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Monday, March 3, 2025

Preview Of The 2025-26 U.S. News Law School Rankings: Student Outcomes

Update: 

Following up on my previous posts: 

In the current 2024-25 methodology, student outcomes count 58% in the overall ranking:

Below are two student outcome rankings. The first is a simple ranking using the above weights. The second uses Z-scores with the above weights to better approximate the U.S. News methodology.

Rank School First-Time Bar Passage Rank Ultimate Bar Passage Rank Employment Rank Weighted
Ranks
1 Virginia 4 9 2 3.47
2 Penn 9 14 3 6.19
3 Duke 10 5 5 6.55
4 Chicago 6 1 10 7.67
5 Michigan 2 19 12 9.74
6 Texas A&M 25 15 1 10.14
7 NYU 11 7 13 11.66
8 Yale 5 12 16 12.10
9 Wake Forest 18 32 6 12.86
10 Northwestern 20 21 8 13.29
11 North Carolina 8 53 9 14.00
12 Washington Univ. 24 41 4 14.67
13 UCLA 14 26 15 16.02
14 Columbia 17 39 11 16.24
15 Harvard 1 6 28 16.97
16 Vanderbilt 7 24 22 17.59
17 Stanford 3 4 31 19.05
18 Minnesota 35 13 17 22.10
19 Georgia 29 10 23 23.29
20 Texas 22 16 26 23.55
21 Wisconsin 13 3 34 23.74
22 Boston College 15 29 30 25.22
23 Notre Dame 19 49 24 25.47
24 Boston Univ. 38 17 21 25.79
25 UC-Berkeley 20 8 37 28.22
26 SMU 59 58 6 28.72
27 Alabama 28 33 29 29.17
28 Georgetown 33 40 25 29.29
29 George Mason 51 30 18 29.69
30 Baylor 23 28 35 30.43
31 Cornell 27 48 33 32.95
32 Utah 36 18 36 33.83
33 Washington & Lee 48 66 20 34.24
34 Florida State 58 71 19 37.38
35 Iowa 63 90 14 38.38
36 Ohio State 30 34 46 39.59
37 USC 45 20 43 40.84
38 Kansas 42 22 49 43.57
39 Fordham 52 25 44 44.19
40 Penn State-Univ. Park 46 55 42 44.81
41 William & Mary 12 27 68 45.67
42 BYU 26 2 66 45.86
43 George Washington 62 43 38 46.05
44 UC-Irvine 41 59 48 47.16
45 St. John's 67 35 39 47.21
46 Florida 68 72 31 47.43
47 Oklahoma 34 44 58 48.86
48 Penn State-Dickinson 66 52 40 49.52
49 Villanova 43 65 53 51.34
50 Kentucky 88 95 27 54.14

