Law Schools Ranked by Employment

On Tuesday The Faculty Lounge carried a post by Dan Filler ranking law schools using ABA employment data. The ranking included a few oddities, such as Kentucky Law being tied for #2 and Georgetown Law being tied for #78. I think these types of results should put a person on "inquiry notice" that there might be something wrong with the methodology. 

I decided to use a technique have written about in the past to produce a better ranking of law schools by ABA employment data. Professor Filler's post really isn't fair to excellent schools like Georgetown, and is especially harsh to UC Irvine, which Professor Filler's approach ranks at #127. My technique takes into account all of the ABA data and uses a dimensionality reduction technique to squash the data into a single dimension. It counts some categories as negatives and some as positives, and uses information about "biglaw" versus "small law" jobs, etc.

This ranking, which I denote A-Rank to distinguish it from Filler's F-Rank, is far from perfect, but it is clearly a significant improvement and I think readers will find it more informative. I wrote this up quickly, so please feel free to comment on any errors or omissions.

UPDATE: If you like this post, here's a link to a new post on the subject that looks at two dimensions of employment outcomes, breaking this ranking down into "prestige" employment and other employment.

A-Rank	US News Rank	Law School
1	4	CHICAGO, UNIVERSITY OF
2	4	COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
3	7	PENNSYLVANIA, UNIVERSITY OF
4	6	NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
5	11	DUKE UNIVERSITY
6	13	CORNELL UNIVERSITY
7	2	HARVARD UNIVERSITY
8	8	VIRGINIA, UNIVERSITY OF
9	2	STANFORD UNIVERSITY
10	8	MICHIGAN, UNIVERSITY OF
11	1	YALE UNIVERSITY
12	8	CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY, UNIVERSITY OF
13	12	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
14	16	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
15	14	GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
16	17	CALIFORNIA-LOS ANGELES, UNIVERSITY OF
17	19	SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, UNIVERSITY OF
18	28	CALIFORNIA-IRVINE, UNIVERSITY OF
19	15	TEXAS AT AUSTIN, UNIVERSITY OF
20	20	BOSTON UNIVERSITY
21	30	BOSTON COLLEGE
22	22	EMORY UNIVERSITY
23	22	NOTRE DAME, UNIVERSITY OF
24	18	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
25	25	GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
26	40	WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY
27	22	MINNESOTA, UNIVERSITY OF
28	40	ILLINOIS, UNIVERSITY OF
29	37	FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
30	65	SETON HALL UNIVERSITY
31	33	WILLIAM AND MARY LAW SCHOOL
32	30	CALIFORNIA-DAVIS, UNIVERSITY OF
33	60	KENTUCKY, UNIVERSITY OF
34	20	IOWA, UNIVERSITY OF
35	40	COLORADO, UNIVERSITY OF
36	55	BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
37	28	ALABAMA, UNIVERSITY OF
38	30	OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
39	33	GEORGIA, UNIVERSITY OF
40	38	NORTH CAROLINA, UNIVERSITY OF
41	45	SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
42	97	BROOKLYN LAW SCHOOL
43	48	FLORIDA, UNIVERSITY OF
44	33	WASHINGTON, UNIVERSITY OF
45	97	WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
46	40	ARIZONA, UNIVERSITY OF
47	74	ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY
48	111	IDAHO, UNIVERSITY OF
49	74	CARDOZO SCHOOL OF LAW
50	111	HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY
51	50	FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
52	82	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
53	25	INDIANA UNIVERSITY - BLOOMINGTON
54	78	UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA - LAS VEGAS
55	65	MISSOURI, UNIVERSITY OF
56	131	CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
57	50	CALIFORNIA-HASTINGS, UNIVERSITY OF
58	50	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
59	92	RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
60	40	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY
61	82	LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
62	33	WISCONSIN, UNIVERSITY OF
63	60	NEW MEXICO, UNIVERSITY OF
64	129	ALBANY LAW SCHOOL OF UNION UNIVERSITY
65	65	TENNESSEE, UNIVERSITY OF
66	74	VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY
67	78	AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
68	92	SOUTH CAROLINA, UNIVERSITY OF
69	38	BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
70	72	DENVER, UNIVERSITY OF
71	50	TULANE UNIVERSITY
72	25	ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
73	45	GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
74	60	OKLAHOMA, UNIVERSITY OF
75	65	KANSAS, UNIVERSITY OF
76	57	CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
77	123	MERCER UNIVERSITY
78	60	CINCINNATI, UNIVERSITY OF
79	123	MONTANA, UNIVERSITY OF
80	57	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY
81	48	MARYLAND, UNIVERSITY OF
82	55	RICHMOND, UNIVERSITY OF
83	106	HOWARD UNIVERSITY
84	65	CONNECTICUT, UNIVERSITY OF
85	123	TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
86	65	LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY-LOS ANGELES
87	57	NEBRASKA, UNIVERSITY OF
88	103	STETSON UNIVERSITY
89	136	PACE UNIVERSITY
90	33	UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO-SUNY
91	82	SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY
92	60	MIAMI, UNIVERSITY OF
93	86	PENNSYLVANIA STATE - DICKINSON LAW
94	74	SAN DIEGO, UNIVERSITY OF
95	50	HOUSTON, UNIVERSITY OF
96	92	LOUISVILLE, UNIVERSITY OF
