KU Law receives top-30 ranking for outcomes, affordability
LAWRENCE – The University of Kansas School of Law is among the top 30 law schools in the country, according to new rankings. KU Law ranks 10th among public law schools and 30th overall in this year’s Top 50 Law School Rankings from Above the Law.
The legal news outlet’s list focuses on employment outcomes, low education cost and low graduate debt. KU Law rose 14 spots overall compared to 2021.
“KU Law is committed to providing value to our students. That value goes beyond affordability – we prepare our students to pursue careers driven by their interests,” said Stephen Mazza, dean of the School of Law. “Through an extensive hands-on learning program, career development opportunities and our Bar Prep Program, KU Law prepares students for their next opportunities.”
Employment in full-time, long-term legal jobs carries the most weight in the Above the Law rankings, which use data from the Class of 2021. Nearly 95% of graduates in the KU Law Class of 2021 found full-time, long-term legal employment, according to data released by the American Bar Association. Overall employment for the 2021 class was 96.9%.
Education cost and law student educational debt also factor into the Above the Law rankings. KU Law has the 23rd lowest average debt for 2021 J.D. graduates nationwide, according to the 2023 rankings from U.S. News & World Report. In 2020-2021, 90% of KU Law students received grants or scholarships, according to data reported to the ABA.
KU Law graduates who took the bar exam for the first time in 2021 had one of the highest success rates in the country. KU Law posted the 11th-highest first-time bar exam pass rate nationally, according to an analysis by Reuters. Nearly 96% of KU Law graduates who took a bar exam for the first time during the 2021 calendar year passed, according to data released by the ABA.
All KU Law students have access to the school’s Bar Prep Program at no cost. The donor-supported program includes a post-graduation Themis Bar Review course, a first-year diagnostic exam and assistance from the law school’s director of bar preparation when studying for the bar.