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Law School Rankings for 2023

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 2023 (which were published in 2022) 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).

LSAT GPA
Rank Name 25th 50th 75th 25th 50th 75th Acceptance
1 Yale University 171 174 177 3.9 3.9 4.0 4.1%
2 Stanford University 170 172 175 3.81 3.91 3.99 6.3%
3 University of Chicago 169 172 175 3.82 3.91 3.98 11.9%
4 Columbia University 172 174 176 3.75 3.84 3.92 11.4%
4 Harvard University 170 174 176 3.82 3.92 3.98 6.9%
6 University of Pennsylvania 167 171 173 3.56 3.9 3.96 9.4%
7 New York University 170 172 174 3.73 3.86 3.93 14.5%
8 University of Virginia 166 171 173 3.64 3.91 3.97 9.7%
11 Duke University 167 170 172 3.7 3.82 3.91 14.4%
12 Cornell University 169 171 173 3.74 3.86 3.95 15.6%
13 Northwestern University 167 171 172 3.6 3.86 3.93 13.9%
14 Georgetown University 167 171 173 3.66 3.85 3.94 12.9%
16 Washington University in St. Louis 163 170 171 3.56 3.93 3.99 15.9%
17 Boston University 165 169 171 3.53 3.77 3.87 18.3%
17 Vanderbilt University 165 169 170 3.7 3.89 3.95 14.3%
20 University of Southern California 165 168 169 3.6 3.82 3.9 13.0%
21 University of Florida (Levin) 161 167 169 3.65 3.86 3.94 17.4%
21 University of Minnesota 161 166 167 3.55 3.8 3.89 27.6%
23 Brigham Young University 163 167 169 3.51 3.85 3.93 39.9%
25 George Washington University 162 167 168 3.55 3.83 3.91 21.6%
25 University of Alabama 160 165 166 3.58 3.94 4.0 31.0%
28 University of Iowa 160 163 164 3.5 3.69 3.83 42.8%
29 University of Georgia 160 166 167 3.5 3.82 3.93 18.6%
30 Arizona State University 158 166 167 3.36 3.85 3.94 20.6%
30 George Mason University 158 164 166 3.41 3.81 3.88 27.1%
30 Ohio State University 160 163 165 3.6 3.79 3.9 32.1%
30 William & Mary Law School 161 164 165 3.6 3.8 3.9 30.1%
35 Washington and Lee University 159 164 166 3.41 3.61 3.78 31.4%
37 Boston College 161 165 167 3.52 3.69 3.81 23.5%
37 Fordham University 164 166 168 3.51 3.7 3.8 17.7%
37 University of Utah 159 163 165 3.62 3.82 3.91 25.5%
37 Wake Forest University 160 163 164 3.44 3.68 3.8 31.3%
45 University of Arizona 158 163 164 3.37 3.66 3.81 24.7%
46 Texas A&M University 156 163 165 3.4 3.84 3.94 18.4%
47 Florida State University 158 163 164 3.55 3.82 3.9 22.5%
47 University of Maryland 156 161 163 3.42 3.7 3.8 32.8%
49 University of Washington 160 164 167 3.52 3.67 3.79 25.6%
51 University of California (Hastings) 157 160 162 3.3 3.52 3.69 28.0%
52 Pepperdine University 159 164 166 3.48 3.8 3.91 25.0%
103 University of Montana 152 156 160 3.18 3.5 3.73 40.9%
116 Seattle University 152 157 159 3.08 3.36 3.56 51.9%
52 University of Richmond 157 162 163 3.46 3.7 3.79 36.3%
105 DePaul University 152 156 157 3.25 3.57 3.73 44.3%
118 Chapman University 154 160 162 3.13 3.6 3.71 28.3%
127 University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) 151 155 159 3.26 3.48 3.72 63.6%
52 Yeshiva University (Cardozo) 160 164 166 3.53 3.74 3.86 30.8%
118 Hofstra University 152 156 158 3.16 3.48 3.69 42.3%
55 Tulane University 157 161 164 3.4 3.6 3.74 40.1%
