Best Law Schools

Ranked in 2011

A career in law starts with finding the school that fits you best. With U.S. News's rankings, narrow your search by location, tuition, school size, and test scores. Plus, see the top schools in specialties such as environmental law, intellectual property law, and tax law.

Rank	College name	Tuition	Enrollment (full-time)	LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile)	GPA (25th-75th percentile)	Acceptance rate	Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5)	Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
#1	Yale University New Haven, CT	Full-time: $50,750 per year	629	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#2	Harvard University Cambridge, MA	Full-time: $45,450 per year	1,733	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#3	Stanford University Stanford, CA	Full-time: $46,581 per year	571	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#4	Columbia University New York, NY	Full-time: $50,428 per year	1,343	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#5	University of Chicago Chicago, IL	Full-time: $45,405 per year	634	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#6	New York University New York, NY	Full-time: $46,840 per year	1,431	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#7	University of Michigan--Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	In-state, full-time: $44,840 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $47,840 per year	1,134	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#7	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA	Full-time: $48,362 per year	802	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#9	University of California--Berkeley Berkeley, CA	In-state, full-time: $44,244 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $52,245 per year	916	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#9	University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA	In-state, full-time: $42,500 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $47,500 per year	1,105	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#11	Duke University Durham, NC	Full-time: $47,722 per year	644	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#12	Northwestern University Chicago, IL	Full-time: $49,714 per year	817	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#13	Cornell University Ithaca, NY	Full-time: $51,150 per year	615	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#14	Georgetown University Washington, DC	Full-time: $45,105 per year	1,626	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#14	University of Texas--Austin Austin, TX	In-state, full-time: $28,669 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $44,638 per year	1,154	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#16	University of California--Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	In-state, full-time: $40,616 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $50,639 per year	999	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#16	Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN	Full-time: $45,286 per year	586	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#18	University of Southern California (Gould) Los Angeles, CA	Full-time: $48,434 per year	651	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#18	Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO	Full-time: $44,125 per year	893	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#20	George Washington University Washington, DC	Full-time: $43,999 per year	1,410	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#20	University of Minnesota--Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	In-state, full-time: $31,882 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $40,388 per year	752	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#22	Boston University Boston, MA	Full-time: $40,838 per year	821	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#23	Indiana University--Bloomington (Maurer) Bloomington, IN	In-state, full-time: $26,904 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $43,704 per year	646	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#23	University of California--Davis Davis, CA	In-state, full-time: $41,763 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $50,595 per year	589	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
#23	University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL	In-state, full-time: $36,420 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $43,420 per year	640	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked

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Rank

College name

Tuition

Enrollment (full-time)

LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile)

GPA (25th-75th percentile)

Acceptance rate

Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5)

Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation

Yale University

New Haven, CT

Full-time: $50,750 per year

629

Locked

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

Full-time: $45,450 per year

1,733

Locked

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

Full-time: $46,581 per year

571

Locked

Columbia University

New York, NY

Full-time: $50,428 per year

1,343

Locked

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Full-time: $45,405 per year

634

Locked

New York University

New York, NY

Full-time: $46,840 per year

1,431

Locked

University of Michigan--Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI

In-state, full-time: $44,840 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $47,840 per year

1,134

Locked

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Full-time: $48,362 per year

802

Locked

University of California--Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

In-state, full-time: $44,244 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $52,245 per year

916

Locked

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

In-state, full-time: $42,500 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $47,500 per year

1,105

Locked

#11

Duke University

Durham, NC

Full-time: $47,722 per year

644

Locked

#12

Northwestern University

Chicago, IL

Full-time: $49,714 per year

817

Locked

#13

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

Full-time: $51,150 per year

615

Locked

#14

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

Full-time: $45,105 per year

1,626

Locked

#14

University of Texas--Austin

Austin, TX

In-state, full-time: $28,669 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $44,638 per year

1,154

Locked

#16

University of California--Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

In-state, full-time: $40,616 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $50,639 per year

999

Locked

#16

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Full-time: $45,286 per year

586

Locked

#18

University of Southern California (Gould)

Los Angeles, CA

Full-time: $48,434 per year

651

Locked

#18

Washington University in St. Louis

St. Louis, MO

Full-time: $44,125 per year

893

Locked

#20

George Washington University

Washington, DC

Full-time: $43,999 per year

1,410

Locked

#20

University of Minnesota--Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN

In-state, full-time: $31,882 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $40,388 per year

752

Locked

#22

Boston University

Boston, MA

Full-time: $40,838 per year

821

Locked

#23

Indiana University--Bloomington (Maurer)

Bloomington, IN

In-state, full-time: $26,904 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $43,704 per year

646

Locked

#23

University of California--Davis

Davis, CA

In-state, full-time: $41,763 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $50,595 per year

589

Locked

#23

University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL

In-state, full-time: $36,420 per year, Out-of-state, full-time: $43,420 per year

640

Locked