Best law schools in the US - 2025 rankings

Discover the Times Higher Education rankings for the best law schools in the US in 2025.
This year's law school rankings highlight the top 70 universities in the United States, showcasing the best institutions for legal studies. The list is based on the trusted Times Higher Education Subject Rankings: Law 2025, which evaluates universities on teaching, research, and international outlook.
US law schools play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of legal professionals, with institutions like Stanford University and Harvard University leading the way.
The rankings use a rigorous methodology, developed by Times Higher Education’s data experts, ensuring credibility for students, academics, and industry leaders worldwide.

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March 24 2025

Best universities in the US for law degrees

Top law schools in the US 2025

US Law Rank 2025	Global Law Rank 2025	University	Overall	Teaching	Research Environment	Research Quality	Industry	International Outlook
1	1	Stanford University	85.8	99.1	94.5	65.4	99	60.2
2	2	Harvard University	84.8	95.8	97.5	65.6	77.3	60.3
3	3	New York University	84.5	94.4	99.7	59.9	76.2	70.6
4	5	Columbia University	83.6	93	96.3	61.2	69.9	76.4
5	6	University of California, Berkeley	82.8	95.7	93.1	63.2	86.6	55.7
6	8	The University of Chicago	81	98.8	89.1	65.3	47.5	49.1
7	9	Yale University	80.7	98.4	88.9	67.6	43.3	43.7
8	17	Georgetown University	76.7	93.4	78.5	58.4	100	51.6
9	18	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	75.6	85.4	82	65.3	82.5	44.9
10	23	Duke University	73.8	82.7	76.5	62	97.3	55.1
11	24	University of Pennsylvania	73	77.7	78	67.4	54.3	63.2
12	25	University of California, Los Angeles	72.4	81.2	75.4	65.8	52.4	58.5
13	34	Cornell University	68.4	73.8	70.5	62.1	67.7	59.4
14	43	University of Virginia (Main campus)	63.3	65.3	66.2	62.3	80.1	41.7
15	52	Northwestern University	58.6	60.1	58.3	58.3	57	56.1
16	=61	Vanderbilt University	55.6	60.9	49.7	59.9	56.8	43.4
17	=63	University of Notre Dame	55.3	64	52.9	54.5	36.4	42.7
=18	=66	University of California, Irvine	55.2	52.3	41.9	72.9	65	56.6
=18	=66	University of Texas at Austin	55.2	52.6	51.2	66.4	63.4	42.8
20	72	George Mason University	53.9	52.2	42.8	70.5	58.7	48.8
21	76	Northeastern University, US	53.3	56.5	31.7	78	49.8	46.3
22	77	University of Southern California	52.9	53.9	44.7	60.2	48	58.7
23	81	University of Florida	51.8	46.9	48.2	66.2	58.2	37.8
24	82	American University	51.7	65.2	37.3	56.2	49.9	39.2
25	=83	Boston University	51.4	47.7	46.3	62.7	42.9	54.3
26	92	University of Minnesota	50.9	53.2	42.1	59.5	60.2	43.7
=27	101–125	George Washington University	46.6–49.7	46.4	36.4	58.7	66	44.1
=27	101–125	Penn State (Main campus)	46.6–49.7	46.7	32.4	67	67.2	55.6
=27	101–125	University of California, Davis	46.6–49.7	47.5	35.3	60.2	67.7	49
=27	101–125	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	46.6–49.7	51.1	32	56.1	78.7	52.9
=27	101–125	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	46.6–49.7	46	38.4	66.4	32.7	33.1
=32	126–150	Indiana University	43.6–46.5	43.8	38.4	52.4	82.9	43.9
=32	126–150	Temple University	43.6–46.5	42.1	29	69.3	55.1	38.3
=32	126–150	University of Colorado Boulder	43.6–46.5	47.1	26.4	68.2	66.5	35.5
=32	126–150	University of Washington	43.6–46.5	30.4	33.9	68.1	66.7	68.6
=37	151–175	Emory University	41.4–43.5	36.1	33.6	59.2	17.7	53.7
=37	151–175	Florida State University	41.4–43.5	39.2	22.8	72.1	22.4	37.8
=37	151–175	Michigan State University	41.4–43.5	31.4	25.3	72	65.4	37.9
=37	151–175	University of Connecticut	41.4–43.5	44.2	21.9	60.4	48.9	51.6
=37	151–175	University of Wisconsin-Madison	41.4–43.5	35.3	30.9	67.6	54.1	42.5