118 University of Tulsa 151 154 156 3.07 3.38 3.7 57.8%
56 Villanova University 157 162 164 3.51 3.7 3.83 17.8%
84 St. John's University 155 162 164 3.39 3.62 3.79 35.6%
94 University of Louisville 153 156 159 3.3 3.56 3.77 51.5%
139 University of Detroit Mercy 150 154 158 3.09 3.32 3.55 52.6%
147-193 Campbell University 151 154 158 3.14 3.4 3.64 54.6%
147-193 Mitchell Hamline 150 153 158 2.91 3.29 3.61 62.4%
58 Baylor University 158 162 163 3.35 3.64 3.78 34.3%
84 University of South Carolina 156 158 160 3.28 3.53 3.72 38.3%
98 Brooklyn Law School 157 159 161 3.31 3.5 3.66 39.6%
142 Pace University 150 152 154 3.11 3.4 3.66 48.1%
147-193 Capital University 148 151 155 3.03 3.3 3.6 75.6%
58 Wayne State University 157 161 164 3.41 3.75 3.87 32.9%
63 Temple University 160 163 166 3.4 3.6 3.74 32.8%
64 University of San Diego 157 161 163 3.39 3.7 3.81 31.0%
78 Georgia State University 157 160 162 3.35 3.55 3.76 27.0%
133 University of South Dakota 148 150 153 3.06 3.44 3.74 69.0%
147-193 Appalachian School of Law 146 147 152 2.96 3.27 3.57 42.2%
147-193 Golden Gate University 148 151 154 2.85 3.13 3.42 51.6%
147-193 Roger Williams University 148 150 155 2.89 3.17 3.52 63.0%
67 Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles 158 161 163 3.43 3.64 3.78 29.4%
67 University of Kansas 154 158 162 3.31 3.69 3.89 53.9%
73 American University 157 161 163 3.39 3.57 3.71 27.9%
78 University of Denver 157 160 162 3.4 3.6 3.8 37.7%
94 Illinois Institute of Technology (Kent) 152 159 162 3.31 3.56 3.74 53.1%
94 Catholic University Of America 155 158 160 3.33 3.5 3.67 39.7%
139 Creighton University 150 153 157 3.04 3.39 3.74 66.4%
147-193 Barry University 147 149 153 2.83 3.15 3.47 57.3%
147-193 Southern University 144 146 148 2.72 3.03 3.39 53.9%
73 Loyola University—Chicago 157 159 161 3.2 3.46 3.64 40.0%
73 Northeastern University 158 162 164 3.45 3.66 3.79 24.4%
122 Suffolk University 150 154 158 3.25 3.48 3.69 56.7%
73 University of Miami 157 160 163 3.42 3.63 3.77 30.1%
78 Case Western Reserve University 156 160 162 3.42 3.61 3.83 46.6%
111 University of Mississippi 153 156 159 3.16 3.56 3.8 37.3%
78 University of Pittsburgh 158 160 162 3.22 3.51 3.75 36.6%
129 New York Law School 152 155 157 3.25 3.49 3.69 48.5%
139 Samford University 151 154 157 3.24 3.54 3.76 60.7%
147-193 California Western School Of Law 151 153 156 2.97 3.26 3.48 56.6%
88 Lewis And Clark College 159 162 164 3.24 3.54 3.78 45.2%
88 University of Cincinnati 156 158 161 3.48 3.7 3.85 46.6%
88 University of Oklahoma 156 158 160 3.29 3.59 3.81 50.1%
98 Saint Louis University 153 156 160 3.21 3.5 3.73 60.4%
122 University of Dayton 150 153 155 3.18 3.53 3.72 25.9%
133 Loyola University—New Orleans 150 153 157 3.1 3.35 3.63 58.5%
142 University of Idaho 149 153 157 2.87 3.26 3.62 58.9%
142 University of Memphis 152 154 157 3.03 3.36 3.65 48.5%
147-193 Elon University 149 152 154 2.96 3.31 3.57 43.7%
147-193 Jones School of Law 147 150 154 2.88 3.23 3.5 44.5%
147-193 Oklahoma City University 146 149 152 3.06 3.3 3.59 59.3%
98 Florida International University 158 160 162 3.4 3.69 3.84 20.6%
142 Regent University 153 156 159 3.38 3.64 3.85 39.7%
