Most improved law schools for employment

For students, one question towers above almost every other consideration when choosing a law school: Will I have a job when I graduate?

The answer increasingly depends on more than rankings or reputation. It depends on whether a law school begins preparing students for the legal marketplace on day one, whether it builds meaningful employer relationships, whether it teaches students how to navigate a changing profession and whether it creates opportunities for practical experience before graduation arrives.

To gauge law school employment outcomes, we looked at the American Bar Association data comparing the difference between two time periods, Classes of 2012-2014 and the Classes of 2023-2025. We used three-year averages of a modified employment rate to track the quality of jobs obtained by graduates.

Our analysis found that legal employment moved beyond recovery in 2021 into a more stable phase in 2025, signaling the current market strength is structural, not temporary.

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Law schools capitalizing on the gains in the market, those with marked improvement in post-grad employment rates, had the most room to grow. Many of the law schools have now moved into the 80% to 90% range or higher, shifting from turnaround stories to consistent performers.

Schools that were 60% to 75% in the early period and are now 80% to 90% include Northeastern University School of Law, University of Oregon School of Law, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law and LMU Loyola Law School.

University of California, Irvine School of Law was a success story in employment improvement. This young law school built a top-tier employment engine in just over a decade, moving from 54.3% to 94.3% — 73.8% growth.

Texas A&M University School of Law improved with major investment, a branding shift and an aggressive career strategy to climb the ranks with 51.9% growth.

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Law schools that posted significant gains in graduate employment emphasized analytics and intervention, building professional identity, alumni engagement and experiential learning. Although the law schools had varied approaches, their methods yielded results.

Read the full story here.

Most Improved Law Schools for Employment

School Name	Avg. Employment Rate of Classes 2012-2014	Avg. Employment Rate of Classes 2023-2025	Difference	% Growth	Growth Rank
UC - Irvine	54.30%	94.30%	40.10%	73.80%	1
Western State College of Law	48.40%	82.80%	34.40%	71.00%	2
University of Pittsburgh	52.20%	88.30%	36.10%	69.20%	3
University District of Columbia	44.40%	72.70%	28.30%	63.70%	4
Ave Maria School of Law	49.80%	81.40%	31.60%	63.40%	5
University of San Francisco	47.50%	76.70%	29.30%	61.70%	6
Liberty University	53.00%	85.20%	32.20%	60.90%	7
Chapman Fowler School of Law	54.10%	86.40%	32.30%	59.80%	8
University of Massachusetts	50.70%	77.70%	27.00%	53.30%	9
North Carolina Central Univ.	47.70%	72.90%	25.30%	53.00%	10
Cooley Law School	46.80%	71.40%	24.60%	52.40%	11
Texas A&M Law	64.30%	97.70%	33.40%	51.90%	12
Pepperdine Caruso School of Law	63.80%	96.60%	32.80%	51.40%	13
Suffolk University	56.40%	84.00%	27.60%	48.90%	14
New York Law School	58.80%	87.60%	28.80%	48.90%	15
University of Detroit Mercy	60.20%	89.30%	29.10%	48.20%	16
Hofstra University (Deane)	60.70%	89.80%	29.10%	47.90%	17
UC Law SF	60.20%	88.80%	28.60%	47.60%	18
University of Maine	57.50%	84.80%	27.30%	47.60%	19
Pace University	59.30%	87.10%	27.90%	47.00%	20
LMU Loyola Law School	61.30%	89.90%	28.60%	46.70%	21
Drexel University Kline	62.40%	91.40%	29.10%	46.60%	22
California Western School of Law	51.00%	74.40%	23.40%	45.80%	23
Villanova Law	64.00%	93.00%	29.00%	45.30%	24
University of San Diego	65.10%	93.90%	28.70%	44.10%	25
University of Oregon	59.30%	85.50%	26.20%	44.10%	26
Washington and Lee University	67.20%	95.90%	28.70%	42.70%	27
Northeastern University	61.90%	88.30%	26.40%	42.60%	28
Southwestern Law School	54.90%	78.10%	23.20%	42.20%	29
Loyola University New Orleans	61.00%	86.60%	25.50%	41.80%	30
McGeorge School of Law	55.80%	79.00%	23.20%	41.50%	31
Regent University	66.20%	93.40%	27.20%	41.10%	32
DePaul University	59.10%	83.00%	23.90%	40.40%	33
Barry Law School	53.20%	74.60%	21.40%	40.20%	34
Cardozo School of Law	65.90%	92.00%	26.20%	39.70%	35
Widener Delaware Law School	62.20%	86.60%	24.40%	39.10%	36
St. John’s School of Law	66.50%	92.50%	26.00%	39.10%	37
Florida A&M University	53.40%	74.00%	20.60%	38.60%	38
American University	59.80%	82.60%	22.80%	38.00%	39
Elon University	62.80%	86.00%	23.20%	36.90%	40
St. Thomas University	58.90%	80.60%	21.70%	36.80%	41
Catholic University	66.40%	90.80%	24.30%	36.60%	42
University of Wisconsin	69.60%	94.70%	25.10%	36.10%	43
Western New England U.	55.20%	74.70%	19.50%	35.30%	44
Brooklyn Law School	65.30%	88.30%	23.00%	35.30%	45
Northern Kentucky University	63.20%	85.40%	22.10%	35.00%	46
Albany Law School	67.70%	91.10%	23.50%	34.70%	47
University of St. Thomas - Mn.	66.70%	89.10%	22.30%	33.50%	48
University of Wyoming	66.70%	89.00%	22.30%	33.50%	49
Duquesne University	68.20%	90.90%	22.70%	33.30%	50
School Name	Avg. Employment Rate of Classes 2012-2014	Avg. Employment Rate of Classes 2023-2025	Difference	% Growth	Growth Rank

Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Click on a column with an arrow to sort by that column and click again to sort in reverse.

