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Preview Of The 2025-26 U.S. News Law School Rankings: Admissions

Paul Caron
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Update: 

In the current 2024-25 methodology, law school admissions count 10% in the overall ranking:

Below are two admissions rankings. The first is a simple ranking using the above weights. The second uses Z-scores with the above weights to better approximate the U.S. News methodology.

  School Acceptance Rate Rank UGPA Rank LSAT Rank Weighted Ranks
1 Yale 1 2 1 1.40
2 Harvard 4 5 1 2.90
3 Washington Univ. 25 2 3 4.80
4 Chicago 9 9 3 6.00
5 Stanford 2 11 3 6.10
5 Virginia 13 2 8 6.10
7 Northwestern 17 5 8 7.70
8 Penn 3 10 8 8.30
9 Columbia 6 20 3 10.10
10 UCLA 19 5 15 11.40
11 NYU 20 15 8 12.00
12 Georgetown 27 11 12 13.10
13 Cornell 33 23 3 14.00
13 Texas A&M 11 1 25 14.00
15 USC 8 15 19 16.30
16 Georgia 14 15 19 16.90
17 Texas 18 23 12 17.00
18 Duke 12 23 15 17.90
19 George Mason 15 11 25 18.40
20 Michigan 7 32 12 19.50
21 Florida 23 20 19 19.80
22 BYU 42 11 25 21.10
23 Vanderbilt 24 23 19 21.10
24 Boston Univ. 28 28 15 21.50
25 UC-Berkeley 21 30 15 21.60
26 Alabama 37 5 36 23.70
27 Florida State 26 15 36 26.60
28 Notre Dame 34 35 19 26.90
29 Minnesota 71 28 19 27.80
30 Arizona State 31 20 36 29.10
31 North Carolina 16 35 29 30.10
32 Ohio State 49 23 33 30.60
33 George Washington 65 30 25 31.00
34 UC-Irvine 22 41 29 33.10
35 Boston College 10 46 29 33.90
36 Utah 35 32 36 34.30
37 Wake Forest 38 38 33 35.50
38 SMU 54 32 36 36.20
39 Indiana (Maurer) 92 15 44 37.20
40 Wisconsin 46 41 36 39.00
41 Fordham 32 56 29 40.10
42 Pepperdine 44 35 44 40.40
43 Villanova 30 41 44 41.40
44 Emory 95 41 36 43.90
45 Tennessee 36 40 51 45.10
46 Cardozo 82 46 44 48.60
47 Washington & Lee 58 67 33 49.10
48 Colorado 77 49 44 49.30
49 Wayne State 48 38 60 50.00
50 Illinois 117 54 36 51.30

