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Reviewed by:
Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University
Reviewed: 05/12/23
If you’ve decided you’d like to begin your legal career in the East Coast, read on to learn more about the best law schools in this region!
New York is one of the most sought after places of employment by aspiring lawyers. This state can offer students limitless opportunities to work in large law firms, and with some of the most successful companies in the country.
New York is also home to some of the highest-ranking law schools, like NYU that is known for producing leading attorneys.
There are several other East Coast law schools that provide students with the education, resources, and experiences to thrive in the legal world.
This guide will go over some of the top law schools on the East Coast and provide you with all the necessary admission details you need to decide which one is best for you!
While there are many great law schools in the East Coast, here are the top 10:
Yale is located in Connecticut and ranks as not only the best law school on the East Coast but also the best in the nation.
This school is known for its constitutional law, commercial law, and international law programs. Yale also boasts of an unmatched environment of excellence, world-class faculty, and limitless opportunities for clinical training.
As the best law school in the nation, Yale is highly selective. It has an acceptance rate of only 5.25%. Recent matriculants had a median GPA of 3.96 and a median LSAT score of 174. Tuition will cost you $74,044 a year to attend.
Harvard Law is one of the most prestigious law schools in the nation. It is best known for its corporate, constitutional, and healthcare law programs and is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Tuition at Harvard Law costs $77,100 per year. However, only about 10.97% of applicants are accepted into Harvard. Recent matriculants had a median GPA of 3.95 and a median LSAT score of 174. If you want to position yourself as a competitive candidate, aim for scores higher than these medians.
UPenn offers students a unique legal education that involves several disciplines to ensure they can launch impactful careers in any legal sector. Recent matriculants had a median GPA of 3.93 and a median LSAT score of 172. Students looking to gain admission to this law school should aim for scores above these medians.
The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School has a 9.95% acceptance rate and tuition costs $74,688. However, if accepted, students will be attending one of the most prestigious law schools in the country which will most certainly look advantageous on a job application.
UVA tends to make the top of the list for an overwhelming amount of students—and for good reason! This school ranks fourth in the nation and has an extensive track record of producing distinguished lawyers. Yet, only 13.92% of the thousands of UVA applicants have what it takes to gain acceptance!
Recent matriculants had a median GPA of 3.96 and a median LSAT score of 172. It’s quite clear that if you’re looking to get accepted at UVA Law School, you need to aim for scores above these medians.
Additionally, UVA Law School’s tuition is $71,200 per year. Not only is this school competitive to get into, but it’s also expensive!
Duke Law School is committed to being an ambitious, innovative, and forward-thinking law school that produces responsible and productive lawyers. With a strong emphasis on academics and building a bright community of scholars, Duke has high admission requirements.
Students interested in applying to this school should set their target LSAT score higher than the 170 median. Likewise, they should also aim to have a higher GPA than 3.89 to position themselves as a strong candidate. Only 13.88% of applicants are admitted to Duke Law. The tuition at this North Carolina-based school costs $77,100–yikes!
Columbia Law is another high-ranking, T14 law school situated in New York City, an ideal location for budding attorneys. With the highest tuition in the nation, Columbia Law costs $81,888 a year. However, students can expect to invest more than just money into their legal education at Columbia.
Students will also have to invest a lot of hard work and effort into getting admitted to this competitive law school. Recent matriculants had a median GPA of 3.90 and a median LSAT score of 173. Columbia Law School has an acceptance rate of 11.75%, so getting in will certainly be challenging.
As a forefront institution for research and legal education, NYU offers its students some of the most comprehensive experiential learning opportunities, including over 40 clinics and more than 80 student organizations to begin getting involved in the real legal world.
These experiences ready students for their careers and make them stand out amongst other applicants. Simply graduating from this law school offers a high level of esteem to students! But, this prestige comes with a price tag. Students can expect to pay $79,954 a year to attend, making it one of the most expensive schools on this list.
NYU School of Law has an acceptance rate of 16.67%. Recent matriculants had a median LSAT score of 172 and a median GPA of 3.91.
Cornell has various impressive titles and rankings: it’s an Ivy League school, a T14 school, and ranks #1 in job placement at large law firms, which comes as no surprise, as it’s located in one of the largest legal hubs, New York.
Students who have this distinguished law school at the top of their list will need LSAT scores above the 173 median and GPAs above the 3.89 median to be considered competitive applicants. The acceptance rate at Cornell Law School is 23.11% and tuition costs $81,306.
Georgetown University offers students unparalleled experiential learning, internship, and externship opportunities because of its ideal location. Situated in the nation’s capital, Georgetown says that students “learn the law in the place where laws are made.”
Recent matriculants at Georgetown Law had a median LSAT score of 171 and a median GPA of 3.92. Students looking to gain admission should aim for scores above these medians. The acceptance rate at Georgetown Law is 20.13% and tuition costs $79,672.
Boston University School of Law is last on our list, but certainly not least. This law school ranks 24th in the nation but third for healthcare law and eighth for intellectual property law, making it an excellent option for students interested in pursuing these legal specialties.
Despite being the only law school on this list that is not a T14 school, Boston’s tuition costs remain high, at $66,670 a year. The acceptance rate is 20.61% which might sound compelling, but high scores are still needed.
Recent matriculants had a median GPA of 3.88 and a median LSAT score of 170, so aim higher than these medians to position yourself as a strong applicant.
In this guide, we’ve covered the top 10 law schools on the East Coast and discussed their admission statistics and highlights. Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Yes, the East Coast has excellent law schools! In fact, nine of the T14 law schools are located in the East Coast. These schools are the most prestigious in the nation, offer the highest quality of education, and produce alumni that are highly sought after by employers.
The East Coast is home to some of the nation’s largest legal hubs, such as New York and Washington. Accordingly, it can offer students substantial opportunities for career development.
The best law school on the East Coast is Yale Law School. Not only is it the #1 law school on the East Coast, but it is also the #1 law school in the nation.
New York University (NYU) is considered the top law school in New York. It's also one of the top law schools in the United States.
According to our list, Boston University School of Law has the cheapest tuition at $66,670 and Columbia Law School has the most expensive tuition at $81,888. This means that tuition for the best East Coast law schools ranges between $66,670 and $81,888.
You’ll have to make a lot of decisions throughout your legal journey, one of the most important being the law school you choose to pursue your JD degree.
This decision will influence your career trajectory, so it’s essential you consider your options! After going over the top law schools on the East Coast, you have the basic information you need to consider 10 of the finest law schools the country has to offer!
