Our 2023 Best Law School rankings appear on our website. We report 14 ranking lists, each one naming the top 10 law schools in a particular category.
The categories cover topics that we think prospective applicants might want to know or would ask during a campus visit, including academics, career prospects, and campus diversity. Eleven of the 14 lists incorporate or are based entirely on student opinions that we collected through our school student survey. Three lists, "Toughest to Get Into," "Best for Federal Clerkships," and "Best for State and Local Clerkships," are based entirely on institutional data.
Note: we don't have a "Best Overall Academics" ranking list nor do we rank the law schools 1 to 168 on a single list because we believe each of the schools offers outstanding academics. We believe that hierarchical ranking lists that focus solely on academics offer very little value to students and only add to the stress of applying to law school.
Also note: our law school rankings are different from our law school ratings. The rankings are lists. The ratings are numerical scores we give to the 168 schools on our complete list of the Best Law Schools 2022 on a scale of 60 to 99 in various areas. Every law school on PrincetonReview.com has at least one rating, and some have as many as five. For information about them, see our Law School Ratings.
What are the 14 law school rankings lists based on?
Some are based on school reported data, some on data only from our surveys of students and some on a combination of both. Here is information about what each ranking list category is based on:
Toughest to Get Into
Based on school reported data. Factors include: median LSAT scores and undergraduate GPAs of entering 1L students, the percent of applicants accepted, and the percent of accepted applicants who enroll.
Best Classroom Experience
Based on student answers to survey questions concerning their professors' teaching abilities and overall accessibility outside of the classroom, the balance of theory and practical skills in the curricula and the range of courses available, the level of tolerance for differing opinions in class discussion, and their assessments of research resources available.
Best Professors
Based on student answers to survey questions concerning how good their professors are as teachers and how accessible they are outside the classroom.
Most Competitive Students
Based on student answers to survey questions on: the number of hours they study outside of class each day, the number of hours they think their fellow students study outside of class each day, and the degree of competitiveness among students at their school.
Best Career Prospects
Based on school reported data and student surveys. School data include: the median starting salaries of graduating students, the percent of students employed in a job that requires bar passage (and not employed by the school) and the percent of these students who pass the bar exam the first time they take it. Student answers to survey questions on: how much the law program encourages practical experience; the opportunities for externships, internships and clerkships, and how prepared the students feel they will be to practice the law after graduating.
Best for Federal Clerkships
Based on school reported data. Percent of 2021 JD graduates employed in the following areas: Judicial clerkships (federal).
Best for State and Local Clerkships
Based on school reported data. Percent of 2021 JD graduates employed in the following areas: Judicial clerkships (state or local).
Most Conservative Students
Based on student answers to a survey question concerning the political bent of the student body at large. The survey question was "If there is a prevailing political bent among students at your school, how would you characterize it?" Answer choices were: "Very Liberal, Liberal, Middle of the Road, Somewhat Conservative, Very Conservative."
Most Liberal Students
Based on student answers to a survey question concerning the political bent of the student body at large. The survey question was "If there is a prevailing political bent among students at your school, how would you characterize it?" Answer choices were: "Very Liberal, Liberal, Middle of the Road, Somewhat Conservative, Very Conservative."
Greatest Resources for Women
Based on school reported data and student surveys. School data: the percent of the student body that are women. Student answers to a survey question on whether all students are afforded equal treatment by students and faculty regardless of their gender.
Greatest Resources for Minority Students
Based on school reported data and student surveys. School data: the percent of the student body that is from an underrepresented minority group. Student answers to a survey question on whether all students receive equal treatment by fellow students and the faculty, regardless of ethnicity.
Most Diverse Faculty
Based on school reported data and student surveys. School data: the percent of the law school faculty that is from an underrepresented minority group. Student answers to a survey question on whether the faculty comprises a broadly diverse group of individuals.
Best Quality of Life
Based on student answers to survey questions on: whether there is a strong sense of community at the school whether differing opinions are tolerated in the classroom, the location of the school, the quality of social life at the school, the school's research resources (library, computer and database resources).
Most Chosen by Older Students
Based on the average age of entry of law school students and student reports of how many years they spent out of college before enrolling in law school.
