Another Look at Law School Rankings by Employment Outcomes

Yesterday I posed my (somewhat) annual ranking of law schools based on ABA employment data. There are many modeling choices that go into any such ranking, and after looking at some of the numbers I decided to present a different and arguably better version of the ranking. This version differs by centering and scaling the data prior to running the principal components analysis.

The resulting ranking is very close to the previous one (although the score column is now on a different scale). Many schools are very close to where they fell in the original ranking. There are some small differences as to placement of individual schools, especially among the elite schools. For example, in this ranking Yale is able to rise to the top where it's normally found for US News purposes.

Both rankings are sensitive to the methodology used, so each version should obviously be viewed as approximate rather than exact.

A-Rank	Law School	Score
1	YALE UNIVERSITY	5.773031
2	CHICAGO, UNIVERSITY OF	5.515425
3	VIRGINIA, UNIVERSITY OF	5.197054
4	PENNSYLVANIA, UNIVERSITY OF	5.186939
5	HARVARD UNIVERSITY	5.089667
6	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	5.004026
7	DUKE UNIVERSITY	4.947932
8	NEW YORK UNIVERSITY	4.772442
9	STANFORD UNIVERSITY	4.75236
10	COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY	4.705022
11	CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY, UNIVERSITY OF	4.691389
12	CORNELL UNIVERSITY	4.588434
13	MICHIGAN, UNIVERSITY OF	4.560525
14	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY	4.421626
15	FORDHAM UNIVERSITY	4.203434
16	GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY	3.394085
17	NOTRE DAME, UNIVERSITY OF	3.133493
18	SETON HALL UNIVERSITY	3.131106
19	CALIFORNIA-IRVINE, UNIVERSITY OF	3.130192
20	IOWA, UNIVERSITY OF	3.077228
21	TEXAS AT AUSTIN, UNIVERSITY OF	3.067028
22	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY	2.986538
23	WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY	2.977785
24	BOSTON UNIVERSITY	2.942879
25	MINNESOTA, UNIVERSITY OF	2.917667
26	VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY	2.810089
27	WILLIAM AND MARY LAW SCHOOL	2.713856
28	CALIFORNIA-LOS ANGELES, UNIVERSITY OF	2.615173
29	ILLINOIS, UNIVERSITY OF	2.412306
30	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	2.31547
31	NORTH CAROLINA, UNIVERSITY OF	2.257735
32	KENTUCKY, UNIVERSITY OF	2.23146
33	CONNECTICUT, UNIVERSITY OF	2.224094
34	ALABAMA, UNIVERSITY OF	2.144799
35	SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, UNIVERSITY OF	2.141427
36	OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY	2.108751
37	PENNSYLVANIA STATE - DICKINSON LAW	2.077971
38	ST. THOMAS, UNIVERSITY OF (MINNESOTA)	2.06065
39	LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY	2.055974
40	BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY	2.032178
41	PENNSYLVANIA STATE - PENN STATE LAW	1.986068
42	BOSTON COLLEGE	1.975692
43	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY	1.949127
44	WASHINGTON, UNIVERSITY OF	1.944747
45	ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY	1.900703
46	MISSOURI, UNIVERSITY OF	1.860683
47	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY	1.854682
48	GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY	1.786049
49	GEORGIA, UNIVERSITY OF	1.769512
50	NEBRASKA, UNIVERSITY OF	1.759138
51	MARYLAND, UNIVERSITY OF	1.752327
52	TULANE UNIVERSITY	1.688602
53	GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY	1.669852
54	UTAH, UNIVERSITY OF	1.66315
55	FLORIDA, UNIVERSITY OF	1.544995
56	SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY	1.512892
57	SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY	1.493447
58	WISCONSIN, UNIVERSITY OF	1.477505
59	CINCINNATI, UNIVERSITY OF	1.432496
60	INDIANA UNIVERSITY - BLOOMINGTON	1.377071
61	LOUISVILLE, UNIVERSITY OF	1.373451
62	TENNESSEE, UNIVERSITY OF	1.306235
63	BAYLOR UNIVERSITY	1.142377
64	EMORY UNIVERSITY	1.138297
65	UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO-SUNY	1.093795
66	WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY	1.085277
67	WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY	1.052005
68	CALIFORNIA-DAVIS, UNIVERSITY OF	1.023681
69	FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY	1.000457
70	CARDOZO SCHOOL OF LAW	0.987872
71	NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY OF	0.953435
72	RICHMOND, UNIVERSITY OF	0.923303
73	DREXEL UNIVERSITY	0.882013
74	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY	0.793405
75	DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY	0.780479
76	UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA - LAS VEGAS	0.771193
77	RUTGERS UNIVERSITY	0.766485
78	LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY-LOS ANGELES	0.737683
79	HOWARD UNIVERSITY	0.720833
80	PITTSBURGH, UNIVERSITY OF	0.707736
81	COLORADO, UNIVERSITY OF	0.673695
82	ALBANY LAW SCHOOL OF UNION UNIVERSITY	0.616193
83	DETROIT MERCY, UNIVERSITY OF	0.570965
84	LOYOLA UNIVERSITY-CHICAGO	0.570075
85	BROOKLYN LAW SCHOOL	0.550146
86	PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY	0.521669
87	HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY	0.497826
88	SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY	0.491432
89	ARKANSAS, FAYETTEVILLE, UNIVERSITY OF	0.448818
90	TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY	0.440103
91	CALIFORNIA-HASTINGS, UNIVERSITY OF	0.376369
