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The Best Universities for Law in the USA (2024)

Written by Vincent Hedman

Why Study Law in the USA

There are many reasons why someone might want to study Law at a university in the USA. Here are just a few:

  • The US is renowned worldwide for its high educational standards. Many of its law schools are considered among the best globally.
  • American universities are renowned for their vibrant campus life, offering a wealth of extracurricular activities, student organisations, sports teams, and community engagement opportunities to enhance the overall educational experience.
  • Studying a Masters Degree in Law offers numerous networking opportunities both with experienced professionals as well as fellow students coming from diverse backgrounds and nationalities.
  • For foreign-trained attorneys wishing to practice law in some states of the US, getting a Masters Degree can meet eligibility requirements needed to take bar exams.

The Best Universities for Law in the USA

The following tables gives the 10 top universities in the USA for Law, according to global and local university rankings. It can show you which American universities are amongst the best in the world - and help you compare institutions on an international level.

This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education, QS and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Each ranking system uses its own methodology, with different factors having more or less influence on a university's result.

If you're wondering how these rankings affect your decision, our guide has more information on how to use international rankings as a postgraduate.


Top 10 Universities in the USA for Law (Times Higher Education)
University USA Rank Global Rank
Harvard University 1 1
Stanford University 2 2
Columbia University =3 =4
New York University =3 =4
University of California, Berkeley 5 6
University of Chicago 6 9
Yale University 7 10
Georgetown University 8 15
University of Pennsylvania 9 =21
Duke University 10 24
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education. Visit their website for more information.

What should I know about the Times Higher Education rankings?

The Times Higher Education rankings are strong in academic focus and diverse teaching metrics, but do not include employer-specific metrics. Additionally, the rankings may not include all specialist institutions.


Top 10 Universities in the USA for Law (QS)
University USA Rank Global Rank
Harvard University 1 1
Yale University 2 4
Stanford University 3 5
New York University 4 6
Columbia University 5 8
University of California, Berkeley 6 9
University of Chicago 7 11
University of California, Los Angeles 8 19
Georgetown University 9 23
University of Pennsylvania 10 29
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by QS World University Rankings. Visit their website for more information.

What should I know about the QS rankings?

The QS World University Rankings are designed to meet the needs of prospective students, with more weight given to student-centric metrics such as staff/student ratio, international recruitment and employer opinion. The rankings are balanced between qualitative and quantitative data, but give less weight to research than some other rankings.


Top 10 Universities in the USA for Law (ARWU)
University USA Rank Global Rank
Yale University 1 1
Harvard University 2 2
University of Pennsylvania 3 3
University of Chicago 4 4
New York University 5 5
Columbia University 6 6
Stanford University 7 7
University of California, Berkeley 8 8
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 9 9
Duke University 10 10
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Academic Ranking of World Universities. Visit their website for more information.

What should I know about the ARWU rankings?

The ARWU rankings reflect the presence of elite academics and the future academic success of graduates. However, they do not directly assess the quality of education at a university or take into account other aspects of university performance.


Last updated: 29 April 2024