T14 Law School Rankings 鈥� 2024

August 22, 2024

Considering applying for law school? There are currently 197 law schools accredited by the American Bar Association, so it can be difficult to know where to begin. Different programs specialize in particular areas of law鈥攃riminal law, constitutional law, or environmental law, for example鈥攕o they may open opportunities for different kinds of jobs after graduation. For many applicants, it鈥檚 also important to attend a law school with a high ranking, in particular one of the top 14 law schools (often referred to as T14 law schools). These 14 law schools are known to set students up for high-level positions in government and prestigious jobs at law firms.

As you prepare to apply, it鈥檚 important to remember that T14 law schools are very competitive. Most accepted students have very high GPAs (at least 3.8) and LSAT scores (at least 170), which fall into top LSAT percentiles (check out this article for more on LSAT percentiles).

So, what are the T14 law schools?

The T14 law schools are widely considered to be the best law schools in the country.听 Typically, these fourteen institutions are determined by U.S. News & World Report rankings, which are based on ten factors, including graduation outcomes, bar passage rate, peer assessment score, and lawyers/judges assessment score, among others.

It’s also important to know that while certain schools may rise or drop several slots, the T14 list remains relatively static. Accordingly, they are all excellent programs, and there are many more excellent programs not featured on this list that could be a great fit for you. For reference, this year’s T14 runners-up include Georgetown, the University of Minnesota, UT Austin, Wash U, and Vanderbilt.

1)

With the highest ranking in business/property law and number two and three in intellectual property law and constitutional law, Stanford is tied with Yale for the number one law school overall. The program is student-centered with a close-knit community and collaboration between students and faculty. SLS students often build their own joint-degree programs as they take courses across campus, and they have access to unique interest areas such as American Indian & Indigenous Law and International & Comparative Law.

Location: Stanford, California
Acceptance Rate: 7.3%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $116,814
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.95
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 173
Student-Faculty Ratio: 4.4:1
Top Areas of Law: Business/Property Law, Intellectual Property Law, Constitutional Law, Contracts/Commercial Law

2)

Yale Law School is tied with Stanford for the number one law school slot. With more than 20 legal clinics, students can immerse themselves in real-life law experiences as early as their first year, representing clients in a variety of cases, as well as writing and publishing major research papers under faculty mentorship. Though there are no areas of concentration at Yale, students can tailor courses to their interests. Additionally, this law school has a commitment to collaboration over competition among its student body. As part of this effort, classes are ungraded the first term, and following, they are graded on a 鈥渉onors/pass/low pass鈥� basis.

Location: New Haven, Connecticut
Acceptance Rate: 5.6%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $103,579
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.96
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 175
Student-Faculty Ratio: 4.4:1
Top Areas of Law: International Law, Constitutional Law, Clinical Training, Business/Corporate Law, Criminal Law, Health Care Law, Tax Law

3)

This program is also structured with an interdisciplinary approach, and a particularly philosophical one at that. Blending law education with humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, the University of Chicago Law School aims for students to gain valuable critical thinking skills and better understand legal reasoning.

Location: Chicago, IL
Acceptance Rate: 12.8%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $116,286
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.94
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 173
Student-Faculty Ratio: 4.8:1
Top Areas of Law: Constitutional Law, Contracts/Commercial Law, Business/Corporate Law, International Law, Tax Law

T14 Law School Rankings (Continued)

4)

Duke Law School鈥檚 mission is 鈥渢o prepare students for responsible and productive lives in the legal profession.” Serious about creating 鈥渨hole lawyers,鈥� this program values community, work-life balance, intellectual engagement, and purposeful living as students study a wide range of legal topics. It is tied with Harvard, UPenn, and UVA for fourth best law school.

Location: Durham, North Carolina
Acceptance Rate: 10.5%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $109,398
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.87
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 170
Student-Faculty Ratio: 5.5:1
Top Areas of Law: Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Tax Law, Business/Corporate Law, International Law

5)

Harvard Law School鈥檚 legal clinics are among the largest of any law school in the world, and students must complete at least 40 hours of pro bono or volunteer work before graduating. With an emphasis on putting skills to work early on in the program, students work on cases from their first years, which range from helping musicians understand copyright laws to representing prison inmates at disciplinary hearings. HLS offers study abroad options or participation in a joint program with the University of Cambridge in the UK. The program also has a Low Income Protection Plan to help students manage their loans.

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Acceptance Rate: 9.6%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $116,000
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.93
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 174
Student-Faculty Ratio: 6.8:1
Top Areas of Law: Constitutional Law, International Law, Criminal Law, Contracts/Commercial Law, Business/Corporate Law, Dispute Resolution

6)

Carey Law students can enroll in courses in other academic areas, from East Asian Studies to Gender Studies. Students can even earn another degree alongside a J.D., including a business degree through the Wharton School. Students must complete 70 hours of pro bono work before they graduate, making this one of the more community-oriented T14 law programs.

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Acceptance Rate: 9.9%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $110,852
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.92
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 172
Student-Faculty Ratio: 4.8:1
Top Areas of Law: Corporate/Business Law, Contracts/Commercial Law, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law

T14 Law School Rankings (Continued)

7)

This program was founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, making it the second-oldest law school still operating. Students choose from over 250 courses each year in a wide variety of concentrations. Students can tailor their education at unique institutes such as the Center for Oceans Law and Policy or National Security Law, and it is the only school with an Animal Law program. Many students study abroad in their second or third years.

Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
Acceptance Rate: 11.5%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $105,334 (in-state), $108,348 (out-of-state)
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.94
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 171
Student-Faculty Ratio: 5.5:1
Top Areas of Law: Contracts/Commercial Law, Tax Law, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Business/Corporate Law, International Law

8)

Columbia Law is known for its tight-knit community and hands-on learning approach, with many opportunities for students to work with real clients and cases. Students often take courses in a combination of different subject areas for a comprehensive legal education.

Location: New York, New York
Acceptance Rate: 12.2%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $119,997
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.9
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 173
Student-Faculty Ratio: 5.5:1
Top Areas of Law: Contracts/Commercial Law, Business/Corporate Law, International Law, Tax Law, Environmental Law

9)

NYU Law students can earn joint degrees with other NYU schools, such as the Stern School of Business, as well as with outside institutions such as Princeton University鈥檚 Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Though New York City is extremely expensive, law students can live on the residential campus. They can also participate in foreign exchange programs (NYU is a leader in International Law, offering students the chance to study at 15 universities worldwide).

Location: New York, New York
Acceptance Rate: 16.8%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $118,137
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.9
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 172
Student-Faculty Ratio: 5.8:1
Top Areas of Law: Criminal Law, International Law, Tax Law, Clinical Training, Intellectual Property Law, Business/Corporate Law

T14 Law School Rankings (Continued)

10)

Possibly the most interdisciplinary of programs in terms of research faculty, Northwestern is known for its low student-to-faculty ratio, social-justice-oriented research and teaching, and mentoring programs for students from underrepresented groups. The program has 5 legal journals for students to join and over 30 student organizations, as well as career counseling through the Bluhm Legal Clinic. Though campus housing is limited, Northwestern helps students locate off-campus housing in Chicago.

Location: Chicago, Illinois
Acceptance Rate: 15.5%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $112,858
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.92
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 172
Student-Faculty Ratio: 4.3:1
Top Areas of Law: Tax Law, Clinical Training, Dispute Resolution, Contracts/Commercial Law, Constitutional Law

11)

Law students at U of M can get a head start on their legal education by enrolling in the Summer Start program, which aims to help ease the transition into law school and provide more flexibility with course selection later on. Michigan also has a special Detroit interest area, through which students can participate in programs such as the Michigan Innocence Clinic and the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project.

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Acceptance Rate: 12.6%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $98,496 (in-state), $101,496 (out-of-state)
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.85
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 171
Student-Faculty Ratio: 5.9:1
Top Areas of Law: Clinical Training, Constitutional Law, Contracts/Commercial Law, Business/Corporate Law, Legal Writing

12)

Like Yale, UC Berkeley does not use letter grades or GPAs, and students are not ranked against their peers. The program offers specialized curricular programs in areas such as Energy and Clean Technology Law, as well as unique survey courses such as Wine Law. Due to student-run clinics and opportunities to become locally involved, Berkeley is a great school for those who want to practice law in the Bay Area after graduating.

Location: Berkeley, California
Acceptance Rate: 14.9%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $100,224 (in-state), $112,652 (out-of-state)
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.87
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 170
Student-Faculty Ratio: 5.5:1
Top Areas of Law: Intellectual Property Law, Environmental Law, Criminal Law, Clinical Training, Constitutional Law, International Law, Business/Corporate Law

T14 Law School Rankings (Continued)

13)

The UCLA School of Law has close to 20 clinics for students to get hands-on legal experience, as well as 20 research centers and programs, including the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy. This program promises an immersive, inventive, and intellectually challenging approach to learning. Many students live in university-owned housing near campus.

Location: Los Angeles, California
Acceptance Rate: 16.8%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $92,055 (in-state), $104,300 (out-of-state)
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.92
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 170
Student-Faculty Ratio: 5.5:1
Top Areas of Law: Trial Advocacy, Environmental Law, Tax Law, Criminal Law, Business/Corporate Law

14)

Cornell Law is a tight-knit community with a collaborative culture between students and faculty. With over 170 courses, small classes, and clinics, students can concentrate in one of seven areas. The program takes pride in its global reach with international professors, speakers, and conferences, as well as its many dual degree and study abroad opportunities.

Location: Ithaca, New York
Acceptance Rate: 19.3%
Annual Cost of Attendance: $109,636
Median GPA of Entering Students: 3.9
Median LSAT of Entering Students: 172
Student-Faculty Ratio: 4.8:1
Top Areas of Law: International Law, Constitutional Law, Contracts/Commercial Law, Business/Corporate Law

T14 Law School Rankings – Final Thoughts

Remember, the top 14 law schools are not the only high-quality law schools that can launch a successful legal career. If your stats don’t quite measure up, there are roughly 200 other law schools in the United States, many of which may be worth your consideration.

Looking into more ways to prepare to apply for a T14 law school? You might consider checking out the following:

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Sarah Mininsohn

With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter鈥檚 School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan鈥檚 Writing Workshop.

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