Rank School First-Time Bar Passage Rank Ultimate Bar Passage Rank Employment Rank Weighted
Ranks
51 Emory 49 64 56 54.79
52 Nebraska 77 46 50 57.90
53 Missouri-Columbia 50 69 60 57.98
54 Temple 56 84 54 58.24
55 Arizona State 44 74 67 60.71
56 UC-Davis 64 96 52 61.03
57 Colorado 71 62 57 61.95
58 Pepperdine 69 105 50 62.53
59 Regent 39 42 82 63.83
60 Connecticut 57 87 64 64.60
61 Wayne State 99 75 45 65.38
62 San Diego 91 91 47 65.97
63 Louisiana State 32 51 90 67.29
64 Texas Tech 55 50 78 67.48
65 Indiana (Maurer) 73 37 71 67.52
66 Illinois 76 68 65 68.78
67 Univ. of Washington 31 22 100 69.17
68 Belmont 16 61 102 70.36
69 Drexel 112 103 41 70.52
70 Tennessee 40 81 85 70.55
71 Drake 54 99 75 71.38
72 Cincinnati 70 76 72 71.86
73 Montana 72 31 81 72.17
74 Catholic 84 110 58 72.34
75 South Carolina 96 101 55 73.28
76 Marquette 119 11 63 74.10
77 Northeastern 53 63 91 75.83
78 Cardozo 83 77 76 78.29
79 Duquesne 65 105 80 78.36
80 Chapman 95 137 61 80.72
81 Florida Int'l 37 47 112 80.88
82 Samford 98 57 77 81.10
83 Pittsburgh 75 70 87 81.22
84 Loyola-L.A. 79 38 94 82.59
85 Maine 61 138 84 83.38
86 UNLV 97 150 62 83.48
87 Dayton 81 139 74 84.02
88 St. Thomas (MN) 93 123 73 85.24
89 Houston 60 116 96 87.24
90 St. Louis 106 45 89 88.97
91 Seton Hall 47 126 106 90.10
92 Missouri-Kansas City 115 85 79 90.90
93 Georgia State 100 92 86 91.07
93 Stetson 113 134 70 91.07
95 University of Arizona 109 163 69 92.76
96 Tulane 107 127 83 95.76
97 Loyola-Chicago 78 142 103 99.95
98 Mercer 111 98 95 100.33
99 SUNY-Buffalo 116 125 88 101.16
100 Albany 122 100 92 102.28
101 Richmond 105 59 111 102.86
102 Denver 87 113 110 103.22
103 Maryland 101 104 107 104.78
104 Oregon 94 56 126 107.62
105 Washburn 90 120 117 108.98
106 Wyoming 123 97 104 109.05
107 Campbell 86 54 135 110.02
108 Chicago-Kent 82 118 125 110.81
109 Lewis & Clark 103 83 121 110.83
110 Tulsa 120 141 101 111.72
111 New Mexico 89 67 136 113.09
112 New Hampshire 80 73 143 115.00
113 Brooklyn 117 114 116 116.07
114 New York Law School 148 129 99 117.83
115 Arkansas-Fayetteville 74 79 150 117.84
116 UC-San Francisco 125 82 122 118.10
117 Detroit Mercy 130 131 109 118.17
118 West Virginia 155 123 98 118.71
119 Hofstra 146 157 96 118.88
120 South Dakota 152 159 93 119.28
121 Indiana (McKinney) 114 135 119 119.38
122 Liberty 85 36 158 120.62
123 South Texas 102 121 131 120.79
124 Northern Kentucky 110 112 129 121.05
125 Miami 108 130 127 121.47
126 American 128 102 123 122.02
127 Cleveland State 137 117 115 122.07
128 Case Western 92 153 133 122.69
129 Rutgers 144 161 105 123.86
130 Akron 131 158 113 124.02
131 Mississippi 145 152 107 124.22
132 Suffolk 121 136 124 124.52
133 Michigan State 104 148 132 125.24
134 Loyola-New Orleans 142 107 128 129.81
135 Seattle 127 86 144 131.72
136 Arkansas-Little Rock 126 115 141 133.21
136 Howard 151 178 114 133.21
138 Hawaii 129 144 134 133.66
139 Northern Illinois 179 93 120 135.05
140 Ave Maria 139 160 130 136.41
141 Gonzaga 149 78 142 136.45
142 Louisville 134 80 152 137.72
143 Pace 173 146 118 138.45
144 Syracuse 141 109 145 139.41
145 Idaho 140 154 139 141.12
146 St. Mary's 133 122 151 141.91
147 Toledo 150 151 140 144.43
148 DePaul 135 167 148 146.26
149 Mississippi College 138 179 147 148.07
150 Memphis 132 133 161 148.62
151 Creighton 154 111 155 149.38
152 Willamette 170 108 149 150.57
153 Quinnipiac 153 149 153 152.52
154 Capital 118 94 184 152.66
155 Baltimore 163 162 146 153.21
156 Massachusetts 182 169 137 154.83
157 Southwestern 166 89 163 155.00
158 New England 136 132 171 155.43
159 Elon 183 174 138 156.31
160 Oklahoma City 175 147 154 159.67
161 Western New England 147 180 165 161.22
162 North Dakota 167 88 174 161.45
163 Faulkner 157 119 173 161.52
164 St. Thomas (FL) 161 181 159 162.28
165 Santa Clara 158 140 179 167.78
166 Lincoln Memorial 169 168 168 168.31
167 Vermont 176 188 160 168.34
168 Mitchell | Hamline 143 175 181 168.48
169 Charleston 160 184 170 168.59
170 Roger Williams 189 173 157 168.86
171 Touro 188 182 156 169.07
172 Pacific 164 145 178 169.67
173 North Texas 165 155 176 170.05
174 Appalachian 181 183 162 170.43
175 Southern Illinois 178 190 163 170.91
176 Puerto Rico 124 189 193 171.10
177 Ohio Northern 171 170 172 171.45
178 San Francisco 159 156 183 172.29
179 CUNY 172 143 180 173.05
180 Illinois-Chicago 185 171 167 173.07
181 Widener (PA) 191 164 166 173.52
182 Widener (DE) 177 165 175 174.41
183 Nova 156 177 185 175.03
184 Western State 187 191 169 177.24
185 John Marshall (GA) 162 172 190 179.14
186 Cal-Western 190 166 177 179.71
187 North Carolina Central 193 128 189 182.88
188 Texas Southern 186 187 186 186.12
189 Southern 180 176 192 186.34
190 Pontifical Catholic (PR) 168 193 195 186.38
191 Barry 184 186 188 186.52
192 District of Columbia 195 192 182 187.24
193 Inter-American (PR) 174 194 194 187.79
194 Florida A&M 192 185 187 188.31
195 Cooley 194 195 191 192.41