92	ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY	0.324146
93	CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY	0.308244
94	SOUTH CAROLINA, UNIVERSITY OF	0.216525
95	WYOMING, UNIVERSITY OF	0.168961
96	CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY	0.157279
97	DRAKE UNIVERSITY	0.113587
98	MISSISSIPPI, UNIVERSITY OF	0.055324
99	AMERICAN UNIVERSITY	0.045944
100	MIAMI, UNIVERSITY OF	0.024506
101	NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL	-0.01189
102	HOUSTON, UNIVERSITY OF	-0.03218
103	QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY	-0.10536
104	FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY	-0.12977
105	TULSA, UNIVERSITY OF	-0.25557
106	SAMFORD UNIVERSITY	-0.2579
107	MAINE, UNIVERSITY OF	-0.35157
108	TOLEDO, UNIVERSITY OF	-0.3568
109	WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY	-0.44452
110	MONTANA, UNIVERSITY OF	-0.48643
111	MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY	-0.48959
112	CHICAGO-KENT COLLEGE OF LAW-IIT	-0.49732
113	DENVER, UNIVERSITY OF	-0.53547
114	ARIZONA, UNIVERSITY OF	-0.56333
115	MERCER UNIVERSITY	-0.58142
116	WASHBURN UNIVERSITY	-0.59419
117	OKLAHOMA, UNIVERSITY OF	-0.6052
118	KANSAS, UNIVERSITY OF	-0.62207
119	SAN DIEGO, UNIVERSITY OF	-0.67242
120	HAWAII, UNIVERSITY OF	-0.675
121	LEWIS AND CLARK COLLEGE	-0.69685
122	MEMPHIS, UNIVERSITY OF	-0.71867
123	CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY	-0.76981
124	BELMONT UNIVERSITY	-0.80565
125	TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY	-0.82787
126	VERMONT LAW SCHOOL	-0.83314
127	WIDENER-COMMONWEALTH	-0.84184
128	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	-0.89369
129	ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY	-0.91411
130	PACE UNIVERSITY	-0.97497
131	MITCHELL|HAMLINE	-1.01822
132	ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY (FLORIDA)	-1.04547
133	NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY	-1.09344
134	BALTIMORE, UNIVERSITY OF	-1.09947
135	LOYOLA UNIVERSITY-NEW ORLEANS	-1.10359
136	DEPAUL UNIVERSITY	-1.11566
137	MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY, UNIVERSITY OF	-1.11623
138	BARRY UNIVERSITY	-1.12738
139	CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	-1.14923
140	SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY	-1.1828
141	AKRON, UNIVERSITY OF	-1.18321
142	STETSON UNIVERSITY	-1.21435
143	SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY-CARBONDALE	-1.21457
144	OREGON, UNIVERSITY OF	-1.2554
145	TOURO COLLEGE	-1.30986
146	SOUTH DAKOTA, UNIVERSITY OF	-1.3139
147	SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY	-1.33376
148	GONZAGA UNIVERSITY	-1.35075
149	NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY	-1.35911
150	CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY	-1.36943
151	CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA	-1.64367
152	CONCORDIA LAW SCHOOL	-1.65872
153	AVE MARIA SCHOOL OF LAW	-1.71484
154	OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY	-1.75626
155	DAYTON, UNIVERSITY OF	-1.7705
156	SOUTHWESTERN LAW SCHOOL	-1.79121
157	NORTH DAKOTA, UNIVERSITY OF	-1.8023
158	ELON UNIVERSITY	-1.86125
159	LINCOLN MEMORIAL	-1.88316
160	JOHN MARSHALL LAW SCHOOL	-1.90503
161	NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY	-1.91571
162	CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY	-1.9162
163	REGENT UNIVERSITY	-1.96398
164	OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY	-2.12133
165	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	-2.19551
166	NEW MEXICO, UNIVERSITY OF	-2.24587
167	NEW ENGLAND LAW | BOSTON	-2.31581
168	LIBERTY UNIVERSITY	-2.34996
169	FLORIDA COASTAL SCHOOL OF LAW	-2.38869
170	CAPITAL UNIVERSITY	-2.40828
171	NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	-2.43975
172	FAULKNER UNIVERSITY	-2.50867
173	UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH	-2.51041
174	ARKANSAS, LITTLE ROCK, UNIVERSITY OF	-2.51337
175	WESTERN NEW ENGLAND UNIVERSITY	-2.73083
176	SEATTLE UNIVERSITY	-2.80255
177	SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE OF LAW HOUSTON	-2.81715
178	MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE	-2.8687
179	CALIFORNIA WESTERN SCHOOL OF LAW	-2.94959
180	MCGEORGE SCHOOL OF LAW	-2.95361
181	WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY	-3.00004
182	ARIZONA SUMMIT LAW SCHOOL	-3.17822
183	APPALACHIAN SCHOOL OF LAW	-3.21976
184	UNT DALLAS COLLEGE OF LAW	-3.29809
185	PUERTO RICO, UNIVERSITY OF	-3.40491
186	WIDENER UNIVERSITY-DELAWARE	-3.51207
187	IDAHO, UNIVERSITY OF	-3.69434
188	INDIANA UNIVERSITY - INDIANAPOLIS	-3.72665
189	FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY	-3.77424
190	SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY	-3.77874
191	GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY	-3.80977
192	UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE	-3.90316
193	WESTERN STATE COLLEGE OF LAW	-3.95017
194	ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY	-3.9687
195	SAN FRANCISCO, UNIVERSITY OF	-4.80845
196	INTER AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO	-4.86
197	CHARLESTON SCHOOL OF LAW	-4.89269
198	TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY	-5.55603
199	THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL OF LAW	-5.65623
200	ATLANTA'S JOHN MARSHALL LAW SHOOL	-7.29295
201	PONTIFICAL CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF P.R.	-8.69123