Law School Rankings 2024: Beyond USWNR

With nearly 200 law schools in the United States, choosing one may seem daunting. Rather than succumbing to analysis paralysis, law school rankings help you narrow down your options and decide where to go. 

There’s a myriad of factors to consider, including tuition cost, career outcomes, average first-year lawyer salaries, and quality of life, many prospective students look to the rankings to determine where to spend their time applying.

Here, we look at the best-known law school rankings and provide our own ranking—weighing key factors for law students in 2024, such as whether schools offer technology classes and classes related to artificial intelligence (AI). Today, law students must have a firm grasp of technology for a successful career in law moving forward.

Clio law school rankings 2024

Schools with the Clio logo are part of Clio’s Academic Access Program (CAAP), which offers free Clio access to prepare students for the future of law.

1	Duke University
2	University of Chicago
3	Vanderbilt Law School
4	University of Pennsylvania (Carey)
5	Northwestern University (Pritzker)
6	University of California – Los Angeles
7	University of Virginia
8	Cornell University
9	University of Southern California (Gould)
10	University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
11	Stanford University
12	University of Texas – Austin
13	Boston University
14	University of Georgia
15	University of Notre Dame
16	Columbia University
17	Harvard University
18	University of Minnesota
19	New York University
20	University of Alabama
21	Wake Forest University
22	University of California – Berkeley
23	University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign
24	Georgetown University
25	Washington University in St. Louis
26	University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
27	Villanova University (Widger)
28	Boston College
29	University of Tennessee – Knoxville
30	University of Utah (Quinney)
31	Florida State University
32	Fordham University
33	Ohio State University (Moritz)
34	Emory University
35	University of Wisconsin – Madison
36	Washington and Lee University
37	University of Florida (Levin)
38	Yale University
39	University of Kentucky (Rosenberg)
40	Southern Methodist University (Dedman)
41	Brigham Young University (Clark)
42	Indiana University – Bloomington (Maurer)
43	University of Iowa
44	William & Mary Law School
45	University of Kansas
46	University of California – Davis
47	Texas A&M University
48	Northeastern University
49	Georgia State University
50	University of Nevada – Las Vegas (Boyd)

How we determined the top law schools of 2024

To create a law school ranking that is relevant for law students in 2024, we used a combination of existing rankings as well as a score for remote class options and technology class offerings. 

Here’s a closer look at how the rankings break down:

• 40% – USWNR ranking. The annual law school rankings from USWNR have been the most influential rankings in the US for over three decades.
• 25% – Above the Law (ATL) ranking. ATL looks heavily at employment outcomes, and heavily emphasizes a quality jobs score, employment score, and the education cost it assigns to each school.
• 12% – Technology classes score. We assigned a score to each law school based on how many, if any, technology-related classes were offered—covering either the use of technology or the implications of technology for the law. Knowledge of technology is crucial for successful legal careers in 2024 and beyond.
• 10% – AI classes rank. Staying up-to-date with artificial intelligence is increasingly crucial for law students, so we ranked law schools based on whether they offer classes related to AI.
• 3% – Remote classes score. The ability to attend some or all classes remotely is an important accessibility option for many students.
• 2% – Princeton Review Best Professors ranking. Based on student ratings of their professors—the quality of one’s legal education provides a rich foundation for their legal career.
• 2% – Princeton Diverse Faculty ranking. This takes into account the diversity represented in a school’s faculty, based on two key factors: school demographic data indicating the percentage of faculty from underrepresented minority groups and law student ratings of their perception of diversity among the law faculty.
• 2% – Princeton Review Best Career Prospects ranking. We believe it’s important that law students are able to launch strong careers after graduation.
• 2% – Princeton Review Best Quality of Life ranking. Based on some troubling law student mental health statistics, it’s crucial to consider the environment at any law school you’re thinking of attending.
• 2% – Princeton Review Best Classroom Experience ranking. Whether in the classroom or attending remotely, the experience in class needs to be top-notch to get the most out of your legal education.

You can learn more about the rationale behind ATL’s law school ranking system here.

USWNR law school rankings 2024

USWNR has released annual law school rankings since 1990. It is widely respected, with terms such as “T14 law school” arising from its ranking system. More than 196 law schools were included in its rankings for 2024.

The USWNR ranking is based on the following factors—relevant weightings are in brackets:

• Outcomes 10 months after graduation (33%)
• Bar passage rate for first-time test takers (18%)
• Ultimate bar passage rate (7%)
• Peer assessment score (12.5%)
• Lawyers and judges assessment score (12.5%)
• Median Law School Admission Test and Graduate Record Examination scores (5%)
• Median undergraduate grade point average (4%)
• Acceptance rate (1%)
• Student-faculty ratio (5%)
• Library resources (2%)

Read more about the USWNR methodology for ranking here.

