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 |
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.