It's riskier than ever today to incur the debt most law students face. Many new grads don't find the job they dreamed of. Nevertheless, if you love law, and perhaps politics, follow that dream. Attending one of the top law schools will help. Here's the top of the 2013 list from U.S. News & World Report. Find the complete list and more details at usnews.com/grad.
Of interest:
1. Yale University
Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, tops the list with a perfect score of 100. Important stats from 2011:Peer assessment: 4.9 out of 5
Assessment score by lawyers and judges: 4.7
Undergrad GPA (25th-75th percentile): 3.83-3.96
LSAT score (25th-75th percentile): 170-177
Acceptance rate: 8%
Student/faculty ratio: 8.5
Grads employed at graduation: 88.9%
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 97.1% in NY
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 76%
2. Stanford University
Stanford Law School in California ranks No. 2 with an overall score of 96. Important 2011 stats:Peer assessment: 4.8 out of 5
Assessment score by lawyers and judges: 4.7
Undergrad GPA (25th-75th percentile): 3.72-3.93
LSAT score (25th-75th percentile): 167-172
Acceptance rate: 10%
Student/faculty ratio: 7.8
Grads employed at graduation: 96%
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 97.9% in CA
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 65%
3. Harvard University
Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts is No. 3 on the list with an overall score of 95. Important 2011 stats:Peer assessment: 4.8 out of 5
Assessment score by lawyers and judges: 4.8
Undergrad GPA (25th-75th percentile): 3.78-3.97
LSAT score (25th-75th percentile): 171-176
Acceptance rate: 13%
Student/faculty ratio: 12.4
Grads employed at graduation: 92%
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 94.8% in NY
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 76%
4. Columbia University
Columbia Law School ranks No. 4 on the list with an overall score of 94. Important 2011 stats:Peer assessment: 4.7 out of 5
Assessment score by lawyers and judges: 4.6
Undergrad GPA (25th-75th percentile): 3.6-3.82
LSAT score (25th-75th percentile): 170-175
Acceptance rate: 16%
Student/faculty ratio: 9.2
Grads employed at graduation: 96.3%
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 97.5% in NY
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 76%
5. University of Chicago
The University of Chicago Law School is at No. 5 with an overall score of 93. Important 2011 stats:Peer assessment: 4.7 out of 5
Assessment score by lawyers and judges: 4.6
Undergrad GPA (25th-75th percentile): 3.71-3.94
LSAT score (25th-75th percentile): 167-173
Acceptance rate: 17%
Student/faculty ratio: 8.0
Grads employed at graduation: 94.4%
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 96.3% in IL
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 89%
6. New York University
At No. 6 is NYU Law in New York, NY with an overall score of 92. Important 2011 stats:Peer assessment: 4.6 out of 5
Assessment score by lawyers and judges: 4.5
Undergrad GPA (25th-75th percentile): 3.57-3.85
LSAT score (25th-75th percentile): 170-174
Acceptance rate: 24%
Student/faculty ratio: 9.0
Grads employed at graduation: 95.6%
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 96.3% in NY
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 76%
7. University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley Law at the University of California at Berkeley ties for No. 7 with the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Virginia with an overall score of 87. Important 2011 stats:Peer assessment: 4.5 out of 5
Assessment score by lawyers and judges: 4.4
Undergrad GPA (25th-75th percentile): 3.62-3.88
LSAT score (25th-75th percentile): 164-169
Acceptance rate: 13%
Student/faculty ratio: 10.9
Grads employed at graduation: 92.6%
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 92% in CA
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 65%
8. University of Pennsylvania
Also tied for No. 7 is the University of Pennsylvania Law School in Philadelphia, known as Penn Law, with an overall score of 87. Important 2011 stats:Peer assessment: 4.3 out of 5
Assessment score by lawyers and judges: 4.5
Undergrad GPA (25th-75th percentile): 3.58-3.93
LSAT score (25th-75th percentile): 166-171
Acceptance rate: 17%
Student/faculty ratio: 10.4
Grads employed at graduation: 94.2%
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 97.1% in NY
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 76%
9. University of Virginia
The University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville, Virginia is the third school tied for No. 7 with an overall score of 87. Important 2011 stats:Peer assessment: 4.4 out of 5
Assessment score by lawyers and judges: 4.6
Undergrad GPA (25th-75th percentile): 3.49-3.94
LSAT score (25th-75th percentile): 165-171
Acceptance rate: 9%
Student/faculty ratio: 11.1
Grads employed at graduation: 98.1%
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 91.1% in VA
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 77%
10. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
The No. 10 spot goes to the University of Michigan Law School at Ann Arbor with an overall score of 86. Important 2011 stats:Peer assessment: 4.5 out of 5
Assessment score by lawyers and judges: 4.6
Undergrad GPA (25th-75th percentile): 3.59-3.87
LSAT score (25th-75th percentile): 167-170
Acceptance rate: 21%
Student/faculty ratio: 12.8
Grads employed at graduation: 90.4%
School's bar passage rate in jurisdiction: 94.9% in NY
Jurisdiction's overall bar passage rate: 76%
