Incoming Class Of 2026 Relied Less On The U.S. News Rankings In Choosing A Law School

ABA Journal, Doing Their Homework: These Incoming Law Students Relied Less on School Rankings and More on Other Factors—Including Comfort Level:

For many [law school applicants], the U.S. News & World Report annual law school rankings played a significant role in their decisions—despite longtime criticism from many in legal academia who advise applicants not to rely on the rankings.

Established in 1987, the rankings have historically been able to make or break a law school’s reputation and driven the hiring decisions of elite firms, many of which would hire new lawyers only from top-ranked schools.

But in 2023, rankings critics finally may have gotten their wish: Law school applicants relied less on the list because it was not published until May, and many by then already had taken acceptance offers, which usually arrive between December and April.

A rankings boycott by some law schools, methodology changes and then quibbles about those changes—including some complaints from schools that boycotted the rankings—led to the publishing delay.

Without fresh rankings, three soon-to-be 1Ls interviewed by the ABA Journal engaged in a vibe check of sorts when picking a campus. They still considered the rankings, but just as important to them was whether they clicked with others at admitted-students events and how alums engaged on social media. Famous graduates figured in as well.

Additionally, in place of the rankings, these individuals told the ABA Journal they relied on ABA data, such as employment outcomes as well as online resources like Law School Transparency, an offering of the Law School Admission Council’s LawHub that includes information about tuition, average student debt and conditional scholarships by school. A fair amount of the LSAC data comes from the ABA and is presented in an easy-to-read format.