Pepperdine’s Place In The 2021 U.S. News Law School Rankings

By now many of you have seen the news that Pepperdine Caruso Law has risen to #47 in the 2021 U.S. News Law School Rankings. This is the highest ranking in the 50-year history of our law school. 

Our 25-point improvement in three years is the second largest increase of any law school among the Top 100 law schools as ranked by U.S. News (behind only Texas A&M (formerly Texas Wesleyan) from #92 to #60).

We do not chase rankings at Pepperdine Caruso Law. Every decision we make is guided by a single question: what is in the best interest of our students? Often those decisions produce a rankings benefit as well, and we gladly reap those results. I am pleased that our rankings rise is driven by the increasing quality of our students, the improved outcomes achieved by our graduates, the additional resources we have been able to deploy to improve our students’ educational experience, and our growing reputation among legal academics, lawyers, and judges.

Pepperdine Caruso Law also was recognized by U.S. News with Top 50 rankings in six specialty programs (another all-time high) based on our reputation among faculty in those fields:  #3 in dispute resolution, #37 in tax law, #39 in clinical training, #44 in constitutional law, #46 in international law, and #50 in trial advocacy.

We are proud of our past, excited by all we have accomplished thus far, and exhilarated at what we will be able to achieve in the future with the additional resources provided by Rick J. Caruso's $50 million naming gift.

• Pepperdine’s Place In The 2020 U.S. News Law School Rankings
• Pepperdine’s Place In The 2019 U.S. News Law School Rankings
• More On Pepperdine's Place In The 2019 U.S. News Law School Rankings