  School Acceptance Rate Rank UGPA Rank LSAT Rank Weighted Ranks
51 University of Arizona 53 52 51 51.60
52 William & Mary 63 60 44 52.30
53 Miami 47 56 51 52.60
54 Baylor 39 67 51 56.20
55 Richmond 105 60 44 56.50
56 Maryland 57 67 51 58.00
57 San Diego 78 46 65 58.70
58 Northeastern 75 67 51 59.80
59 Kansas 86 49 65 60.70
60 St. John’s 55 63 60 60.70
61 Houston 44 60 65 60.90
62 South Carolina 51 63 65 62.80
63 Loyola-L.A. 55 73 60 64.70
64 Belmont 101 49 71 65.20
64 Florida Int’l 29 67 71 65.20
66 UC-Davis 66 84 51 65.70
67 UNLV 97 52 71 66.00
68 Connecticut 52 73 65 66.90
69 Temple 73 86 51 67.20
70 Iowa 159 56 60 68.30
71 Chapman 40 86 60 68.40
72 Univ. of Washington 97 86 51 69.60
73 Oklahoma 91 63 71 69.80
74 Missouri-Columbia 135 56 71 71.40
75 Cincinnati 103 41 91 72.20
76 Chicago-Kent 127 63 71 73.40
77 Case Western 80 80 71 75.50
78 Penn State-Dickinson 100 84 65 76.10
79 Seton Hall 104 83 71 79.10
80 Catholic 70 94 71 80.10
81 Michigan State 59 100 71 81.40
82 Drexel 84 73 91 83.10
83 UC-San Francisco 81 100 71 83.60
84 Nebraska 172 54 91 84.30
85 Tulane 140 94 71 87.10
86 American 94 107 71 87.70
87 Kentucky 123 76 91 88.20
88 Texas Tech 67 91 91 88.60
89 Marquette 50 80 106 90.00
90 Loyola-Chicago 106 110 71 90.10
91 Hawaii 61 80 106 91.10
92 DePaul 114 91 91 93.30
93 Denver 141 91 87 94.00
94 Regent 111 94 91 94.20
95 SUNY-Buffalo 113 76 106 94.70
96 Louisiana State 129 76 106 96.30
96 Syracuse 88 105 91 96.30
98 Rutgers 85 107 91 96.80
99 Dayton 83 89 106 96.90
100 Arkansas-Fayetteville 43 100 106 97.30
101 Stetson 99 110 91 99.40
102 Lewis & Clark 175 116 71 99.40
103 Georgia State 74 122 87 99.70
103 Mississippi 116 94 101 99.70
105 Brooklyn 144 131 71 102.30
106 Maine 188 89 101 104.90
107 Penn State-Univ. Park 132 76 123 105.10
108 Pittsburgh 134 122 87 105.70
109 Campbell 69 119 106 107.50
110 St. Louis 171 94 106 107.70
111 St. Thomas (MN) 177 94 106 108.30
112 West Virginia 109 116 106 110.30
113 Oregon 185 122 87 110.80
114 New Mexico 133 119 101 111.40
115 New York Law School 138 112 106 111.60
116 Mercer 107 100 123 112.20
117 Louisville 178 112 106 115.60
118 Duquesne 151 119 106 115.70
119 Hofstra 131 105 123 116.60
120 Samford 156 100 123 117.10
121 Drake 162 122 106 118.00
122 Seattle 142 134 101 118.30
123 Tulsa 121 136 106 119.50
124 Montana 154 136 106 122.80
125 Albany 119 146 106 123.30
126 Indiana (McKinney) 174 112 123 123.70
127 Howard 62 146 123 126.10
