The latest U.S. News & World Report law school rankings, released Tuesday, revealed significant changes among the nation’s top law schools, though Yale and Stanford universities remained tied for the No. 1 spot. The rankings, widely regarded as the most influential for prospective law students, show a shakeup at the upper echelons, particularly in the prestigious T-14 group of law schools.
Cornell Law School, previously a staple in the T-14, dropped four places to No. 18, marking its exit from the elite group. Meanwhile, the No. 14 spot was unusually crowded this year, with four law schools—Georgetown University, the University of Texas, Vanderbilt University, and Washington University in St. Louis—tying for the position.
This pushed the T-14 category to a new high of 17 schools. While Georgetown remained steady at No. 14, Vanderbilt and Washington University, which have traditionally been just outside the top 14, made their debut in this exclusive group. Texas, which has had a fluctuating presence in the T-14, also returned to No. 14.
Experts attribute the recent volatility in the rankings to changes in U.S. News’ methodology, which were implemented three years ago after a boycott by some elite law schools.
The protesting schools claimed the previous rankings system was harming diversity and affordability. Notre Dame Law professor Derek Muller, who covers the rankings on his blog Excess of Democracy, notes that the revisions to the methodology have intensified fluctuations, especially among top-ranked schools.
The rankings now rely heavily on self-reported data from law schools to the American Bar Association, meaning small changes in key factors like bar passage rates and employment outcomes can lead to notable shifts in position, especially among top-tier schools with very similar performance metrics.
Harvard Law School and Duke University School of Law each dropped two spots, landing at No. 6. Columbia Law School also saw a decline, falling two places to No. 10. Other schools that experienced slight declines include the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (No. 5), Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (No. 10), and the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (No. 13).
Meanwhile, the University of Chicago Law School and the University of Virginia School of Law held steady at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. New York University School of Law and the University of Michigan Law School both improved by one position, tying at No. 8. The University of California, Los Angeles School of Law also moved up one spot to No. 12.
Despite the widespread attention the rankings receive, a new survey by Kaplan, a test prep company, suggests that their influence may be waning. The survey found that 62% of law school admissions officers believe the rankings have lost some of their prestige in recent years.
The methodology behind the rankings remains largely unchanged, with the majority of a school’s score based on employment outcomes, bar passage rates, and reputation scores from faculty, judges, and legal practitioners. Less weight is given to LSAT scores and undergraduate GPAs.
On a more positive note, the University of Maine School of Law saw the biggest improvement this year, climbing 32 spots to No. 88. On the other hand, the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law experienced the largest decline, dropping 27 positions to No. 125.
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