Students from minority racial and ethnic backgrounds often choose these law schools.
At some law schools, a student who self-identifies as a racial or ethnic minority is likely to meet many classmates who are similar in that respect. This tends to be the case at historically Black J.D. programs, but there are other law schools with a significant minority population. For this report, minority students include both those who identify as Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Pacific Islander or Asian and those who report mixed heritage. Among the 189 law schools that provided minority enrollment statistics to U.S. News, the average percentage of minority students was 28.5% in fall 2020. These 46 schools had the highest proportion of enrolled students with racial or ethnic minority backgrounds.
DePaul University (IL)
Total number of enrolled students: 579
Percentage of minorities: 33.2%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 111 (tie)
Learn more about the DePaul University College of Law.
Florida State University
Total number of enrolled students: 612
Percentage of minorities: 33.2%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 48 (tie)
Learn more about the Florida State University College of Law.
Texas Tech University
Total number of enrolled students: 416
Percentage of minorities: 33.4%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 102 (tie)
Learn more about Texas Tech University School of Law.
University of Pennsylvania (Carey)
Total number of enrolled students: 767
Percentage of minorities: 33.4%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 6 (tie)
Learn more about the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
Harvard University (MA)
Total number of enrolled students: 1,715
Percentage of minorities: 33.6%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 3
Learn more about Harvard Law School.
Northeastern University (MA)
Total number of enrolled students: 600
Percentage of minorities: 33.7%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 67 (tie)
Learn more about the Northeastern University School of Law.
American University (Washington) (DC)
Total number of enrolled students: 1,138
Percentage of minorities: 34.7%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 81 (tie)
Learn more about the Washington College of Law.
Seattle University
Total number of enrolled students: 667
Percentage of minorities: 36%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 126 (tie)
Learn more about Seattle University School of Law.
University of California–Los Angeles
Total number of enrolled students: 1,002
Percentage of minorities: 36.1%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 14
Learn more about the UCLA School of Law.
Touro College (Fuchsberg) (NY)
Total number of enrolled students: 540
Percentage of minorities: 36.3%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center.
Oklahoma City University
Total number of enrolled students: 469
Percentage of minorities: 36.5%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about Oklahoma City University School of Law.
University of Houston
Total number of enrolled students: 685
Percentage of minorities: 37.1%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 60 (tie)
Learn more about University of Houston Law Center.
Florida Coastal School of Law
Total number of enrolled students: 194
Percentage of minorities: 37.1%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about the Florida Coastal School of Law.
Cornell University (NY)
Total number of enrolled students: 578
Percentage of minorities: 37.5%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 13
Learn more about Cornell Law School.
University of Baltimore
Total number of enrolled students: 702
Percentage of minorities: 37.9%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 129 (tie)
Learn more about the University of Baltimore School of Law.
University of Chicago
Total number of enrolled students: 622
Percentage of minorities: 39.2%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 4 (tie)
Learn more about the University of Chicago Law School.
University of the Pacific (McGeorge) (CA)
Total number of enrolled students: 547
Percentage of minorities: 39.5%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 141 (tie)
Learn more about the McGeorge School of Law.
University of Southern California (Gould)
Total number of enrolled students: 599
Percentage of minorities: 40.9%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 19
Learn more about the Gould School of Law.
Stanford University (CA)
Total number of enrolled students: 565
Percentage of minorities: 41.1%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 2
Learn more about Stanford Law School.
Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Total number of enrolled students: 926
Percentage of minorities: 41.5%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
University of California–Berkeley
Total number of enrolled students: 1,045
Percentage of minorities: 41.8%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 9
Learn more about the UC–Berkeley School of Law.
Loyola Marymount University (CA)
Total number of enrolled students: 1,021
Percentage of minorities: 43%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 72 (tie)
Learn more about Loyola Law School Los Angeles.
Chapman University (Fowler) (CA)
Total number of enrolled students: 464
Percentage of minorities: 43.8%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 134 (tie)
Learn more about the Fowler School of Law.
South Texas College of Law Houston
Total number of enrolled students: 999
Percentage of minorities: 44.3%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about South Texas College of Law Houston.
Yale University (CT)
Total number of enrolled students: 640
Percentage of minorities: 45.2%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 1
Learn more about Yale Law School.
California Western School of Law
Total number of enrolled students: 682
Percentage of minorities: 45.6%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about California Western School of Law.
Southwestern Law School (CA)
Total number of enrolled students: 879
Percentage of minorities: 46.3%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about Southwestern Law School.
University of New Mexico
Total number of enrolled students: 289
Percentage of minorities: 46.7%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 102 (tie)
Learn more about the University of New Mexico School of Law.
University of California–Irvine
Total number of enrolled students: 500
Percentage of minorities: 47%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 35 (tie)
Learn more about UC–Irvine School of Law.