=42	176–200	Florida International University	39.8–41.3	31.5	20.2	71	64.5	37.8
=42	176–200	Ohio State University (Main campus)	39.8–41.3	34.3	21.9	66.5	66.3	36.6
=42	176–200	Texas A&M University	39.8–41.3	35.9	21.4	66.6	32.8	47.4
=42	176–200	University of Arkansas	39.8–41.3	36.8	26.7	69	18.9	27.4
=42	176–200	University of Miami	39.8–41.3	35	11.2	77.4	17.7	56.5
=42	176–200	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	39.8–41.3	37.5	33.1	55.6	31.7	29.9
=42	176–200	University of South Carolina-Columbia	39.8–41.3	33.5	17.6	74	60.3	36.8
=42	176–200	University of Utah	39.8–41.3	33.6	22.9	70.7	50	28.4
=50	201–250	Boston College	36.7–39.7	42.5	16.9	59.9	17.7	43.3
=50	201–250	Drexel University	36.7–39.7	28.4	21.6	70.5	27.1	44.9
=50	201–250	Georgia State University	36.7–39.7	31.9	18.2	68.1	41.9	34.4
=50	201–250	Saint Louis University	36.7–39.7	37.7	24	56.3	37.7	36.9
=50	201–250	University of Georgia (USA)	36.7–39.7	31.8	24.5	62.4	17.7	34.6
=50	201–250	University of Illinois Chicago	36.7–39.7	30.3	15.6	73.5	47.6	37.3
=50	201–250	University of Iowa	36.7–39.7	30.4	25.4	55.2	62.9	35.2
=50	201–250	University of Kansas	36.7–39.7	34.7	21.8	63.7	50	31.2
=50	201–250	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh campus	36.7–39.7	37.5	23.4	57.9	67.8	38.3
=50	201–250	Washington University in St Louis	36.7–39.7	33.1	24.5	60.4	17.7	58
=50	201–250	Wayne State University	36.7–39.7	32.1	18.8	64.7	18	43.4
=61	251–300	Louisiana State University	32.8–36.6	31.5	21	53.3	68.1	38.7
=61	251–300	University of Alabama	32.8–36.6	27.2	17.2	67.5	17.7	29
=61	251–300	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	32.8–36.6	24.5	20.4	72.8	31.1	34.9
=61	251–300	University at Buffalo	32.8–36.6	35.1	20.7	57.2	19.4	38.8
=61	251–300	University of Arizona	32.8–36.6	25.3	19.1	61.2	55.3	45.3
=61	251–300	University of Denver	32.8–36.6	34.9	15.6	53.3	26.1	38.2
=61	251–300	University of Kentucky	32.8–36.6	29.7	18.9	61.9	55.3	27.6
=61	251–300	University of Nevada, Las Vegas	32.8–36.6	27.1	27.8	56.6	17.7	28.1
=61	251–300	William & Mary	32.8–36.6	37.7	19.8	49.8	20.3	45.4
70	301+	University of Houston	17.0–32.7	31.8	12.9	50.5	55.2	40.2

Key Insights into the Best Law Schools in the US

· Stanford University takes the first place position in 2025, surpassing Harvard University, which now ranks second.

· New York University has moved up to third place, with Columbia University behind in fourth.

· University of California, Berkeley climbed into the top five, demonstrating strength in teaching and research.

· The University of Chicago and Yale University maintain strong positions in sixth and seventh positions in the rankings, respectively.

· University of Michigan-Ann Arbor entered the top 10, displacing previous institutions.

· Georgetown University moved down two positions, but remains in the top 10 law schools in the US.

Choosing the Right University in the US for Law

Selecting the best law school is a crucial step in shaping your legal career. The Times Higher Education rankings help students make informed decisions by evaluating universities across five key areas:

Research Environment – Measures faculty expertise and research impact.
Teaching Quality – Assesses student experience and academic instruction.
Research Quality – Examines research output and citations in legal studies.
Industry Collaboration – Highlights partnerships with law firms and businesses.
International Outlook – Considers diversity in faculty and students.

The table for the best law schools in the US was derived from data collected from the THE Subject Rankings: Law. For more insights and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page.