Why are law schools dropping out of US News ranking?

Asked by: Susie White  |  Last update: November 15, 2023
Score: 5/5 (22 votes)

The move is the latest blow to the influential rankings system after Harvard and Yale law schools withdrew in November 2022 because its "profoundly flawed" methodology disincentivized schools from helping disadvantaged students.

Why are schools withdrawing from U.S. News rankings?

The recent withdrawals come after decades of complaints about the value of the rankings. Critics say the rankings rely too much on the grades and test scores of accepted students, and the reputation of schools among academicians, all of which reward the privileges of certain applicants.

Why are law schools opting out of rankings?

For instance, in opting out, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law stated that “by over-valuing median LSAT and UGPA, it incentivizes law schools to provide scholarships to students at their medians and above rather than to students with the greatest need.” Likewise, UC Berkeley chose to opt out because the US News “ ...

Why are law schools boycotting U.S. News?

It may be a case of be careful what you wish for. Seven months ago, dozens of elite law schools and medical schools announced that they were boycotting the U.S. News & World Report rankings and refusing to give the publication any data. The rankings, they said, were unreliable and skewed educational priorities.

What law schools are pulling out of the U.S. News ranking?

Yale Law School was the first to announce its decision to no longer participate in the rankings, followed by Harvard, UC Berkeley, Georgetown, Columbia, and Stanford, among others.

Why some top schools are opting out of U.S. News’ college rankings list

31 related questions found

Which law schools are boycotting U.S. News and World Report?

Nearly a third of U.S. law schools this year declined to provide U.S. News with any internal data for its rankings, including 12 of the top 14 schools, which said the publication's methodology hurt student diversity and affordability.

What law schools are no longer ranked?

Of the 22 schools that have pulled out of the rankings, Yale Law School was the first to announce on Nov. 16, with its law dean, Heather Gerken, calling them “profoundly flawed.” Harvard Law School followed with its own announcement hours later, followed by the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law on Nov.

What percent of people regret law school?

A substantial majority of vocational and technical students (60 percent) wish they'd gone for more schooling, while less than 40 percent of law, life science and engineering students believe the same. The burgeoning regret among humanities and arts majors may help explain why humanities graduates are a dying breed.

Is law school mentally draining?

Law students struggle with their mental health. As I write this essay, many are stressed out, burned out, depressed, and anxious. Even before Covid, rates of depression among law students were high: 8-9% before the start of law school, 27% after the first semester, 34% after 1L year, and 40% after 3L year.

What is the failure rate of law school?

The numbers do not consider the financial risk of being a law school dropout. The first-year law school attrition rate nationwide is nearly 7%. 10 Enrolling in law school but failing to finish offers no greater marketability than a bachelor's degree. It does, however, substantially add to a person's debt load.

Why did Yale drop out of rankings?

Yale and Harvard universities' law schools will no longer participate in U.S. News & World Report's influential Best Law Schools rankings, saying Wednesday they disincentivize support for low-income students and those entering public-interest careers.

Will Northwestern law school no longer participate in U.S. News rankings?

Northwestern's Pritzker School of Law announced in November it would no longer participate in the U.S. News and World Report Rankings. In 2022, the law school ranked 13th from 192 schools.

Who pulled out of law school rankings?

(Reuters) - The University of California at Los Angeles School of Law on Tuesday became the first law school outside the so-called T-14 top U.S. law schools to break with U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings.

Why is Harvard leaving U.S. News?

Dean writes that his decision is based “on the principled belief that rankings cannot meaningfully reflect the high aspirations for educational excellence.”

Are U.S. News rankings accurate?

While US News rankings of colleges purport to be highly accurate, they can be misleading in certain important respects. If you make decisions based purely on the US News college rankings, you might end up being miserable.

What is Yale law ranked?

Yale University 2023-2024 Rankings

Yale University is ranked No. 1 (tie) in Best Law Schools. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.

Is UK a good law school?

University of Kentucky (Rosenberg) is ranked No. 60 (tie) in Best Law Schools. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.

Does UK have a good law school?

Studying Law in the UK is a great choice. British law schools list over 850 Bachelors and 950 Masters in Law on our portals, with tuition fees starting at around 2,000 EUR per academic year.

Does England have good law schools?

UCL (University College London)

Ranked among the best law schools in the UK, UCL is also listed among universities that attract many ambitious international students. 39% of the student population comprises international students, and 12% of all students enrolled come from the EU.

Is NYU a T14 law school?

Rounding out the top seven of the T14 law schools is NYU School of Law. NYU Law considers itself “an intellectual powerhouse” with: More than 100 faculty members. 300 courses.

What are U.S. News law rankings based on?

The rankings only assess academic quality and graduate success – factors that are universally important to prospective students. But personal considerations involving location, campus culture, strength in specific programs, and cost after tuition and financial aid are also very important.

Is the LSAT being removed?

‍The LSAT isn't going away.

The ABA announced their decision to nix the requirement that law schools use a standardized test as part of the admissions process. But it won't take effect until 2025. And remember: all we're doing here is removing a requirement to use an admissions test.

Are law school admissions declining?

14% Through The Fall 2023 Law School Admissions Season: Applicants Are Down -14%, With Biggest Decline (-25%) Among The Top 160-180 LSAT Band (Oct. 10, 2022) 25% Through The Fall 2023 Law School Admissions Season: Applicants Are Down -11%, With Biggest Decline (-21%) In The 165-169 LSAT Band (Nov. 7, 2022)

Are law school applications declining?

The number of people applying to law school has dropped for the second straight year—further indication that the 13% applicant surge in 2021 was a COVID-19 one-off. Law school applicants were down 2.4% over last year as of Thursday, according to the latest data from the Law School Admission Council.

What is the hardest law school to get into in the US?

Yale University

With an acceptance rate of just 6.9%, it's no wonder that Yale is the hardest law school to get into. Only around 1 in 15 of their highly qualified applicants makes it through. The median GPA score of a student enrolled at Yale University is 3.92, while the median LSAT score is 173.