Z-score ranking:

Rank School First-Time Bar Z-Score Rank Ultimate Bar Z-Score Rank Employment Z-Score Rank Total Weighted Z-Scores
1 Virginia 4 9 2 1.35
2 Penn 9 14 3 1.30
3 Chicago 6 1 10 1.28
4 Duke 10 5 5 1.27
5 Michigan 2 19 12 1.26
6 Texas A&M 25 15 1 1.26
7 Yale 5 12 16 1.23
8 NYU 11 7 13 1.21
9 North Carolina 8 53 9 1.21
10 Northwestern 20 21 8 1.19
11 Harvard 1 6 28 1.18
12 Washington Univ. 24 41 4 1.18
13 Wake Forest 18 32 6 1.18
14 Stanford 3 4 31 1.16
15 Vanderbilt 7 24 22 1.14
16 UCLA 14 26 15 1.14
17 Columbia 17 39 11 1.13
18 Wisconsin 13 3 34 1.08
19 Texas 22 16 26 1.07
20 Boston College 15 29 30 1.06
21 Minnesota 35 13 17 1.05
22 Georgia 29 10 23 1.04
23 Notre Dame 19 49 24 1.03
24 Boston Univ. 38 17 21 1.01
25 UC-Berkeley 20 8 37 1.01
26 Baylor 23 28 35 0.99
27 Alabama 28 33 29 0.98
28 Georgetown 33 40 25 0.97
29 SMU 59 58 6 0.96
30 Cornell 27 48 33 0.96
31 George Mason 51 30 18 0.96
32 Utah 36 18 36 0.92
33 Washington & Lee 48 66 20 0.91
34 Florida State 58 71 19 0.86
35 William & Mary 12 27 68 0.86
36 Iowa 63 90 14 0.85
37 Ohio State 30 34 46 0.85
38 BYU 26 2 66 0.84
39 USC 45 20 43 0.81
40 Kansas 42 22 49 0.80
41 Fordham 52 25 44 0.78
42 Oklahoma 34 44 58 0.77
43 Penn State-Univ. Park 46 55 42 0.77
44 UC-Irvine 41 59 48 0.76
45 Florida 68 72 31 0.75
46 George Washington 62 43 38 0.73
47 Villanova 43 65 53 0.72
48 St. John's 67 35 39 0.71
49 Penn State-Dickinson 66 52 40 0.70
50 Emory 49 64 56 0.69
51 Missouri-Columbia 50 69 60 0.67
52 Kentucky 88 95 27 0.64
53 Arizona State 44 74 67 0.64
54 Regent 39 42 82 0.63
55 Temple 56 84 54 0.63
56 Belmont 16 61 102 0.62
57 Louisiana State 32 51 90 0.61
58 University of Washington 31 22 100 0.60
59 Nebraska 77 46 50 0.60
60 Colorado 71 62 57 0.60
61 UC-Davis 64 96 52 0.59
62 Connecticut 57 87 64 0.59
63 Texas Tech 55 50 78 0.56
64 Pepperdine 69 105 50 0.56
65 Tennessee 40 81 85 0.54
66 Indiana (Maurer) 73 37 71 0.54
67 Wayne State 99 75 45 0.52
68 Drake 54 99 75 0.52
69 Northeastern 53 63 91 0.51
70 Illinois 76 68 65 0.51
71 Montana 72 31 81 0.51
72 San Diego 91 91 47 0.51
73 Cincinnati 70 76 72 0.50
74 Florida Int'l 37 47 112 0.46
75 Catholic 84 110 58 0.45
76 South Carolina 96 101 55 0.44
77 Duquesne 65 105 80 0.44
78 Marquette 119 11 63 0.42
79 Cardozo 83 77 76 0.42
80 Drexel 112 103 41 0.41
81 Samford 98 57 77 0.40
82 Loyola-L.A. 79 38 94 0.40
83 Pittsburgh 75 70 87 0.39
84 Maine 61 138 84 0.38
85 Chapman 95 137 61 0.37
86 Houston 60 116 96 0.36
87 UNLV 97 150 62 0.34
88 Seton Hall 47 126 106 0.34
89 St. Thomas (MN) 93 123 73 0.33
90 Dayton 81 139 74 0.33
91 St. Louis 106 45 89 0.31
92 Georgia State 100 92 86 0.29
93 Missouri-Kansas City 115 85 79 0.25
94 Stetson 113 134 70 0.23
95 Tulane 107 127 83 0.22
96 Richmond 105 59 111 0.19
97 University of Arizona 109 163 69 0.19
98 Loyola-Chicago 78 142 103 0.18
99 Mercer 111 98 95 0.18
100 Denver 87 113 110 0.17
101 Maryland 101 104 107 0.15
102 SUNY-Buffalo 116 125 88 0.13
103 Albany 122 100 92 0.11
104 Oregon 94 56 126 0.10
105 Washburn 90 120 117 0.09
106 Lewis & Clark 103 83 121 0.08
107 Chicago-Kent 82 118 125 0.07