In 2024, the top 11 law schools according to USWNR were:

1	Stanford Law School (tie)
1	Yale Law School (tie)
3	University of Chicago Law School
4	Duke University (tie)
4	Harvard Law School (tie)
4	University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (tie)
4	University of Virginia School of Law (tie)
8	Columbia Law School
9	New York University School of Law (tie)
9	Northwestern University (Pritzker) (tie)
9	University of Michigan Law School (tie)
12	University of California, Berkely
13	University of California – Los Angeles
14	Cornell University (tie)
14	Georgetown University (tie)

ATL law school rankings 2024

ATL provides a ranking of the top 50 law schools each year. Their rankings are based on:

• 40% – Quality of jobs score (jobs where graduates can actually pay off their debt)
• 30% – Graduate employment score
• 10% – Education cost
• 10% – First-time bar passage rate
• 5% – Graduates who are active federal judges
• 5% – Graduates who are SCOTUS clerks

You can learn more about the rationale behind ATL’s law school ranking system here.

In 2024, the top 10 law schools according to ATL were:

1	University of Virginia School of Law
2	University of Chicago Law School
3	Duke University School of Law
4	University of Michigan Law School
5	Columbia Law School
6	University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
7	Cornell Law School
8	Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
9	University of Notre Dame
10	Vanderbilt Law School

Princeton Review law school rankings 2024

The Princeton Review provides 14 unique ranking lists for law schools based on surveys of over 18,000 US law school students and administrators across 168 law schools. The surveys collect over 60 data points and show the schools with the most outstanding programs, services, and records.  

Read more about the Princeton Review Law School Rankings here.

The Princeton Review’s top 14 schools for 2024

• New York University – Best Career Prospects
• University of Virginia – Best Classroom Experience, Best Professors
• The City University of New York – Most Diverse Faculty
• Florida State University – Greatest Resources for Women
• University of the District of Columbia – Greatest Resources for Minority Students, Most Chosen by Older Students
• University of California, Los Angeles – Best Quality of Life
• Baylor University – Most Competitive Students
• Ave Maria School of Law – Most Conservative Students
• Northeastern University – Most Liberal Students
• Yale University – Toughest to Get Into
• Stanford University – Best for Federal Clerkships
• Seton Hall University – Best for State and Local Clerkships

Impact of rankings when selecting a law school

Where you go to law school can impact your future as a lawyer. School rankings provide a snapshot of what each school offers and its reputation. Selecting a law school should be weighed against what you want to get out of your education, and what aligns with the goals you have for your future legal career. 

Depending on a law school’s reputation, it can generate valuable opportunities to help launch your career. It may be a gateway to better law firms, positions, and pay. A school with a strong reputation is also likely to have a vast and well-connected network to leverage during and after law school.

Additionally, if you’re planning to focus on a specialized area of the law, school rankings can help you narrow down which schools provide the best options for your chosen program. The same goes for assessing the experience and credentials of program faculty.

Each one of these factors can influence your experience and trajectory and should be considered carefully. Law school rankings can simplify the comparison process. 

Factors beyond ranking of law schools to consider

While law school rankings can be an important determining factor when weighing your options for law school, it’s important to note that a potential school’s ranking is not the only point to consider.

Other important factors to consider when choosing a law school include:

• Is the school located somewhere you want to live? Attending a law school that’s geographically far from friends and family can be difficult, so consider whether your dream school’s location is conducive to the lifestyle you want to live during your time as a law student.
• Where do you ultimately want to practice law? Attending a law school located in the area where you want to work can help you build valuable connections that may be useful once you’ve passed the bar.
• What type of law do you want to practice? If you have a specific area of law that you want to practice, consider schools with strong programs in that area.
• Is it affordable for your situation? Remember to realistically consider the financial factors that apply to law school you’re interested in—from tuition costs and fees to scholarship and funding opportunities.
• What is the expertise and background of the faculty you will be learning from? Consider the qualifications and expertise of the faculty who you will be learning from every day, and how it will impact your educational goals, perspectives, and future area of practice.

Final notes on law school rankings

Law school rankings are a valuable resource when deciding which law schools to apply to. Ultimately, each student will have different factors they are taking into consideration when choosing the school that is right for them, and rankings provide a side-by-side comparison to help the decision-making process. To better ensure the rankings include all the aspects you care about, we’ve created a law school ranking that combines both trusted rankings with factors law students should be considering. This list is designed to prepare prospective law students for a successful future. 

Additionally, when creating our list we also took care to include schools that provide instruction on emerging technologies into consideration. As the legal landscape shifts with the growing use of technology and AI, learning how to responsibly manage and use these technologies is becoming increasingly important.

Wherever you choose to apply to law school, good luck with your applications! And don’t forget to sign up for Clio’s Academic Access Program—this program provides law students with a head-start on their legal practice by introducing them to the opportunities available through cloud-based practice management software. Sign up for Clio’s Academic Access Program here.

We published this blog post in February 2023. Last updated: December 6, 2024.

Categorized in: Business