147-193 Charleston School Of Law 148 151 154 3.0 3.32 3.6 60.0%
105 Marquette University 152 155 157 3.38 3.56 3.72 42.7%
116 Gonzaga University 152 154 157 3.23 3.51 3.72 55.3%
118 West Virginia University 152 154 157 3.29 3.56 3.88 59.2%
122 Albany Law School Of Union University 152 154 157 3.21 3.42 3.69 50.4%
129 University of Wyoming 151 154 157 3.1 3.32 3.53 51.5%
147-193 St. Mary's University 150 153 155 2.97 3.36 3.59 48.5%
129 Willamette University 151 154 157 2.94 3.32 3.61 61.6%
147-193 North Carolina Central University 145 147 153 2.99 3.27 3.53 37.9%
147-193 St. Thomas University (Florida) 150 152 155 2.91 3.32 3.51 48.0%
133 Belmont University 153 158 161 3.44 3.71 3.86 40.8%
147-193 Northern Illinois University 146 148 152 3.0 3.2 3.5 62.4%
133 Santa Clara University 155 157 160 3.18 3.42 3.62 53.3%
133 University of the Pacific (Mcgeorge) 152 155 157 3.03 3.44 3.66 55.7%
142 Vermont Law School 150 154 159 3.08 3.4 3.65 65.8%
147-193 Atlanta's John Marshall Law School 149 151 153 2.81 3.13 3.38 43.1%
147-193 Florida A&M University 147 149 152 3.15 3.42 3.64 37.0%
147-193 Liberty University 150 153 157 3.17 3.48 3.78 57.8%
147-193 Quinnipiac University 150 152 156 3.19 3.46 3.74 58.6%
147-193 Mississippi College 147 150 153 2.84 3.24 3.58 62.0%
147-193 South Texas College Of Law—Houston 152 154 156 2.94 3.22 3.46 42.2%
147-193 Southwestern Law School 152 154 157 3.03 3.31 3.57 46.8%
147-193 University of Akron 151 153 156 3.05 3.39 3.59 59.6%
9 University of California—Berkeley 165 169 171 3.74 3.83 3.92 13.7%
10 University of Michigan 166 171 172 3.61 3.84 3.93 10.6%
15 University of California—Los Angeles 166 170 171 3.57 3.82 3.92 15.4%
17 University of Texas at Austin 167 169 170 3.67 3.8 3.9 15.2%
23 University of North Carolina 162 164 166 3.6 3.73 3.83 15.5%
35 University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign 162 164 166 3.44 3.66 3.82 29.8%
37 University of California—Davis 160 165 167 3.44 3.7 3.82 28.3%
37 University of California—Irvine 163 167 168 3.5 3.69 3.8 16.8%
43 Indiana University - Bloomington 161 164 166 3.5 3.77 3.9 36.6%
43 University of Wisconsin 158 164 165 3.34 3.65 3.81 36.2%
56 University of Tennessee 157 160 162 3.47 3.67 3.81 28.9%
58 Southern Methodist University 158 163 164 3.43 3.76 3.89 33.4%
58 University of Houston 159 161 163 3.37 3.64 3.76 30.8%
64 Pennsylvania State - Penn State Law 155 162 163 3.4 3.76 3.9 35.6%
67 University of Nevada—Las Vegas 156 160 163 3.34 3.7 3.85 31.7%
86 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 152 156 159 3.22 3.59 3.8 47.8%
91 University of Hawaii 153 156 159 3.28 3.54 3.76 32.7%
98 Indiana University - Indianapolis 152 155 159 3.28 3.56 3.77 58.6%
105 Louisiana State University 154 156 159 3.28 3.56 3.78 45.7%
114 University of Missouri—Kansas City 152 154 157 3.21 3.48 3.74 54.2%
147-193 New England Law | Boston 149 154 157 2.92 3.28 3.58 66.1%
147-193 Northern Kentucky University 151 153 156 2.85 3.37 3.63 65.2%
147-193 Nova Southeastern University 151 153 155 2.93 3.26 3.52 48.9%
147-193 Ohio Northern University 148 150 153 3.14 3.43 3.8 47.3%