97	82	NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY OF
98	111	DREXEL UNIVERSITY
99	unranked	MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE
100	123	MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY
101	92	HAWAII, UNIVERSITY OF
102	97	WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
103	86	ARKANSAS, FAYETTEVILLE, UNIVERSITY OF
104	144	NORTH DAKOTA, UNIVERSITY OF
105	103	FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
106	100	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
107	86	SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
108	65	PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY
109	111	DRAKE UNIVERSITY
110	106	CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY
111	132	GONZAGA UNIVERSITY
112	45	UTAH, UNIVERSITY OF
113	123	MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY, UNIVERSITY OF
114	86	TULSA, UNIVERSITY OF
115	86	PENNSYLVANIA STATE - PENN STATE LAW
116	144	NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
117	78	PITTSBURGH, UNIVERSITY OF
118	111	ST. THOMAS, UNIVERSITY OF (MINNESOTA)
119	100	INDIANA UNIVERSITY - INDIANAPOLIS
120	106	WASHBURN UNIVERSITY
121	72	LOYOLA UNIVERSITY-CHICAGO
122	unranked	NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
123	unranked	REGENT UNIVERSITY
124	111	DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY
125	78	OREGON, UNIVERSITY OF
126	unranked	APPALACHIAN SCHOOL OF LAW
127	143	SOUTH DAKOTA, UNIVERSITY OF
128	103	CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
129	unranked	MEMPHIS, UNIVERSITY OF
130	111	SEATTLE UNIVERSITY
131	unranked	BELMONT UNIVERSITY
132	unranked	SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE OF LAW
133	123	WYOMING, UNIVERSITY OF
134	106	MISSISSIPPI, UNIVERSITY OF
135	111	BALTIMORE, UNIVERSITY OF
136	86	CHICAGO-KENT COLLEGE OF LAW-IIT
137	unranked	SAMFORD UNIVERSITY
138	unranked	TOURO COLLEGE
139	92	LEWIS AND CLARK COLLEGE
140	111	DEPAUL UNIVERSITY
141	unranked	SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY-CARBONDALE
142	111	TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
143	132	WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY
144	unranked	ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY
145	unranked	JOHN MARSHALL LAW SCHOOL
146	132	VERMONT LAW SCHOOL
147	144	CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY
148	unranked	LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
149	106	CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY
150	unranked	WIDENER UNIVERSITY-DELAWARE
151	136	AKRON, UNIVERSITY OF
152	unranked	ELON UNIVERSITY
153	144	OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY
154	136	ARKANSAS, LITTLE ROCK, UNIVERSITY OF
155	unranked	DAYTON, UNIVERSITY OF
156	111	NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL
157	140	LOYOLA UNIVERSITY-NEW ORLEANS
158	140	MITCHELL|HAMLINE
159	unranked	ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY
160	unranked	CHARLESTON SCHOOL OF LAW
161	unranked	WIDENER-COMMONWEALTH
162	unranked	FAULKNER UNIVERSITY
163	144	MCGEORGE SCHOOL OF LAW
164	129	SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY
165	111	MAINE, UNIVERSITY OF
166	144	TOLEDO, UNIVERSITY OF
167	132	QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY
168	unranked	SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY
169	unranked	WESTERN NEW ENGLAND UNIVERSITY
170	unranked	NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
171	136	CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY
172	unranked	DETROIT MERCY, UNIVERSITY OF
173	unranked	NEW ENGLAND LAW | BOSTON
174	unranked	SAN FRANCISCO, UNIVERSITY OF
175	unranked	ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY (FLORIDA)
176	unranked	CALIFORNIA WESTERN SCHOOL OF LAW
177	unranked	VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY
178	unranked	OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY
179	unranked	TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
180	unranked	GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY
181	unranked	FLORIDA COASTAL SCHOOL OF LAW
182	unranked	WESTERN STATE COLLEGE OF LAW
183	unranked	CAPITAL UNIVERSITY
184	unranked	FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY
185	unranked	UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE
186	unranked	AVE MARIA SCHOOL OF LAW
187	unranked	SOUTHWESTERN LAW SCHOOL
188	unranked	BARRY UNIVERSITY
189	unranked	ARIZONA SUMMIT LAW SCHOOL
190	unranked	NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
191	unranked	SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
192	unranked	LINCOLN MEMORIAL
193	unranked	CONCORDIA LAW SCHOOL
194	unranked	UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH
195	unranked	PUERTO RICO, UNIVERSITY OF
196	unranked	WHITTIER LAW SCHOOL
197	unranked	THOMAS M. COOLEY LAW SCHOOL
198	unranked	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
199	unranked	THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL OF LAW
200	unranked	CHARLOTTE SCHOOL OF LAW
201	unranked	ATLANTA'S JOHN MARSHALL LAW SHOOOL
202	unranked	PONTIFICAL CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF P.R.
203	unranked	INTER AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO

 

UPDATE: The employment ranking presented here tracks US News fairly closely, as shown in the chart below (unranked schools set at the lowest rank of 150). Of course, US News may feed back into employment outcomes, which could cause some of this. But even if US News ranking affects employment outcomes, it still shows that this ranking is a better measure of employment.