128 Southwestern 90 144 123 128.10
129 Jacksonville 68 134 136 128.40
130 Suffolk 180 126 123 129.90
131 Santa Clara 182 154 101 130.30
132 Detroit Mercy 120 126 136 130.40
133 Pacific 158 136 123 131.70
134 Cleveland State 76 159 123 132.70
134 Gonzaga 143 126 136 132.70
136 North Texas 41 143 143 132.80
137 Quinnipiac 167 112 143 133.00
138 Puerto Rico 126 67 188 133.40
139 Missouri-Kansas City 169 140 123 134.40
140 Toledo 102 116 156 134.60
141 Memphis 110 144 136 136.60
142 Charleston 130 131 143 136.90
143 Liberty 157 126 143 137.60
144 Wyoming 170 150 123 138.50
145 New Hampshire 161 153 123 138.80
146 CUNY 96 154 136 139.20
147 Akron 166 131 143 140.50
148 Nova 153 136 143 141.20
148 Pace 137 140 143 141.20
150 St. Mary’s 64 162 143 142.70
151 Washburn 195 107 167 145.80
152 South Dakota 181 126 156 146.50
153 South Texas 87 176 136 147.10
154 Baltimore 128 160 143 148.30
155 Elon 122 162 143 148.50
156 Ave Maria 139 162 143 150.20
157 Arkansas-Little Rock 89 146 167 150.80
158 San Francisco 147 173 136 151.90
159 Cal-Western 148 167 143 153.10
160 Northern Kentucky 191 142 156 153.90
161 Lincoln Memorial 145 154 156 154.10
162 Florida A&M 93 154 167 154.40
163 Idaho 189 150 156 156.90
164 Oklahoma City 152 146 167 157.10
165 North Carolina Central 60 162 176 158.80
166 Creighton 193 160 156 161.30
167 Loyola-New Orleans 155 170 156 161.50
168 North Dakota 136 150 176 161.60
169 New England 196 179 143 162.70
170 Willamette 187 166 156 163.10
171 Illinois-Chicago 176 170 156 163.60
172 Mitchell | Hamline 164 177 156 165.20
173 Massachusetts 160 167 167 166.30
174 Ohio Northern 5 181 188 166.90
174 St. Thomas (FL) 165 181 156 166.90
176 Capital 194 167 167 169.70
177 Western State 125 186 167 170.40
178 Texas Southern 72 189 176 170.80
179 Touro 124 188 167 171.10
180 District of Columbia 78 191 176 172.20
181 Roger Williams 192 154 187 174.30
182 Faulkner 150 181 176 175.40
183 Northern Illinois 149 186 176 177.30
184 John Marshall (GA) 115 195 176 177.50
185 Vermont 179 191 167 177.80
186 Mississippi College 183 179 176 177.90
187 Pontifical Catholic (PR) 111 173 196 178.30
188 Western New England 168 184 176 178.40
189 Barry 163 189 176 179.90
190 Widener (DE) 184 185 176 180.40
191 Southern Illinois 190 170 188 181.00
192 Widener (PA) 186 175 188 182.60
193 Inter-American (PR) 146 178 195 183.30
194 Cooley 118 193 192 185.00
195 Appalachian 108 196 192 185.20
196 Southern 173 193 194 191.50

