New Law School Rankings: Employment Data Cleaned Of School Funded Jobs

I've taken the same data that Gary Rosin used in this post (which ranked schools by percentage employed in full-time, long-term jobs requiring a JD) and cleaned the list...by excluding all such positions that were funded by the law school.  

One concern I have about Gary's list - similar to concerns about US News rankings - is that once you eliminate the top schools, an ordinal ranking suggests large distinctions between schools with small acutal differences.  Thus, the gap in Gary's list from the #1 school (Penn) to the #31 school (Georgia) is 25 percentage points; Penn placed 94.4% of its students and Georgia placed 69.4%.  But the gap between Georgia and the school 30 places down the list - #61 FIU (which placed 63.6 of its students) - was only 5.8 percentage points.  A law school candidate might be agnostic as between Georgia and FIU, based on placement, but not between Penn and Georgia.  

I am going to publish my list from number 1 to 197, but a savvy reader would be well advised to consider schools in clusters.  For example, this time using my list, schools 1 to 6 place over 85% of their grads in legit L/T, F/T JD required jobs.  Call that cluster 1.  Schools 7-19 place over 75%.  Schools 20-52 place over 65%.  Schools 53-98 place over 55%.  And so on.

Even this clustering obscures important facts for anyone comparing law schools, the primary one of which is this: outside of a few elite schools, most grads with jobs are working somewhere geographically close to their law school.  So a graduate of #34 Campbell University has a comparatively good shot at a job; it's probably going to be in North Carolina.  Ditto #28 South Texas College of Law.  And if your goal is Big Law, particularly in $160K-ville, you'd best take that #17 Northwestern offer (even if you did get into #16 LSU or #15 West Virginia.)  I do love Alabama - after all, it was my first academic home - but if I had an offer from #14 Yale and #13 Alabama...well, you know where this is going.

And a close reader might consider whether a particular school claims a very high number of graduates going into solo practice.  While solos are treated the same as associates at Wilmer Hale, for statitstical purpose, the average solo is probably going to earn less during her first few years than she would have made in a non-JD job.  You can go here and and sort through all sorts of these issues. 

Are there any notable distinctions between my list and Gary's?  That is, did some schools hire a big chunk of their grads in long-term, full-time JD required positions?  A few.  Virginia falls from #2 to #11  - or almost 15 percentage points.  A bunch of schools - Chicago, NYU, Columbia, and others - showed distinctly weaker placement numbers, though they remained quite strong, comparatively.  And then there was George Washington which fell from 14 to 76 or from 81% employed to 60.35%.  This is an admirable form of back-end financial aid for unemployed grads, and phenomenally expensive, but it does confound the rankings a bit.

My chart is after the jump.  If you want to compare Gary's ranking which includes law school funded jobs, it's here. 

