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Reviewed by:
Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University
Reviewed: 12/22/23
Massachusetts is home to several excellent law schools. To learn more about these schools and how to join them, read on.
Every aspiring law student is familiar with the name Harvard. It’s one of the most prestigious schools in the nation and is typically at the top of every aspiring law student's list! Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this school also offers students unparalleled externships and clinical opportunities.
But Harvard isn’t the only law school in Massachusetts. To narrow down your search, this guide will go over the four best law schools in Massachusetts.
There are several factors to consider as you decide which law school in Massachusetts is right for you. For instance, knowing the reputation and ranking of each school and how you compare to successful applicants can ensure you build the most realistic and targeted list of choices! Here’s a quick overview of this important information:
There are eight ABA-accredited law schools in Massachusetts: Harvard Law, Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern University, Suffolk Law, New England Law, the University of Massachusetts, and Western New England University. Notably, the latter four are not listed in our top picks and rank in the 100s.
Some of the key draws to pursuing a legal career in Massachusetts is its robust legal market, diverse legal practices, and renowned experiential learning opportunities.
As a school that needs little introduction, it should come as no surprise that Harvard University is the number one law school in Massachusetts. This school is one of the revered T14 law schools.
While eight of Harvard’s programs rank within the top 10 in the nation, its corporate and constitutional law programs are the best in the country! If you’re interested in specializing in either of these legal areas, Harvard can provide you with extensive coursework and clinical experience to master your skills and enhance your expertise!
Another one of the finest law schools in Massachusetts is Boston University. Its faculty is consistently recognized for its preeminent scholarship, excellent mentorship, and exceptional teaching.
Boston University doesn’t shy away from providing students with realistic expectations of their curriculums; they claim the coursework will be undoubtedly demanding! However, this demanding work results in impactful rewards, which its high bar passage rate can confirm!
While it has a similar name as the previous school discussed, Boston College is another excellent law school in Massachusetts that offers unique clinics and programs that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.
These clinics cover a spectrum of areas, ranging from leveraging entrepreneurship to support the reentry of individuals with criminal backgrounds to addressing civil rights concerns and even preparing petitions for compassionate parole.
For students hoping to combine their passion for medicine with law, Northeastern offers one of the best healthcare law programs in the country.
Northeastern aims to admit students at the top of their classes, so they’re able to thrive in their robust programs and pass the bar exam with flying colors, which almost all of them do!
Looking for more choices around Massachusetts? Explore your options for the perfect law school near Massachusetts using our free tool below. With it, you can easily filter choices by region across the United States!
For any remaining questions about the law schools in Massachusetts, read on to find your answers.
There are eight accredited law schools in Massachusetts.
While not on this list, the cheapest law school in Massachusetts is the University of Massachusetts. It costs $30,340 for in-state students and $39,550 for out-of-state students.
A JD in Massachusetts will take as long to complete as it would in any other state—three years, unless you complete a part-time program which will take four years.
Typically, students consider law schools with low LSAT scores to be the easiest to get into. By this standard alone, Western New England University is the easiest to get into, as it has a median LSAT score of 150.
Harvard University has the most rigorous admission expectations and lowest acceptance rate on this list. Students must have GPAs of 3.93 and LSAT scores of 174 to be considered competitive applicants at this Ivy League school!
Harvard University is the best law school in Massachusetts.
Yes, Massachusetts is an excellent place to study law because it offers students access to some of the nation’s largest law firms. In fact, the National Jurist dubbed Boston the third-best city for young lawyers.
There are over 2,000 law firms in Boston alone and hundreds of corporate and federal organizations. Accordingly, this state can offer you countless opportunities that can be best accessed through the nearby law schools that are connected to them!
While Harvard might be your dream law school, it can be reassuring to know it isn’t your only option in Massachusetts. This state offers several other top-ranking law schools that can offer you a high-quality education taught by world-class faculty and supplemented by unparalleled clinics and externships!
