Best law schools in the US - 2026 rankings

Discover the Times Higher Education rankings for the best law schools in the US in 2026.
This year’s law school rankings highlight the top 73 universities in the United States, showcasing the best institutions for legal studies. The list is based on the trusted THE World University Rankings by Subject: Law 2026, which evaluates universities on teaching, research and international outlook.
US law schools play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of legal professionals, with institutions such as Stanford University and Harvard University leading the way.
The rankings use a rigorous methodology, developed by THE’s data experts, ensuring credibility for students, academics and industry leaders worldwide.

January 21 2026

Top law schools in the US 2026

US Law Rank 2026	Global Law Rank 2026	University	Overall	Teaching	Research Environment	Research Quality	Industry	International Outlook
1	1	Stanford University	84.7	98.8	92.8	63.4	95.3	61.5
2	2	New York University	84.5	92.1	99.5	60.3	99.1	68.2
3	4	Columbia University	82.9	93	95.1	60.3	68.7	75.8
4	6	Harvard University	82.3	87.4	96.6	67.3	78.4	60.4
5	7	University of California, Berkeley	82.1	96.7	92	61	83.2	55.3
=6	=9	The University of Chicago	80.6	97.9	88.9	64	48.8	52
=6	=9	Yale University	80.6	98.7	88.4	66.9	43.7	44.9
8	=19	Georgetown University	73	86.9	74.5	56.5	100	52.4
9	22	University of California, Los Angeles	72.5	84	73.7	63.1	68.2	55.9
10	=24	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	72.1	82.6	77.3	63.9	66.8	42
11	30	Duke University	70.1	76.3	71	60.7	95.1	60
=12	=36	University of Pennsylvania	67.1	71.8	66.7	65.6	58.2	60.2
=12	=36	University of Virginia (Main campus)	67.1	74.9	68	62	87.7	41.6
14	45	Cornell University	61.9	65.9	59.3	59.9	67.5	59.7
15	=56	University of Texas at Austin	57	54.6	53.4	69	60.5	42.2
16	58	Northwestern University	56.9	63.4	50.9	57.1	55.6	53
17	67	Boston University	55.3	59.6	49.2	59.6	44.7	52.9
18	70	University of Notre Dame	54.8	62.8	53.4	54.7	17.5	47.3
19	=89	University of California, Davis	50.5	47.4	43.4	60.5	67.5	49.8
20	=99	George Mason University	49.5	44.2	36.8	69.4	61.6	50.2
=21	101–125	American University	47.3–49.4	55.6	34	54.9	48.3	40.4
=21	101–125	George Washington University	47.3–49.4	50.3	32.3	59.9	67.1	46.8
=21	101–125	Northeastern University, US	47.3–49.4	44.5	28.8	74.9	45.9	43.5
=21	101–125	University of California, Irvine	47.3–49.4	42.5	33.9	71.2	65.9	55.6
=21	101–125	University of Florida	47.3–49.4	40.2	42.4	68.1	59	43.1
=21	101–125	University of Southern California	47.3–49.4	40.8	37.9	61.5	54.9	73
=21	101–125	University of Washington	47.3–49.4	35.7	35	70.2	66.2	67.1
=28	126–150	Penn State (Main campus)	44.4–47.1	39.6	29.7	66.5	67.4	53.6
=28	126–150	University of Colorado Boulder	44.4–47.1	48.8	26.3	69.8	66.2	37.2
=28	126–150	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	44.4–47.1	40.4	30.6	60.1	73.3	51
=28	126–150	Vanderbilt University	44.4–47.1	42.3	41.6	56.3	65.2	41.9
=32	151–175	Arizona State University (Tempe)	42.5–44.3	33.7	27	74.8	63.3	41.2
=32	151–175	Florida International University	42.5–44.3	37.6	21.5	72.2	66.8	38.6
=32	151–175	Ohio State University (Main campus)	42.5–44.3	34	30.6	67	65.8	38.4
=32	151–175	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh campus	42.5–44.3	44.3	28.4	53.2	66.8	42
=32	151–175	University of Wisconsin-Madison	42.5–44.3	28.1	41.4	65.4	66.2	42
=37	176–200	Michigan State University	40.6–42.4	31	24.7	72.8	66.5	41.1
=37	176–200	Texas A&M University	40.6–42.4	39.4	21.6	69.4	37.8	46.3
=37	176–200	University of Connecticut	40.6–42.4	36.4	21.5	63.5	48.8	63.2
=37	176–200	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	40.6–42.4	38.3	29.2	64.1	31.1	31.9
=37	176–200	Washington University in St Louis	40.6–42.4	40	24.4	63.5	17.5	58.3
=42	201–250	Boston College	37.7–40.5	43.8	15.7	58.3	17.5	55.5
=42	201–250	Emory University	37.7–40.5	36.4	26.3	56.4	17.5	47.8
=42	201–250	Florida State University	37.7–40.5	32.9	22.6	68.9	18.8	36.6
=42	201–250	Indiana University	37.7–40.5	31.6	30.4	53.7	84.6	43.7
=42	201–250	Syracuse University	37.7–40.5	33.9	25.2	54.2	70.1	46
=42	201–250	Temple University	37.7–40.5	35	22.2	63.9	47.6	41.2
=42	201–250	Tulane University	37.7–40.5	45.2	25.3	46.5	17.5	51.6
=42	201–250	University of Arizona	37.7–40.5	29.4	28.1	60	63.3	46.7
=42	201–250	University of Hawai’i at Mānoa	37.7–40.5	34.6	25.6	58.1	17.5	54.8
=42	201–250	University of Illinois Chicago	37.7–40.5	34.8	19.1	72.9	43.5	34.1
=42	201–250	University of Miami	37.7–40.5	31.8	11.7	79.5	27.7	56.2
=42	201–250	University of Minnesota	37.7–40.5	37.1	27	59	46.9	43.3
=42	201–250	University of South Carolina-Columbia	37.7–40.5	31.9	17.4	75.7	60.2	32.5
=42	201–250	University of Utah	37.7–40.5	32.6	20.3	72.9	45.2	28.7
=56	251–300	Drexel University	34.7–37.6	25	20.6	70.4	26.1	46.8
=56	251–300	Georgia State University	34.7–37.6	31.8	17	66.9	37	32.7
=56	251–300	Saint Louis University	34.7–37.6	35.2	21.6	55.3	42.4	35.9
=56	251–300	University at Buffalo	34.7–37.6	37.8	17.8	56.3	17.5	45.5
=56	251–300	University of Arkansas	34.7–37.6	34.4	19.8	66.7	17.5	27
=56	251–300	University of Denver	34.7–37.6	32.6	21.1	55.5	25.6	36.3
=56	251–300	University of Georgia (USA)	34.7–37.6	31.6	22.4	60.7	17.5	36
=56	251–300	University of Iowa	34.7–37.6	30.2	27.6	56.1	56.9	35.6
=56	251–300	University of Kansas	34.7–37.6	30.1	20.7	62.7	51.2	33.3
=56	251–300	University of Kentucky	34.7–37.6	28.8	19.2	61.7	52	29.5
=56	251–300	Wayne State University	34.7–37.6	31.5	18.7	64.7	39.7	42.2
=56	251–300	William & Mary	34.7–37.6	36.7	18.5	52.1	20	42
=68	301–400	Louisiana State University	24.7–34.4	30.3	21.9	49.7	67.9	33.3
=68	301–400	The University of Alabama	24.7–34.4	27.2	17.6	66.1	17.5	29.3
=68	301–400	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	24.7–34.4	13.7	18.6	72.9	28.6	36.4
=68	301–400	University of Houston	24.7–34.4	30.5	11.1	44.9	62.7	44.2
=68	301–400	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	24.7–34.4	22.5	27.2	55.2	31.7	30.1
=68	301–400	University of Nevada, Las Vegas	24.7–34.4	26.2	19	53.4	17.5	27.4