School Name Avg. Employment Rate of Classes 2012-2014 Avg. Employment Rate of Classes 2023-2025 Difference % Growth Growth Rank

UC - Irvine 54.30% 94.30% 40.10% 73.80% 1

Western State College of Law 48.40% 82.80% 34.40% 71.00% 2

University of Pittsburgh 52.20% 88.30% 36.10% 69.20% 3

University District of Columbia 44.40% 72.70% 28.30% 63.70% 4

Ave Maria School of Law 49.80% 81.40% 31.60% 63.40% 5

University of San Francisco 47.50% 76.70% 29.30% 61.70% 6

Liberty University 53.00% 85.20% 32.20% 60.90% 7

Chapman Fowler School of Law 54.10% 86.40% 32.30% 59.80% 8

University of Massachusetts 50.70% 77.70% 27.00% 53.30% 9

North Carolina Central Univ. 47.70% 72.90% 25.30% 53.00% 10

Cooley Law School 46.80% 71.40% 24.60% 52.40% 11

Texas A&M Law 64.30% 97.70% 33.40% 51.90% 12

Pepperdine Caruso School of Law 63.80% 96.60% 32.80% 51.40% 13

Suffolk University 56.40% 84.00% 27.60% 48.90% 14

New York Law School 58.80% 87.60% 28.80% 48.90% 15

University of Detroit Mercy 60.20% 89.30% 29.10% 48.20% 16

Hofstra University (Deane) 60.70% 89.80% 29.10% 47.90% 17

UC Law SF 60.20% 88.80% 28.60% 47.60% 18

University of Maine 57.50% 84.80% 27.30% 47.60% 19

Pace University 59.30% 87.10% 27.90% 47.00% 20

LMU Loyola Law School 61.30% 89.90% 28.60% 46.70% 21

Drexel University Kline 62.40% 91.40% 29.10% 46.60% 22

California Western School of Law 51.00% 74.40% 23.40% 45.80% 23

Villanova Law 64.00% 93.00% 29.00% 45.30% 24

University of San Diego 65.10% 93.90% 28.70% 44.10% 25

University of Oregon 59.30% 85.50% 26.20% 44.10% 26

Washington and Lee University 67.20% 95.90% 28.70% 42.70% 27

Northeastern University 61.90% 88.30% 26.40% 42.60% 28

Southwestern Law School 54.90% 78.10% 23.20% 42.20% 29

Loyola University New Orleans 61.00% 86.60% 25.50% 41.80% 30

McGeorge School of Law 55.80% 79.00% 23.20% 41.50% 31

Regent University 66.20% 93.40% 27.20% 41.10% 32

DePaul University 59.10% 83.00% 23.90% 40.40% 33

Barry Law School 53.20% 74.60% 21.40% 40.20% 34

Cardozo School of Law 65.90% 92.00% 26.20% 39.70% 35

Widener Delaware Law School 62.20% 86.60% 24.40% 39.10% 36

St. John’s School of Law 66.50% 92.50% 26.00% 39.10% 37

Florida A&M University 53.40% 74.00% 20.60% 38.60% 38

American University 59.80% 82.60% 22.80% 38.00% 39

Elon University 62.80% 86.00% 23.20% 36.90% 40

St. Thomas University 58.90% 80.60% 21.70% 36.80% 41

Catholic University 66.40% 90.80% 24.30% 36.60% 42

University of Wisconsin 69.60% 94.70% 25.10% 36.10% 43

Western New England U. 55.20% 74.70% 19.50% 35.30% 44

Brooklyn Law School 65.30% 88.30% 23.00% 35.30% 45

Northern Kentucky University 63.20% 85.40% 22.10% 35.00% 46

Albany Law School 67.70% 91.10% 23.50% 34.70% 47

University of St. Thomas - Mn. 66.70% 89.10% 22.30% 33.50% 48

University of Wyoming 66.70% 89.00% 22.30% 33.50% 49

Duquesne University 68.20% 90.90% 22.70% 33.30% 50

School Name Avg. Employment Rate of Classes 2012-2014 Avg. Employment Rate of Classes 2023-2025 Difference % Growth Growth Rank

Methodology

To determine the modified employment rate and establish our ranking, we used data from the American Bar Association. The ABA divides employment outcomes into multiple categories. We weighted each category to calculate a quality-adjusted employment rate and excluded graduates pursuing further education.

Bar Passage Required: Full-time, long-term is counted at 100%. Bar Passage Required: Full-time, short-term 70%. J.D. Advantage: Full-time, long-term 70%. Professional Position: Full-time, long-term 60%. Bar Passage Required: Part-time, long-term 50%. J.D. Advantage: Part-time, long-term 40%. J.D. Advantage: Full-time, short-term 40%. Bar Passage Required: Part-time, short-term 30%. Professional Position: Part-time, long-term 30%. Professional Position: Full-time, short-term 30%. J.D. Advantage: Part-time, short-term 10%. Non-professional Position: Full-time, long-term 10%. All other categories received no value.

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