Z-score Ranking:

  School Acceptance Rate Rank UGPA Rank LSAT Rank Weighted Z-Scores
1 Yale 1 2 1 1.64
2 Harvard 4 5 1 1.58
3 Virginia 13 2 8 1.56
4 Chicago 9 9 3 1.54
5 Washington Univ. 25 2 3 1.54
6 Northwestern 17 5 8 1.53
7 Stanford 2 11 3 1.53
8 Penn 3 10 8 1.52
9 UCLA 19 5 15 1.48
10 Columbia 6 20 3 1.47
11 Texas A&M 11 1 25 1.47
12 NYU 20 15 8 1.44
13 Georgetown 27 11 12 1.42
14 USC 8 15 19 1.39
15 Texas 18 23 12 1.39
16 Cornell 33 23 3 1.38
17 Georgia 14 15 19 1.38
18 Duke 12 23 15 1.38
19 George Mason 15 11 25 1.37
20 Michigan 7 32 12 1.36
21 Florida 23 20 19 1.35
22 Vanderbilt 24 23 19 1.32
23 UC-Berkeley 21 30 15 1.32
24 Boston Univ. 28 28 15 1.32
25 BYU 42 11 25 1.29
26 Alabama 37 5 36 1.22
27 Notre Dame 34 35 19 1.22
28 Minnesota 71 28 19 1.20
29 North Carolina 16 35 29 1.19
30 Florida State 26 15 36 1.18
31 George Washington 65 30 25 1.16
32 Arizona State 31 20 36 1.15
33 Ohio State 49 23 33 1.14
34 Boston College 10 46 29 1.11
35 UC-Irvine 22 41 29 1.10
36 Utah 35 32 36 1.06
37 Wake Forest 38 38 33 1.06
38 SMU 54 32 36 1.03
39 Indiana (Maurer) 92 15 44 1.01
40 Fordham 32 56 29 0.98
41 Pepperdine 44 35 44 0.96
42 Wisconsin 46 41 36 0.94
43 Villanova 30 41 44 0.93
44 Emory 95 41 36 0.87
45 Tennessee 36 40 51 0.86
46 Washington & Lee 58 67 33 0.82
47 Wayne State 48 38 60 0.82
48 Cardozo 82 46 44 0.82
49 Colorado 77 49 44 0.80
50 University of Arizona 53 52 51 0.76
51 Illinois 117 54 36 0.76
52 William & Mary 63 60 44 0.75
53 Miami 47 56 51 0.73
54 Richmond 105 60 44 0.69
55 Baylor 39 67 51 0.68
56 Maryland 57 67 51 0.66
57 Northeastern 75 67 51 0.63
58 San Diego 78 46 65 0.62
59 St. John’s 55 63 60 0.62
60 Kansas 86 49 65 0.59
61 Loyola-L.A. 55 73 60 0.58
62 Houston 44 60 65 0.58
63 South Carolina 51 63 65 0.55
64 UC-Davis 66 84 51 0.55
65 Temple 73 86 51 0.52
66 Connecticut 52 73 65 0.51
67 Florida Int’l 29 67 71 0.51
68 Chapman 40 86 60 0.51
69 Belmont 101 49 71 0.50
70 UNLV 97 52 71 0.49
71 Univ. of Washington 97 86 51 0.49
72 Iowa 159 56 60 0.48
73 Oklahoma 91 63 71 0.42
74 Missouri-Columbia 135 56 71 0.38
75 Cincinnati 103 41 91 0.37
76 Penn State-Dickinson 100 84 65 0.37
77 Chicago-Kent 127 63 71 0.36
78 Case Western 80 80 71 0.36
79 Seton Hall 104 83 71 0.30
80 Catholic 70 94 71 0.26
81 Michigan State 59 100 71 0.26
82 Drexel 84 73 91 0.23
83 UC-San Francisco 81 100 71 0.22
84 Nebraska 172 54 91 0.18
85 American 94 107 71 0.17
86 Kentucky 123 76 91 0.15
87 Tulane 140 94 71 0.15
88 Loyola-Chicago 106 110 71 0.13
89 Texas Tech 67 91 91 0.12
90 Denver 141 91 87 0.09
91 Marquette 50 80 106 0.07
92 Hawaii 61 80 106 0.05
93 DePaul 114 91 91 0.05
94 Regent 111 94 91 0.04
95 Syracuse 88 105 91 0.03
96 Georgia State 74 122 87 0.02
97 Rutgers 85 107 91 0.02
98 SUNY-Buffalo 113 76 106 0.00
99 Stetson 99 110 91 -0.02
100 Lewis & Clark 175 116 71 -0.03
101 Louisiana State 129 76 106 -0.03
102 Brooklyn 144 131 71 -0.05
103 Arkansas-Fayetteville 43 100 106 -0.05
104 Dayton 83 89 106 -0.06
105 Mississippi 116 94 101 -0.06
106 Pittsburgh 134 122 87 -0.07
107 Penn State-Univ. Park 132 76 123 -0.13
108 Maine 188 89 101 -0.14
109 Oregon 185 122 87 -0.16
110 Campbell 69 119 106 -0.21
111 New Mexico 133 119 101 -0.22
112 Mercer 107 100 123 -0.24
113 St. Louis 171 94 106 -0.24
114 West Virginia 109 116 106 -0.24
115 St. Thomas (MN) 177 94 106 -0.25
116 New York Law School 138 112 106 -0.28
117 Hofstra 131 105 123 -0.30
118 Seattle 142 134 101 -0.31
119 Samford 156 100 123 -0.33