University of California (Hastings)
Total number of enrolled students: 989
Percentage of minorities: 47.4%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 50 (tie)
Learn more about the Hastings College of Law.
University of California–Davis
Total number of enrolled students: 622
Percentage of minorities: 47.9%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 35 (tie)
Learn more about the UC–Davis School of Law.
University of Miami
Total number of enrolled students: 1,146
Percentage of minorities: 48%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 72 (tie)
Learn more about the University of Miami School of Law.
Nova Southeastern University (Broad) (FL)
Total number of enrolled students: 596
Percentage of minorities: 48.2%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about the Shepard Broad College of Law.
CUNY
Total number of enrolled students: 671
Percentage of minorities: 51.7%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 102 (tie)
Learn more about the CUNY School of Law.
Santa Clara University (CA)
Total number of enrolled students: 728
Percentage of minorities: 52.2%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 126 (tie)
Learn more about the Santa Clara University School of Law.
University of San Francisco
Total number of enrolled students: 367
Percentage of minorities: 54.8%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Western State College of Law at Westcliff University (CA)
Total number of enrolled students: 229
Percentage of minorities: 55.5%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about the Western State College of Law.
Golden Gate University (CA)
Total number of enrolled students: 484
Percentage of minorities: 57.4%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about the Golden Gate University School of Law.
St. Mary’s University (TX)
Total number of enrolled students: 736
Percentage of minorities: 57.6%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about St. Mary’s University School of Law.
Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School
Total number of enrolled students: 295
Percentage of minorities: 59.3%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School.
Florida International University
Total number of enrolled students: 509
Percentage of minorities: 64.8%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 88 (tie)
Learn more about the Florida International University College of Law.
University of Hawaii–Manoa (Richardson)
Total number of enrolled students: 339
Percentage of minorities: 72%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 98 (tie)
Learn more about the William S. Richardson School of Law.
University of the District of Columbia (Clarke)
Total number of enrolled students: 210
Percentage of minorities: 73.3%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about the David A. Clarke School of Law.
Florida A&M University
Total number of enrolled students: 472
Percentage of minorities: 73.5%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about the Florida A&M University College of Law.
St. Thomas University (FL)
Total number of enrolled students: 631
Percentage of minorities: 80.3%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 147-193
Learn more about the St. Thomas University College of Law.
Howard University (DC)
Total number of enrolled students: 457
Percentage of minorities: 95.2%
U.S. News Best Law Schools rank: 91 (tie)
Learn more about the Howard University School of Law.
Learn more about diversity in legal education.
Find out how to craft a compelling law school diversity statement, and discover the reasons that law schools value diversity. Learn about what it means to be an underrepresented minority law school applicant. Follow U.S. News Education on Facebook and Twitter.
These are the 46 law schools with the largest share of minority law students.
— Howard University: 95.2%
— St. Thomas University: 80.3%
— Florida A&M University: 73.5%
— University of the District of Columbia (Clarke): 73.3%
— University of Hawaii–Manoa (Richardson): 72%
— Florida International University: 64.8%
— Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School: 59.3%
— St. Mary’s University: 57.6%
— Golden Gate University: 57.4%
— Western State College of Law at Westcliff University: 55.5%
— University of San Francisco: 54.8%
— Santa Clara University: 52.2%
— CUNY: 51.7%
— Nova Southeastern University (Broad): 48.2%
— University of Miami: 48%
— University of California–Davis: 47.9%
— University of California (Hastings): 47.4%
— University of California–Irvine: 47%
— University of New Mexico: 46.7%
— Southwestern Law School: 46.3%
— California Western School of Law: 45.6%
— Yale University: 45.2%
— South Texas College of Law Houston: 44.3%
— Chapman University (Fowler): 43.8%
— Loyola Marymount University: 43%
— University of California–Berkeley: 41.8%
— Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School: 41.5%
— Stanford University: 41.1%
— University of Southern California (Gould): 40.9%
— University of the Pacific (McGeorge): 39.5%
— University of Chicago: 39.2%
— University of Baltimore: 37.9%
— Cornell University: 37.5%
— Florida Coastal School of Law: 37.1%
— University of Houston: 37.1%
— Oklahoma City University: 36.5%
— Touro College (Fuchsberg): 36.3%
— University of California–Los Angeles: 36.1%
— Seattle University: 36%
— American University (Washington): 34.7%
— Northeastern University: 33.7%
— Harvard University: 33.6%
— Texas Tech University: 33.4%
— University of Pennsylvania: 33.4%
— DePaul University: 33.2%
— Florida State University: 33.2%
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46 Racially and Ethnically Diverse Law Schools originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 09/01/21: This slideshow has been updated with new data.