Key insights into the best law schools in the US

Stanford University retains first place from last year.
New York University moves up one place into second position.
Harvard University drops two places to fourth in 2026.
The University of Chicago and Yale University take joint sixth place.

Choosing the right university in the US for law

There are a number of world-renowned law schools in the US, making the country one of the top places to go to if you wish to study for a law degree.

Students who complete a course of study at a law school in the US will graduate with a juris doctor (JD) degree. The JD programme normally lasts three years for full-time students and four years for part-time students. Teaching is based on the British system of common law, which is not used in every country, so international students might not necessarily be able to practise in their home country without taking further courses or exams.

The US legal system consists of judicial, regulatory and governmental authorities that work together to enforce laws at federal, state and local levels. Every state has its own government, which holds legal and administrative jurisdiction within its limits.

Selecting the best law school is a crucial step in shaping your legal career. The Times Higher Education rankings help students make informed decisions by evaluating universities across five key areas:

Research Environment: measures faculty expertise and research impact.
Teaching Quality: assesses student experience and academic instruction.
Research Quality: examines research output and citations in legal studies.
Industry Collaboration: highlights partnerships with law firms and businesses.
International Outlook: considers diversity in faculty and students.

The table for the best law schools in the US was derived from data collected from the THE World University Rankings by Subject: Law. For further insight and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page.