Law Students

Ranking of Law School Plays Major Role in Deciding Factor for Pre-Law Students

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By Jim Vassallo

Posted on July 30, 2014

A new survey from Kaplan of more than 600 pre-law students has found that a law school’s ranking continues to play a major role in their decision as to where they will enroll. In most cases, this ranking

plays more of a role than financial aid and the ability to pay for tuition, according to a release from Kaplan.

Kaplan discovered the following in the survey:

Some aid at a mid-tier school: 46 percent of respondents said they would rather be accepted at a mid-tier law school where they would be issued half of their scholarship.

Zero aid at a top-tier law school: 39 percent of respondents said that they would like to be accepted to a top tier law school where they would receive no financial aid.

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Full at at a low-tier law school: 16 percent of respondents said that they would like to be accepted to a low-tier ranked law school in order to receive a full scholarship.

“Pre-law students see rankings as part of the overall financial equation when investing in a law degree, as it can impact their earnings and career potential. Statistics show that generally the higher a law school is ranked, the higher a graduate’s starting salary and career opportunities are. In fact there’s a huge earnings gap between lawyers who graduated from top tier law schools and lawyers who graduated from law schools that are considered lower tier,” said Jeff Thomas, executive director of pre-law programs, Kaplan. “By saying they’d choose a top-tier law school where they may have to pay more instead of opting for a free ride with a lower-tier school, pre-law students are making a calculated investment in longer term gain. We continue to tell pre-law students that rank and cost are but two of several important factors they should consider when deciding where to apply and enroll. Applicants should seek out programs that are the best overall ‘fit’ for their academic, professional, financial, and lifestyle goals and needs.”