108 Wyoming 123 97 104 0.05
109 Tulsa 120 141 101 0.02
110 Brooklyn 117 114 116 -0.03
111 Campbell 86 54 135 -0.04
112 UC-San Francisco 125 82 122 -0.05
113 Detroit Mercy 130 131 109 -0.06
114 Indiana (McKinney) 114 135 119 -0.06
115 New York Law School 148 129 99 -0.09
116 New Mexico 89 67 136 -0.09
117 Miami 108 130 127 -0.09
118 New Hampshire 80 73 143 -0.10
119 Hofstra 146 157 96 -0.10
120 American 128 102 123 -0.10
121 South Texas 102 121 131 -0.11
122 Cleveland State 137 117 115 -0.12
123 West Virginia 155 123 98 -0.12
124 South Dakota 152 159 93 -0.13
125 Suffolk 121 136 124 -0.14
126 Northern Kentucky 110 112 129 -0.15
127 Akron 131 158 113 -0.15
128 Mississippi 145 152 107 -0.15
129 Rutgers 144 161 105 -0.16
130 Case Western 92 153 133 -0.20
131 Arkansas-Fayetteville 74 79 150 -0.20
132 Michigan State 104 148 132 -0.21
133 Loyola-New Orleans 142 107 128 -0.22
134 Liberty 85 36 158 -0.30
135 Seattle 127 86 144 -0.34
136 Howard 151 178 114 -0.36
137 Hawaii 129 144 134 -0.37
138 Arkansas-Little Rock 126 115 141 -0.37
139 Ave Maria 139 160 130 -0.37
140 Gonzaga 149 78 142 -0.43
141 Pace 173 146 118 -0.44
142 Northern Illinois 179 93 120 -0.44
143 Syracuse 141 109 145 -0.46
144 Idaho 140 154 139 -0.48
145 Louisville 134 80 152 -0.49
146 St. Mary's 133 122 151 -0.53
147 Toledo 150 151 140 -0.54
148 DePaul 135 167 148 -0.60
149 Mississippi College 138 179 147 -0.66
150 Memphis 132 133 161 -0.68
151 Creighton 154 111 155 -0.68
152 Quinnipiac 153 149 153 -0.70
153 Willamette 170 108 149 -0.72
154 Baltimore 163 162 146 -0.76
155 New England 136 132 171 -0.79
156 Southwestern 166 89 163 -0.83
157 Oklahoma City 175 147 154 -0.87
158 Massachusetts 182 169 137 -0.90
159 Elon 183 174 138 -0.92
160 Capital 118 94 184 -0.95
161 Western New England 147 180 165 -0.95
162 North Dakota 167 88 174 -0.97
163 Faulkner 157 119 173 -0.98
164 St. Thomas (FL) 161 181 159 -1.03
165 Lincoln Memorial 169 168 168 -1.08
166 North Texas 165 155 176 -1.12
167 Santa Clara 158 140 179 -1.13
168 Mitchell | Hamline 143 175 181 -1.14
169 Pacific 164 145 178 -1.14
170 Charleston 160 184 170 -1.15
171 Ohio Northern 171 170 172 -1.15
172 Vermont 176 188 160 -1.16
173 CUNY 172 143 180 -1.22
174 Widener (DE) 177 165 175 -1.22
175 Roger Williams 189 173 157 -1.23
176 Touro 188 182 156 -1.24
177 Southern Illinois 178 190 163 -1.24
178 Appalachian 181 183 162 -1.26
179 Illinois-Chicago 185 171 167 -1.27
180 San Francisco 159 156 183 -1.30
181 Widener (PA) 191 164 166 -1.33
182 Nova 156 177 185 -1.42
183 Western State 187 191 169 -1.48
184 Cal-Western 190 166 177 -1.51
185 John Marshall (GA) 162 172 190 -1.61
186 North Carolina Central 193 128 189 -1.80
187 Texas Southern 186 187 186 -1.81
188 Barry 184 186 188 -1.83
189 Florida A&M 192 185 187 -1.90
190 Puerto Rico 124 189 193 -2.13
191 District of Columbia 195 192 182 -2.21
192 Southern 180 176 192 -2.23
193 Cooley 194 195 191 -2.71
194 Inter-American (PR) 174 194 194 -2.95
195 Pontifical Catholic (PR) 168 193 195 -4.03

For the Z-scores used to calculate this ranking, see here.

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