147-193 Southern Illinois University—Carbondale 147 149 151 2.94 3.36 3.62 59.2%
147-193 Texas Southern University 149 151 153 2.81 3.32 3.6 28.2%
147-193 Touro College 148 150 152 2.89 3.15 3.44 52.0%
147-193 University of Arkansas, Little Rock 149 152 155 3.02 3.43 3.63 59.6%
147-193 University of Illinois—Chicago 149 152 155 3.0 3.3 3.5 56.7%
147-193 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 148 150 153 2.99 3.36 3.62 64.5%
147-193 University of North Dakota 147 150 153 3.12 3.39 3.68 54.7%
147-193 University of San Francisco 153 155 157 3.01 3.33 3.6 46.9%
147-193 University of the District of Columbia 147 149 153 2.76 3.08 3.34 42.2%
147-193 University of Toledo 149 152 155 3.06 3.42 3.65 67.3%
147-193 Western Michigan University (Cooley) 146 148 151 2.61 2.99 3.28 49.0%
147-193 Western New England University 147 150 154 3.12 3.47 3.7 57.4%
147-193 Western State College Of Law 148 150 153 2.86 3.11 3.43 46.0%
147-193 Widener University—Delaware 148 150 152 2.9 3.2 3.5 62.1%
64 University of Connecticut 156 159 161 3.28 3.54 3.71 29.3%
58 Pennsylvania State - Dickinson Law 157 161 163 3.22 3.54 3.73 39.6%
30 Emory University 160 167 169 3.47 3.8 3.9 27.3%
147-193 (Part-time) Widener University—Pennsylvania (Commonwealth) 146 148 152 2.87 3.2 3.5 58.9%
67 University of Oregon 156 159 161 3.33 3.54 3.7 48.8%
147-193 Ave Maria School Of Law 148 151 155 2.84 3.17 3.57 48.9%
133 CUNY 151 155 160 3.19 3.46 3.66 29.6%
91 University of New Mexico 152 156 159 3.37 3.61 3.83 41.2%
114 University of Maine 154 158 161 3.24 3.57 3.79 52.3%
98 Howard University 152 154 158 3.24 3.49 3.69 24.5%
86 Rutgers University 155 157 160 3.09 3.39 3.63 41.6%
91 Michigan State University 153 156 158 3.31 3.59 3.74 48.1%
67 University of Missouri 154 159 161 3.52 3.69 3.86 53.0%
73 Seton Hall University 157 160 162 3.31 3.58 3.75 45.7%
78 University of Nebraska 155 158 161 3.38 3.64 3.95 62.6%
111 Stetson University 154 157 159 3.17 3.45 3.65 41.8%
105 Washburn University 151 155 159 3.15 3.53 3.8 49.0%
25 University of Notre Dame 162 168 170 3.52 3.77 3.85 17.5%
103 Syracuse University 154 157 160 3.19 3.51 3.72 32.7%
122 University of Baltimore 151 154 157 2.97 3.34 3.56 54.2%
94 University of Buffalo—SUNY 153 156 159 3.35 3.58 3.78 38.8%
105 University of New Hampshire 153 158 160 3.15 3.5 3.69 49.7%
127 Cleveland State University 152 155 157 3.12 3.48 3.7 44.3%
67 University of Kentucky 155 157 160 3.36 3.62 3.84 45.7%
49 University of Colorado—Boulder 160 164 166 3.38 3.61 3.77 27.7%
78 Drexel University 152 158 160 3.36 3.59 3.73 32.0%
111 Drake University 152 155 158 3.21 3.5 3.75 66.5%
122 Mercer University 154 156 158 3.17 3.51 3.7 36.0%
129 Duquesne University 153 155 158 3.08 3.43 3.72 53.4%
105 Texas Tech University 154 157 158 3.27 3.56 3.74 34.3%
147-193 University of North Texas at Dallas 149 151 155 2.89 3.14 3.52 36.5%
A rank of 147-193 means that the school is in the bottom tier as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
* The data in this table is user-reported and may be inaccurate.
Can I get into with aGPA andLSAT?
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Above The Law Rankings for 2023

