See the Top 20 Law Schools
Earning a J.D. from a quality school is the first step toward a promising legal career.
Find out which law schools earned a top 20 spot in the 2018 U.S. News Best Law Schools rankings.
20 (tie). University of Iowa
Full-time enrollment: 420
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $24,930 (in-state); $43,214 (out-of-state)
2016 acceptance rate: 45.7 percent
More about Iowa Law.
20 (tie). University of Notre Dame (IN)
Full-time enrollment: 599
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $54,297
2016 acceptance rate: 30.3 percent
More about the University of Notre Dame.
19. University of Southern California (Gould)
Full-time enrollment: 649
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $60,339
2016 acceptance rate: 30 percent
More about USC Gould School of Law.
18. Washington University in St. Louis
Full-time enrollment: 701
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $53,506
2016 acceptance rate: 31.9 percent
More about Washington University in St. Louis School of Law.
17. Vanderbilt University (TN)
Full-time enrollment: 572
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $53,150
2016 acceptance rate: 32.3 percent
More about Vanderbilt Law School.
15 (tie). Georgetown University (DC)
Full-time enrollment: 1,721
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $57,576
2016 acceptance rate: 26.4 percent
More about Georgetown Law.
15 (tie). University of California–Los Angeles
Full-time enrollment: 979
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $45,338 (in-state); $51,832 (out-of-state)
2016 acceptance rate: 28 percent
More about UCLA School of Law.
14. University of Texas–Austin
Full-time enrollment: 898
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $33,995 (in-state); $50,480 (out-of-state)
2016 acceptance rate: 27.1 percent
More about UT Law.
13. Cornell University (NY)
Full-time enrollment: 605
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $61,485
2016 acceptance rate: 24.1 percent
More about Cornell Law School.
12. University of California–Berkeley
Full-time enrollment: 925
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $48,703 (in-state); $52,654 (out-of-state)
2016 acceptance rate: 23 percent
More about Berkeley Law.
10 (tie). Duke University (NC)
Full-time enrollment: 676
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $59,912
2016 acceptance rate: 20.2 percent
More about Duke Law School.
10 (tie). Northwestern University (Pritzker) (IL)
Full-time enrollment: 661
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $59,850
2016 acceptance rate: 17.8 percent
More about Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
8 (tie). University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
Full-time enrollment: 929
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $55,012 (in-state); $58,012 (out-of-state)
2016 acceptance rate: 23.7 percent
More about Michigan Law School.
8 (tie). University of Virginia
Full-time enrollment: 893
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $56,300 (in-state); $59,300 (out-of-state)
2016 acceptance rate: 19.9 percent
More about UVA School of Law.
7. University of Pennsylvania
Full-time enrollment: 749
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $60,988
2016 acceptance rate: 17 percent
More about Penn Law.
6. New York University
Full-time enrollment: 1,369
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $61,622
2016 acceptance rate: 29.8 percent
More about NYU School of Law.
5. Columbia University (NY)
Full-time enrollment: 1,234
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $65,260
2016 acceptance rate: 20.3 percent
More about Columbia Law School.
4. University of Chicago
Full-time enrollment: 603
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $59,541
2016 acceptance rate: 20.7 percent
More about the University of Chicago Law School.
3. Harvard University (MA)
Full-time enrollment: 1,771
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $60,638
2016 acceptance rate: 16.6 percent
More about Harvard Law School.
2. Stanford University (CA)
Full-time enrollment: 579
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $58,236
2016 acceptance rate: 10.7 percent
More about Stanford Law School.
1. Yale University (CT)
Full-time enrollment: 632
2016-2017 tuition and fees: $59,865
2016 acceptance rate: 9.5 percent
More about Yale Law School.
Explore the Best Graduate Schools Rankings
Check out more of the Best Graduate Schools rankings and get advice on applying to and paying for law school.
Connect with U.S. News Education on Facebook and Twitter to share your thoughts.
More from U.S. News
See the 2018 Best Graduate Schools
Applying to Specialized Law School Programs
Comparing LSAT Preparation Methods: What the Data Say
Discover the 2018 Best Law Schools originally appeared on usnews.com
