{"id":116236,"date":"2025-04-23T16:55:06","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T00:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/04\/23\/u-s-news-ranks-the-best-law-schools-for-getting-biglaw-jobs-2025\/"},"modified":"2025-04-23T16:55:06","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T00:55:06","slug":"u-s-news-ranks-the-best-law-schools-for-getting-biglaw-jobs-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/04\/23\/u-s-news-ranks-the-best-law-schools-for-getting-biglaw-jobs-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. News Ranks The Best Law Schools For Getting Biglaw Jobs (2025)"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" height=\"351\" width=\"600\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/resume-job-search-applicant-application-lateral-move-lawyer-associate-partner1-600x351.jpg?resize=600%2C351&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Rankings season is officially upon us, and this time around, even U.S. News &amp; World Report has rolled out additional rankings on top of their <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/04\/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-2025-u-s-news-law-school-rankings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">influential law school rankings<\/a>. 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. <\/p>\n<p>But which law schools offer graduates the greatest opportunity to work in Biglaw?<\/p>\n<p>U.S. News has compiled a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-graduate-schools\/top-law-schools\/most-grads-at-big-law-firms-rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">new ranking for that<\/a>, and it\u2019s 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 \u201cmost likely to obtain full-time, long-term jobs at law firms with greater than 500 attorneys.\u201d Only the Top 40 schools (including ties) were included in this ranking, due to the \u201climited share\u201d of graduates headed to Biglaw that each school produces.<\/p>\n<p>That said, here are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-graduate-schools\/top-law-schools\/most-grads-at-big-law-firms-rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Top 15 law schools<\/a> with the most graduates working in Biglaw (and because this is U.S. News, there are multiple ties listed here):<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>1. Northwestern: 67%<\/p>\n<p>2. Columbia: 65%<\/p>\n<p>2. Penn: 65%<\/p>\n<p>2. UVA: 65%<\/p>\n<p>5. Cornell: 63%<\/p>\n<p>6. Duke: 59%<\/p>\n<p>8. Georgetown: 56%<\/p>\n<p>8. Harvard: 56%<\/p>\n<p>8. Chicago: 56%<\/p>\n<p>11. Vanderbilt: 54%<\/p>\n<p>12. Michigan: 53%<\/p>\n<p>13. Howard: 52%<\/p>\n<p>13. NYU: 52%<\/p>\n<p>15. UCLA: 50%<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-graduate-schools\/top-law-schools\/most-grads-at-big-law-firms-rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">here<\/a> to see the rest of the Top 40 law schools with the most graduates working in Biglaw firms.<\/p>\n<p>Is this ranking useful? If you\u2019re able to look past the incessant ties that tend to plague all U.S. News rankings, then yes \u2014 especially if you\u2019re able to get into these law schools, and especially if you\u2019re able to successfully navigate the new Biglaw recruiting system, that now <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/03\/biglaw-summer-associate-recruiting-leaves-oci-in-the-dust-in-favor-of-alternative-hiring-plans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">relies more upon direct application<\/a> 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!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-graduate-schools\/top-law-schools\/most-grads-at-big-law-firms-rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Law Schools With the Most Graduates at Big Law Firms<\/a> [U.S. News]<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-441281\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Staci-Zaretsky.jpg?resize=150%2C100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Staci Zaretsky\" width=\"150\" height=\"100\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/author\/staci-zaretsky\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Staci Zaretsky<\/a>\u00a0is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she\u2019s worked since 2011. She\u2019d love to hear from you, so please feel free to <a href=\"mailto:staci@abovethelaw.com\">email<\/a> her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/stacizaretsky.bsky.social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Bluesky<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/stacizaretsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">X\/Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@stacizaretsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Threads<\/a>,\u00a0or connect with her on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/staci-zaretsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/04\/u-s-news-ranks-the-best-law-schools-for-getting-biglaw-jobs-2025\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. News Ranks The Best Law Schools For Getting Biglaw Jobs (2025)<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" height=\"351\" width=\"600\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/resume-job-search-applicant-application-lateral-move-lawyer-associate-partner1-600x351.jpg?resize=600%2C351&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"block-d36072d9-2666-4de7-928f-05b3309c1f72\">Rankings season is officially upon us, and this time around, even U.S. News &amp; World Report has rolled out additional rankings on top of their <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/04\/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-2025-u-s-news-law-school-rankings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">influential law school rankings<\/a>. 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. <\/p>\n<p>But which law schools offer graduates the greatest opportunity to work in Biglaw?<\/p>\n<p>U.S. News has compiled a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-graduate-schools\/top-law-schools\/most-grads-at-big-law-firms-rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">new ranking for that<\/a>, and it\u2019s 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 \u201cmost likely to obtain full-time, long-term jobs at law firms with greater than 500 attorneys.\u201d Only the Top 40 schools (including ties) were included in this ranking, due to the \u201climited share\u201d of graduates headed to Biglaw that each school produces.<\/p>\n<p>That said, here are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-graduate-schools\/top-law-schools\/most-grads-at-big-law-firms-rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Top 15 law schools<\/a> with the most graduates working in Biglaw (and because this is U.S. News, there are multiple ties listed here):<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>1. Northwestern: 67%<\/p>\n<p>2. Columbia: 65%<\/p>\n<p>2. Penn: 65%<\/p>\n<p>2. UVA: 65%<\/p>\n<p>5. Cornell: 63%<\/p>\n<p>6. Duke: 59%<\/p>\n<p>8. Georgetown: 56%<\/p>\n<p>8. Harvard: 56%<\/p>\n<p>8. Chicago: 56%<\/p>\n<p>11. Vanderbilt: 54%<\/p>\n<p>12. Michigan: 53%<\/p>\n<p>13. Howard: 52%<\/p>\n<p>13. NYU: 52%<\/p>\n<p>15. UCLA: 50%<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-graduate-schools\/top-law-schools\/most-grads-at-big-law-firms-rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">here<\/a> to see the rest of the Top 40 law schools with the most graduates working in Biglaw firms.<\/p>\n<p>Is this ranking useful? If you\u2019re able to look past the incessant ties that tend to plague all U.S. News rankings, then yes \u2014 especially if you\u2019re able to get into these law schools, and especially if you\u2019re able to successfully navigate the new Biglaw recruiting system, that now <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/03\/biglaw-summer-associate-recruiting-leaves-oci-in-the-dust-in-favor-of-alternative-hiring-plans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">relies more upon direct application<\/a> 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!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-graduate-schools\/top-law-schools\/most-grads-at-big-law-firms-rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Law Schools With the Most Graduates at Big Law Firms<\/a> [U.S. News]<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/Staci-Zaretsky.jpg?w=1080&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Staci Zaretsky\" class=\"wp-image-441281\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"block-6a951eef-9160-4fde-8c25-d3ef54b14bbd\"><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/author\/staci-zaretsky\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Staci Zaretsky<\/a>\u00a0is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she\u2019s worked since 2011. She\u2019d love to hear from you, so please feel free to <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#0e7d7a6f6d674e6f6c61786b7a666b626f79206d6163\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">email<\/a> her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/stacizaretsky.bsky.social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Bluesky<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/stacizaretsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">X\/Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@stacizaretsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Threads<\/a>,\u00a0or connect with her on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/staci-zaretsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rankings season is officially upon us, and this time around, even U.S. News &amp; 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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116236\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}