If you are interested in becoming a lawyer, where you go to school matters. It matters not just because of the quality of education can differ greatly from one school to another, but also because of salary. While the average salary of a lawyer in a private practice in the United States is a little over $60,000 per year, those who graduate from one of the top 5 law schools in America average over $100,000 per year.
U.S. News & World Report recently analyzed more than 140 law schools all across the country, and they ranked them based on a number of factors such as undergraduate GPA, LSAT score, acceptance rate, student-to-faculty ratio, employment percentage and the percentage of those who passed the bar. Here are their top five:
1. Yale University (New Haven, CT):
Only 8% of those who apply to Yale Law School are accepted, and most of these students have had undergraduate GPAs of between 3.83 and 3.97 and an LSAT score between 170 and 175. Their student-to-faculty ratio is a little more than 4:1, and more than 83% of graduates are employed at the time of graduation. 99% of Yale graduates pass the bar exam.
2. Stanford University (Stanford, CA):
10% of those who apply to Stanford’s law school are accepted, and most students have had undergraduate GPAs in the range of 3.79 and 3.95 and an LSAT score of 168 to 173. Stanford’s student-to-faculty ratio is 4:1, and more than 91% of graduates are employed after they graduate. The same percentage pass the bar.
3. Harvard University (Cambridge, MA):
Harvard Law School accepts 16% of those who apply, and the majority of its students have had an undergraduate GPA in the range of 3.76 and 3.96 and an LSAT score of between 170 and 175. Their student-to-faculty ratio is more than 8:1, and more than 91% of students there have a job upon graduation. More than 95% of Harvard Law students pass the bar.
4. University of Chicago (Chicago, IL):
The law school at the University of Chicago accepts 21% of students who apply there, and most students attending the school have had an undergraduate GPA in the range of 3.73 to 3.95 and an LSAT score of 166 to 172. The school’s student-to-faculty ratio is a little under 5:1, and more than 93% of graduates have a job upon graduation. More than 97% of students attending the school pass the bar exam.
5. Columbia University (New York, NY):
Columbia accepts 20% of students that apply to their law school, and most students who attend there have had an undergraduate GPA of somewhere between 3.56 and 3.8 and an LSAT score between 169 and 173. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of a little more than 5:1, and around 93% of students have a job after graduation. More than 96% of students at the school pass the bar.
Jay Sekulow is the Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law & Justice.
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