	Class of 2012 ABA Employment Report
	JD Required, FT, LT Minus Law School Funded
Rank	School Name	Rate
1	PENNSYLVANIA, UNIVERSITY OF	91.85%
2	STANFORD UNIVERSITY	88.95%
3	CHICAGO, UNIVERSITY OF	86.98%
4	CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY, UNIVERSITY OF	85.90%
5	COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY	85.29%
6	CORNELL UNIVERSITY	85.26%
7	DUKE UNIVERSITY	84.89%
8	HARVARD UNIVERSITY	84.58%
9	CALIFORNIA-IRVINE, UNIVERSITY OF	83.93%
10	MICHIGAN, UNIVERSITY OF	81.70%
11	VIRGINIA, UNIVERSITY OF	79.67%
12	NEW YORK UNIVERSITY	79.05%
13	ALABAMA, UNIVERSITY OF	77.33%
14	YALE UNIVERSITY	77.03%
15	WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY	76.76%
16	LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY	76.68%
17	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	75.93%
18	TEXAS AT AUSTIN, UNIVERSITY OF	75.34%
19	SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY	75.09%
20	KENTUCKY, UNIVERSITY OF	74.15%
21	MERCER UNIVERSITY	72.54%
22	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY	71.43%
23	SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE OF LAW	71.35%
23	IOWA, UNIVERSITY OF	71.35%
25	ARKANSAS, FAYETTEVILLE, UNIVERSITY OF	70.45%
26	SOUTH CAROLINA, UNIVERSITY OF	70.35%
27	CALIFORNIA-LOS ANGELES, UNIVERSITY OF	69.97%
28	SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, UNIVERSITY OF	69.68%
29	GEORGIA, UNIVERSITY OF	69.43%
30	MISSOURI-COLUMBIA, UNIVERSITY OF	68.03%
31	WASHINGTON, UNIVERSITY OF	67.96%
32	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY	67.95%
33	NORTH DAKOTA, UNIVERSITY OF	67.78%
34	CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY	67.59%
35	NORTH CAROLINA, UNIVERSITY OF	67.58%
36	NEW MEXICO, UNIVERSITY OF	67.23%
37	BAYLOR UNIVERSITY	67.07%
38	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY	67.00%
39	LOUISVILLE, UNIVERSITY OF	66.93%
40	EMORY UNIVERSITY	66.92%
41	ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY	66.79%
42	GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY	66.77%
43	OKLAHOMA, UNIVERSITY OF	66.49%
44	ARIZONA, UNIVERSITY OF	66.44%
45	FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY	66.43%
46	MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY, UNIVERSITY OF	66.01%
47	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY	65.83%
48	SETON HALL UNIVERSITY	65.81%
49	NEBRASKA, UNIVERSITY OF	65.63%
50	BOSTON COLLEGE	65.38%
51	NOTRE DAME, UNIVERSITY OF	65.31%
52	TENNESSEE, UNIVERSITY OF	65.16%
53	MINNESOTA, UNIVERSITY OF	64.35%
54	TULSA, UNIVERSITY OF	64.18%
55	BOSTON UNIVERSITY	64.10%
56	WASHBURN UNIVERSITY	63.46%
57	UTAH, UNIVERSITY OF	63.43%
58	BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY	63.27%
59	ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY	63.21%
60	SOUTH DAKOTA, UNIVERSITY OF	63.16%
61	HOUSTON, UNIVERSITY OF	62.98%
62	RUTGERS UNIVERSITY-CAMDEN	62.96%
63	NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY	62.64%
64	FORDHAM UNIVERSITY	62.55%
65	TULANE UNIVERSITY	62.45%
66	WISCONSIN, UNIVERSITY OF	61.97%
67	FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL	61.96%
68	TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY	61.40%
69	KANSAS, UNIVERSITY OF	61.04%
70	MONTANA, UNIVERSITY OF	60.98%
71	CALIFORNIA-DAVIS, UNIVERSITY OF	60.89%
72	ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY	60.87%
72	NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY OF	60.87%
72	UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA - LAS VEGAS	60.87%
75	ARKANSAS, LITTLE ROCK, UNIVERSITY OF	60.43%
76	GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY	60.35%
77	MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE	59.76%
78	SAMFORD UNIVERSITY	59.64%
79	STETSON UNIVERSITY	59.53%
80	OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY	59.46%
81	MISSISSIPPI, UNIVERSITY OF	59.39%
82	OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY	59.38%
83	ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY	59.22%
84	MIAMI, UNIVERSITY OF	58.79%
85	PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY	58.25%
86	ILLINOIS, UNIVERSITY OF	58.22%
87	CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY	57.58%
88	MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY	57.34%
89	NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	57.06%
90	RICHMOND, UNIVERSITY OF	56.76%
90	FLORIDA, UNIVERSITY OF	56.76%
92	IDAHO, UNIVERSITY OF	56.73%
93	MEMPHIS, UNIVERSITY OF	56.72%
94	WILLIAM AND MARY SCHOOL OF LAW	56.37%
95	DRAKE UNIVERSITY	56.12%
96	WYOMING, UNIVERSITY OF	56.00%
97	LEWIS AND CLARK COLLEGE	55.98%
98	TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY	55.61%
99	WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY	54.76%
100	LOYOLA UNIVERSITY-CHICAGO	54.61%
101	INDIANA UNIVERSITY MAURER SCHOOL OF LAW	54.41%
102	RUTGERS UNIVERSITY-NEWARK	54.32%
103	CONNECTICUT, UNIVERSITY OF	54.27%
104	YESHIVA UNIVERSITY	54.01%
105	CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	53.90%
106	CHARLESTON SCHOOL OF LAW	53.71%
107	OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY	53.62%
108	CINCINNATI, UNIVERSITY OF	53.57%
109	TEXAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY	53.14%
110	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY	53.07%
111	BALTIMORE, UNIVERSITY OF	53.03%
112	MARYLAND, UNIVERSITY OF	52.98%
113	HAWAII, UNIVERSITY OF	52.83%
114	DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY	52.74%
115	SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY-CARBONDALE	52.34%
116	STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO	52.15%
117	WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY	52.00%
118	TOLEDO, UNIVERSITY OF	51.70%
119	ALBANY LAW SCHOOL	51.50%
120	WILLIAM MITCHELL COLLEGE OF LAW	51.49%
121	COLORADO, UNIVERSITY OF	51.43%
122	ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY	51.38%
123	PITTSBURGH, UNIVERSITY OF	51.35%
124	HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY	51.24%
125	REGENT UNIVERSITY	51.18%
126	VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY	51.17%
127	DAYTON, UNIVERSITY OF	51.15%
128	LIBERTY UNIVERSITY	51.11%
129	ELON UNIVERSITY	50.89%
130	INDIANA UNIVERSITY - INDIANAPOLIS	50.85%
131	TOURO COLLEGE	50.82%
132	GONZAGA UNIVERSITY	50.60%
133	FAULKNER UNIVERSITY	50.00%
134	GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY	49.55%
135	WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY	49.23%
136	DENVER, UNIVERSITY OF	49.21%
137	ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY	49.11%
138	CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY	48.86%
139	BROOKLYN LAW SCHOOL	48.71%
140	LOYOLA UNIVERSITY-NEW ORLEANS	48.56%
141	BARRY UNIVERSITY	48.50%
142	DREXEL UNIVERSITY	48.39%
143	CAPITAL UNIVERSITY	48.22%
144	HOWARD UNIVERSITY	47.68%
145	SAN DIEGO, UNIVERSITY OF	47.09%
146	SEATTLE UNIVERSITY	47.06%
147	AKRON, UNIVERSITY OF	46.76%
148	WIDENER UNIVERSITY-HARRISBURG	46.72%
149	PACE UNIVERSITY	46.52%
150	CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY	46.51%
151	PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY	46.48%
152	CALIFORNIA-HASTINGS, UNIVERSITY OF	46.28%
153	SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY	45.95%
154	VERMONT LAW SCHOOL	45.15%
155	UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS	44.10%
156	NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY	43.83%
156	SOUTHWESTERN LAW SCHOOL	43.83%
158	CALIFORNIA WESTERN SCHOOL OF LAW	43.82%
159	PHOENIX SCHOOL OF LAW	43.65%
160	ATLANTA'S JOHN MARSHALL LAW SHOOL	43.50%
161	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	43.26%
162	SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY	43.21%
163	HAMLINE UNIVERSITY	42.63%
164	SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY	42.62%
165	MAINE, UNIVERSITY OF	42.53%
166	JOHN MARSHALL LAW SCHOOL	42.03%
167	VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY	41.86%
168	OREGON, UNIVERSITY OF	41.61%
169	MCGEORGE SCHOOL OF LAW	41.50%
170	QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY	41.06%
171	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	40.89%
172	LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY-LOS ANGELES	40.88%
173	DEPAUL UNIVERSITY	40.49%
174	ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY	40.28%
175	SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY	39.85%
176	NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL	39.60%
177	WIDENER UNIVERSITY	38.66%
178	APPALACHIAN SCHOOL OF LAW	38.46%
179	AMERICAN UNIVERSITY	38.44%
180	FLORIDA A&M	38.13%
181	CHARLOTTE SCHOOL OF LAW	37.61%
182	CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY	36.52%
183	NEW ENGLAND LAW | BOSTON	36.28%
184	CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA	36.18%
185	FLORIDA COASTAL	35.88%
186	UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE	35.58%
187	AVE MARIA	35.54%
188	WHITTIER COLLEGE	34.12%
189	WESTERN NEW ENGLAND UNIVERSITY	33.75%
190	WESTERN STATE	32.53%
191	DETROIT MERCY, UNIVERSITY OF	29.72%
192	THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL OF LAW	28.85%
193	THOMAS M. COOLEY LAW SCHOOL	28.82%
194	NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY	26.06%
195	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	25.81%
196	UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH	22.73%
197	SAN FRANCISCO, UNIVERSITY OF	22.62%
198	GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY	21.51%
199	PUERTO RICO, UNIVERSITY OF	13.86%
200	PONTIFICAL CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF P.R.	10.60%
201	INTER AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO	2.14%