120 Duquesne 151 119 106 -0.34
121 Louisville 178 112 106 -0.35
122 Drake 162 122 106 -0.38
123 Tulsa 121 136 106 -0.38
124 Indiana (McKinney) 174 112 123 -0.43
125 Montana 154 136 106 -0.44
126 Jacksonville 68 134 136 -0.46
127 Howard 62 146 123 -0.47
128 Albany 119 146 106 -0.48
129 Southwestern 90 144 123 -0.50
130 Detroit Mercy 120 126 136 -0.50
131 Suffolk 180 126 123 -0.52
132 Gonzaga 143 126 136 -0.54
133 Pacific 158 136 123 -0.54
134 Santa Clara 182 154 101 -0.56
135 Cleveland State 76 159 123 -0.57
136 Missouri-Kansas City 169 140 123 -0.58
137 North Texas 41 143 143 -0.59
138 Toledo 102 116 156 -0.60
139 Quinnipiac 167 112 143 -0.61
140 Memphis 110 144 136 -0.61
141 Charleston 130 131 143 -0.63
142 Liberty 157 126 143 -0.67
143 CUNY 96 154 136 -0.67
144 Wyoming 170 150 123 -0.67
145 New Hampshire 161 153 123 -0.68
146 Akron 166 131 143 -0.70
147 Pace 137 140 143 -0.70
148 Puerto Rico 126 67 188 -0.71
149 Nova 153 136 143 -0.71
150 St. Mary’s 64 162 143 -0.78
151 South Dakota 181 126 156 -0.80
152 Washburn 195 107 167 -0.82
153 South Texas 87 176 136 -0.83
154 Baltimore 128 160 143 -0.86
155 Elon 122 162 143 -0.87
156 Arkansas-Little Rock 89 146 167 -0.88
157 San Francisco 147 173 136 -0.89
158 Ave Maria 139 162 143 -0.90
159 Northern Kentucky 191 142 156 -0.90
160 Lincoln Memorial 145 154 156 -0.94
161 Florida A&M 93 154 167 -0.94
162 Cal-Western 148 167 143 -0.95
163 Idaho 189 150 156 -0.98
164 Oklahoma City 152 146 167 -0.99
165 North Carolina Central 60 162 176 -1.04
166 North Dakota 136 150 176 -1.07
167 Creighton 193 160 156 -1.07
168 Loyola-New Orleans 155 170 156 -1.08
169 Willamette 187 166 156 -1.09
170 Illinois-Chicago 176 170 156 -1.11
171 Massachusetts 160 167 167 -1.16
172 Mitchell | Hamline 164 177 156 -1.17
173 New England 196 179 143 -1.23
174 Capital 194 167 167 -1.23
175 St. Thomas (FL) 165 181 156 -1.24
176 Roger Williams 192 154 187 -1.29
177 Ohio Northern 5 181 188 -1.30
178 Western State 125 186 167 -1.34
179 Faulkner 150 181 176 -1.39
180 Touro 124 188 167 -1.42
181 Mississippi College 183 179 176 -1.44
182 Texas Southern 72 189 176 -1.44
183 Western New England 168 184 176 -1.45
184 Northern Illinois 149 186 176 -1.47
185 Southern Illinois 190 170 188 -1.48
186 Widener (DE) 184 185 176 -1.50
187 District of Columbia 78 191 176 -1.51
188 Widener (PA) 186 175 188 -1.51
189 Vermont 179 191 167 -1.59
190 Barry 163 189 176 -1.59
191 John Marshall (GA) 115 195 176 -1.73
192 Inter-American (PR) 146 178 195 -1.87
193 Cooley 118 193 192 -1.88
194 Pontifical Catholic (PR) 111 173 196 -1.98
195 Southern 173 193 194 -2.05
196 Appalachian 108 196 192 -2.07

For the Z-scores used to calculate this ranking, see here.

Editor’s Note:  If you would like to receive a daily email with links to legal education posts on TaxProf Blog, email me here.

About the Author

Paul Caron Avatar
Paul Caron
Paul Caron was named Duane and Kelly Roberts Dean of Pepperdine University School of Law on June 1, 2017. Dean Caron joined the Pepperdine faculty in 2013 after serving as the Dorothy and Leonard Straus Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law in the spring semesters of 2010 through 2013. He served as Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development at Pepperdine in 2015-2017. Before coming to Pepperdine, he was Associate Dean of Faculty and Charles Hartsock Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
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