ATL rankings are (arguably) the second most popular ranking system to determine the best law schools. ATL law school rankings are usually drastically different from USNews rankings of best law schools.

The main reason that Above the Law (ATL) Rankings are different from USNews Rankings is because ATL focuses on employment outcomes and school cost above all other things. US News looks at things like student:faculty ratio and peer review score which ATL doesn’t take into account. The underlying rule that ATL believes is that what happens after law school is the thing that matters most. Not how many professors the school can afford, or what law school administrators think.

Rank Prev Change Name
1 3 +2 Duke University
2 2 +0 University of Virginia
4 1 -3 University of Chicago
5 15 +10 Vanderbilt University
6 9 +3 Washington University in St. Louis
7 5 -2 University of Michigan
8 13 +5 Columbia University
9 12 +3 Northwestern University
10 7 -3 University of Pennsylvania
11 14 +3 University of Texas at Austin
12 11 -1 University of California—Berkeley
13 22 +9 University of Georgia
14 21 +7 University of Notre Dame
15 6 -9 Yale University
16 10 -6 Harvard University
17 16 -1 New York University
18 27 +9 University of Southern California
19 25 +6 University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign
20 24 +4 University of North Carolina
21 30 +9 Wake Forest University
22 36 +14 Brigham Young University
23 18 -5 University of California—Los Angeles
24 23 -1 University of Florida (Levin)
25 32 +7 Boston College
26 28 +2 Washington and Lee University
27 8 -19 Stanford University
30 44 +14 University of Kansas
31 41 +10 University of Minnesota
32 20 -12 Georgetown University
33 19 -14 University of Iowa
34 29 -5 Boston University
35 35 +0 Villanova University
36 34 -2 University of Utah
37 33 -4 University of Kentucky
38 26 -12 Ohio State University
39 17 -22 University of Alabama
42 50 +8 University of Missouri
43 38 -5 Wayne State University
44 47 +3 University of Houston
45 40 -5 Florida State University
46 46 +0 Texas A&M University
48 39 -9 University of Tennessee
49 42 -7 University of Wisconsin
50 37 -13 Drexel University
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Summary

Top 5 schools according to U.S. News & World Report.

  • Yale University
  • Stanford University
  • University of Chicago
  • Columbia University
  • Harvard University

USNews Law School rankings are the most often used ranking system for law school. When people talk about T3 schools, or T14 schools they are (almost) always talking about USNews’ law school ranking.

Top 5 Law schools according to Above the Law

  • Duke
  • University of Virginia
  • Cornell
  • University of Chicago
  • Vanderbilt

The main reason that Above the Law (ATL) Rankings are different from USNews Rankings is because ATL focuses on employment outcomes and school cost above all other things. US News looks at things like student:faculty ratio and peer review score which ATL doesn’t really think matter.

Law schools with best quality of life according to Princeton Review

Based on student ratings of the beauty, safety, and friendliness on campus, among other ratings.