 

 Updated to reflect that schools with tied scores should have identical ranking positions.

Comments

[Kevin Outterson]

The ABA, NALP and USNews should NOT count these funded programs as LT FT JD jobs.

It's fine to offer these fellowships - these experiences might well lead to jobs -- but we should not conflate these fellowships to real LT FT JD jobs.

GW and W&M were gaming the system to offer such low dollar fellowships to such a large percentage of their classes.

[Anon]

As the Anon from above, I agree that some of those fellowships may be OK to offer. However, every fellowship funded by a law school represents money that could be otherwise committed to reducing tuition, or some other purpose, and therefore the fellowships should only be offered when they present a reasonably strong likelihood of permanent employment, and not because they allow law schools to game the employment statistics system. However, I suspect that if law school-funded employment were expressly excluded from employment statistics most of those fellowships would likely dry up.

[Anon]

And, of course, as I've pointed out before, although they may be a reasonable use of a particular law student's tuition at a particular school if they offer a very strong chance of employment, they should not be regarded as a good thing for law students in general, because they are merely an exchange of employment between law schools rather than a means of creating true employment. Including them in employment statistics merely incentivizes law schools to engage in statistics manipulation. Rather, they should be discouraged, as they present the possibility of displacing real employment with law school-subsidized interns and they result in an unnecessary additional use of law student tuition when considered over the law school population as a whole.