Photo courtesy of Baylor University.
Summary: What law schools have the most competitive students?
In your lifetime, you’ve probably encountered a few gunners. Those always smiling Tracy Flick-types who raise their hands constantly and do extra homework just for the fun of it. While we need those people to get things done (and maybe you’re actually one of them), seeing those super ambitious, cutthroat students every day can make the most normal person feel like they’re playing a game of Survivor.
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So where do these competitive students go to law school? The Princeton Review compiled a list of the top ten schools with the most competitive students, and to no one’s surprise, the heavy hitters like Harvard, Yale, and Columbia were nowhere to be found. Maybe those students don’t have to backstab each other because they know they’ll all end up at BigLaw jobs or clerking for the Supreme Court.
Out of the ten law schools with the most competitive students, none of them made the top 25 ranking from this year’s U.S. News and World Report’s Best Law Schools list. Knowing that high-paying legal jobs are scarce and that grades matter to law firms, it makes sense that students at the schools below allegedly fight to the finish to outshine their peers.
1. Baylor University School of Law
2. Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law
3. Case Western Reserve University School of Law
4. Faulkner University Thomas Goode Jones School of Law
5. Southern University Law Center
6. Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School
7. Widener University (PA) School of Law
8. Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
10. Oklahoma City University School of Law
Baylor University in Waco, Texas topped the list. According to the Princeton Review, they have 396 students enrolled, and PR also lists them as one of the most conservative law schools in the nation.
Nova Southeastern University and Case Western Reserve were the next on the list, respectively. Nova Southeastern, which is located in Florida, recently was in the news for its graduates’ poor passage exam rate of 63% on the July Bar Exam. Case Western, which is located in Ohio, has 398 enrolled students, and 75% of graduates reportedly leave with about $100,000 in student loan debt. With that amount to pay back, it makes sense that they will do what they have to do to get work after graduation.
Faulkner University in Alabama was the fourth law school with the most competitive students. Additionally, Princeton Review stated that it was one of the best environments for minority students, and LawCrossing reports that it is the only ABA-accredited school in Alabama to have a part-time program.
Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was next on the list, and Princeton Review said it was one of the best schools for minority students and one of the most popular choices for older students. They currently have 644 enrolled students.
BYU, Widener University, Campbell University, UC-Hastings, and Oklahoma City University rounded out the list. Hastings recently made another top 10 list–the law school with the most outgoing transfer students. Maybe those transfers couldn’t handle always having to watch their backs.
Source: The Princeton Review
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Do you think competitive environments are good or bad for students? Let us know in the comments below.