Pepperdine’s Place In The 2024 U.S. News Law School Rankings

By now most of you have seen the news that Pepperdine Caruso Law ranks #45 in the 2024 U.S. News Law School Rankings. This is the highest ranking in our 54-year history, topping the previous highest rankings in 2021-22 (#46) and 2020-21 (#47). I am pleased that we also received the highest ranking in our history in several components of the rankings, including academic peer reputation and student selectivity (median LSAT scores, median undergraduate GPAs).

We did not join the U.S. News boycott for many of the reasons Georgia Dean Bo Rutledge outlined in the Chronicle of Higher Education. We do not chase rankings at Pepperdine Caruso Law. Instead, we are laser-focused on our strategic priorities, including recruiting a student body each year with stronger academic credentials, a deeper commitment to our Christian mission, and a richer diversity of personal backgrounds, lived experiences, and viewpoints; and preparing them in a one of a kind close knit community to pass the bar exam and secure full-credit legal employment at higher rates. Those priorities produce a rankings benefit as well, and we gladly reap those results. The new methodology adopted by U.S. News in response to the boycott is still far from perfect, but is much better than prior methodologies.

Pepperdine Caruso Law also was recognized by U.S. News with Top 50 rankings in three specialty programs based on our reputation among faculty in those fields:  #2 in dispute resolution, #29 in tax law, and #34 in clinical training, as well as near Top 50 rankings in constitution law (#53), international law (#53), and business|corporate law (#54).

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 Caruso's $50 million naming gift.

• 2024 U.S. News Law School Peer Reputation Rankings (And Overall Rankings)
• The Law Schools Most Impacted By The Methodology Changes In The 2024 U.S. News Rankings
• Donald Tobin (Maryland; Google Scholar), A Preliminary Analysis Of The New U.S. News Law School Rankings
• Methodology Changes In The New 2024 U.S. News Law School Rankings
• 62 Law Schools Boycotted The U.S. News Law School Rankings
• A Law-School Rankings Formula After Ron DeSantis’s Own Heart

• Pepperdine’s Place In The 2023 U.S. News Law School Rankings
• Pepperdine’s Place In The 2022 U.S. News Law School Rankings
• Pepperdine's Place In The 2021 U.S. News Law School Rankings
• 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