  • University of Virginia - School of Law
  • Vanderbilt University - Law School
  • Florida State University - College of Law
  • Samford University - Cumberland School of Law
  • University of Pennsylvania - Law School
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General

General chat about the legal profession.
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SunshineMine
15:55
Good luck to the June test takers this week!
ararara
16:22
Ik you mean well sunshine but haha
ararara
16:22
“Luck? Luck!? You think it was luck he didn’t scream out in fear!”-quote from a samurai who became enraged after these people commented that a child got lucky by surviving this fire he strategically made it out alive of!
SunshineMine
16:23
Well luckily we are not in a fire hahaha
SunshineMine
16:24
:) we got this
OptimalTenderCucumber
16:25
https://www.lsd.law/users/creep/vodalianmerfolk
OptimalTenderCucumber
16:25
Crazy cycle this person had
OptimalTenderCucumber
16:25
Hope for all splitters out there
NostalgicAccidentalDalmatian
16:29
yeah that guy is a legend
NostalgicAccidentalDalmatian
16:32
only got into fordham two cycles ago and now yale
OptimalTenderCucumber
16:33
Woah what did he change?
NostalgicAccidentalDalmatian
16:33
171 -> 180 and better essays
NostalgicAccidentalDalmatian
16:33
skipped last cycle
OptimalTenderCucumber
16:34
Guess my 3.5ish and 178 isn’t the end like Reddit said it was afterall
NostalgicAccidentalDalmatian
16:38
YHSChi is tough with a 3.5 but I think you'll get into a few T14s
NostalgicAccidentalDalmatian
16:38
Unless you have amazing softs and essays
NostalgicAccidentalDalmatian
16:40
be on the lookout for next year's super splitter discord
ForgetfulUnderFish
16:40
SYCH offers scholarship?
OptimalTenderCucumber
16:41
Thanks! And yeah I think I have “t2” softs
ararara
16:48
@SunshineMine: I just lsd’d, to say, ily! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
ararara
16:49
Boom boom ba bum ba bum 🎶
LudicrousVoicelessHare
16:53
Hey, does anyone know how LSData calculates its employment stat? I saw that Gtown's was oddly low compared to its 509s
VengefulDazzlingPegasus
17:08
@OptimalTenderCucumber: Take a shot at any schools you're interested in! While Stanford and Yale are indeed super tough (no one has gotten in with your stats recently: https://www.lsd.law/search/OmM3d), and only 1 out of 5 applicants got into Columbia, you have a good shot at all the others in the T6. 3 out of 5 got into Chicago, and, 2 out of 7 got into Harvard!
RollTide
17:25
Do y'all think I could get Duke, Columbia, NYU, Gtown, or Penn w/ some $$ w/ a 3.78 and 173?
VengefulDazzlingPegasus
17:46
Columbia is a real stretch to get into with those stats. You have a better shot at the others, but it would still be a challenge. but, if you are accepted, I think they would probably offer you some scholarship funding. I would apply much more broadly, though. I think you need to apply to places like BU, GW, and Emory to be sure you'll have an acceptance.
InterestingMereEmu
18:15
What?? Those stats are firmly near the median for those schools. RollTide will at least have their essays read and resume reviewed by AdComms, which is all you can reasonably ask for. What happens from there comes down to factors we don't know
GenuinelyCurious
18:18
anyone else get the fordham feeler earlier today?
ImSpartacus
18:20
me
VengefulDazzlingPegasus
19:04
@InterestingMereEmu: I mean, over the past 3 years none of the schools OP mentioned accepted folks with similar stats at better than a ~42% rate according to data on this site (https://www.lsd.law/search/oFLCO). Columbia accepted 12% of similar applicants. I didn't say that OP wouldn't be considered. I said it was possible, but I wouldn't bank on it. It would be a bad idea not to cast a wider net, especially if a significant scholarship is the goal.
SunshineMine
19:10
@ararara: you are wonderful<33
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