Two top-20 rankings underscore value of KU Law degree


LAWRENCE – The University of Kansas School of Law is the No. 16 Best Value Law School in the country and one of the top 20 law schools nationwide for students graduating with the least debt, according to National Jurist and U.S. News & World Report. KU finished first in both rankings among law schools in Kansas and the Kansas City area.

The Best Value ranking highlights affordable law schools whose graduates perform well on the bar exam and have success finding legal jobs. National Jurist ranked the top 25 schools and assigned a letter grade to the other 32 honorees.

“It’s no accident that KU Law continues to do well in these rankings. We are committed to value in the broadest sense – preparing students to pursue careers defined by their passions rather than excessive financial burdens,” said Stephen Mazza, dean of the law school. “Our students build an outstanding foundation in the classroom, then practice their skills in hands-on simulations, clinics and field placements. That sets them up to pass the bar exam at above-average rates and move on to jobs in judges’ chambers, law firms, corporations, government agencies and public interest organizations.”

More than 75 percent of the incoming class receives scholarships, and U.S. News ranked KU Law 17th in the nation among law schools whose graduates finish school with the least average debt.

National Jurist gives employment success the greatest weight in the Best Value rankings. The magazine also looks at a number of other academic and financial variables, including price of tuition, cost of living, student debt accumulation and bar passage rate, both for first-time test takers and those who passed within two years of graduation. KU Law ranked 18th in the nation on the latter metric, with 97.67 percent of 2015 graduates passing the bar, according to new data issued by the American Bar Association.

Read the complete list of Best Value honorees and review the ranking methodology