Rankings season is officially upon us, and this time around, even U.S. News & World Report has rolled out additional rankings on top of their influential law school rankings. Given that a legal education can land the average law school graduate in up to six figures of debt, it makes sense that would-be lawyers are eager to snag Biglaw jobs, where salaries at leading firms begin at $225,000.
But which law schools offer graduates the greatest opportunity to work in Biglaw?
U.S. News has compiled a new ranking for that, and it’s not at all shocking that some of the most elite law schools in the country top the list. As noted by the publication, these are the law schools whose graduates were “most likely to obtain full-time, long-term jobs at law firms with greater than 500 attorneys.” Only the Top 40 schools (including ties) were included in this ranking, due to the “limited share” of graduates headed to Biglaw that each school produces.
That said, here are the Top 15 law schools with the most graduates working in Biglaw (and because this is U.S. News, there are multiple ties listed here):
1. Northwestern: 67%
2. Columbia: 65%
2. Penn: 65%
2. UVA: 65%
5. Cornell: 63%
6. Duke: 59%
8. Georgetown: 56%
8. Harvard: 56%
8. Chicago: 56%
11. Vanderbilt: 54%
12. Michigan: 53%
13. Howard: 52%
13. NYU: 52%
15. UCLA: 50%
Click here to see the rest of the Top 40 law schools with the most graduates working in Biglaw firms.
Is this ranking useful? If you’re able to look past the incessant ties that tend to plague all U.S. News rankings, then yes — especially if you’re able to get into these law schools, and especially if you’re able to successfully navigate the new Biglaw recruiting system, that now relies more upon direct application than formal interview programs. It could certainly serve as a way for law students, both current and prospective, to gauge their employment prospects. Best of luck out there!
Law Schools With the Most Graduates at Big Law Firms [U.S. News]
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
The post U.S. News Ranks The Best Law Schools For Getting Biglaw Jobs (2025) appeared first on Above the Law.
Rankings season is officially upon us, and this time around, even U.S. News & World Report has rolled out additional rankings on top of their influential law school rankings. Given that a legal education can land the average law school graduate in up to six figures of debt, it makes sense that would-be lawyers are eager to snag Biglaw jobs, where salaries at leading firms begin at $225,000.
But which law schools offer graduates the greatest opportunity to work in Biglaw?
U.S. News has compiled a new ranking for that, and it’s not at all shocking that some of the most elite law schools in the country top the list. As noted by the publication, these are the law schools whose graduates were “most likely to obtain full-time, long-term jobs at law firms with greater than 500 attorneys.” Only the Top 40 schools (including ties) were included in this ranking, due to the “limited share” of graduates headed to Biglaw that each school produces.
That said, here are the Top 15 law schools with the most graduates working in Biglaw (and because this is U.S. News, there are multiple ties listed here):
1. Northwestern: 67%
2. Columbia: 65%
2. Penn: 65%
2. UVA: 65%
5. Cornell: 63%
6. Duke: 59%
8. Georgetown: 56%
8. Harvard: 56%
8. Chicago: 56%
11. Vanderbilt: 54%
12. Michigan: 53%
13. Howard: 52%
13. NYU: 52%
15. UCLA: 50%
Click here to see the rest of the Top 40 law schools with the most graduates working in Biglaw firms.
Is this ranking useful? If you’re able to look past the incessant ties that tend to plague all U.S. News rankings, then yes — especially if you’re able to get into these law schools, and especially if you’re able to successfully navigate the new Biglaw recruiting system, that now relies more upon direct application than formal interview programs. It could certainly serve as a way for law students, both current and prospective, to gauge their employment prospects. Best of luck out there!
Law Schools With the Most Graduates at Big Law Firms [U.S. News]
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
