graduates are at the forefront of the legal landscape.”
“The new degree program is ideal for both international legal practitioners and U.S. attorneys seeking to future-proof their practice,” said Assistant Dean Adam Sterling. “Students will learn from faculty, practitioner-lecturers, and guest speakers on topics such as AI ethics, the fundamentals of AI technology, and current and future efforts to regulate AI, including a focus on the EU AI Act.”
To learn more about the faculty and curriculum, click here.
