On Tuesday, the U.S. News 2014 Best Graduate Schools rankings were released, according to the release from U.S. News. In the law category, Yale University held onto its ranking as the best law school for 2014. Harvard Law School regained some of the ground it lost last year in the newest rankings. The school moved up one slot into a tie with Stanford for second place in the standings.
The largest changes come from the University of Washington, which dropped from 20 to 28th on the list and Washington University in St. Louis, which jumped to 19 from 23.
In terms of part-time law schools, Brooklyn Law School dropped from number three to 21 on the list. Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law dropped from fourth to 12th on the list. Fordham University, George Mason University, and the University of Connecticut moved to third, fourth, and fifth in the rankings, respectively.
The top five law schools named in the rankings for 2014 with their tuition information are as follows:
1. Yale University: $53,600 per year for full-time. 615 full-time students enrolled.
2. Harvard University: $50,880 per year for full-time. 1,727 full-time students enrolled.
2. Stanford University: $50,802 per year for full-time. 575 full-time students enrolled.
4. Columbia University: $55,488 per year for full-time. 1,290 full-time students enrolled.
4. University of Chicago: $50,727 per year for full-time. 610 full-time students enrolled.
“The U.S. News rankings have long been a part of the school search process and can be helpful as an aggregate source of data around student population, academic life, job placement and other considerations. But the actual rank ordering of schools is a debatable measure that’s often more important to schools and their alumni than it should be for applicants,” said Jeff Olson, vice president of data science, Kaplan Test Prep. “Whether a school ranks 12th or 24th in the rankings won’t matter in the long run. Ultimately, students should apply to programs that are the best overall ‘fit’ for their academic, career, financial, and lifestyle goals and needs.”