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Boston University School of Law is ranked 24th (tie) nationally in the U.S. News 2026-27 edition, placing it among the stronger schools in the Boston market alongside Harvard and Boston College. Located on BU's Charles River campus, it reports a median LSAT of 170 and a 12.08% acceptance rate in its 2025 ABA Standard 509 report.
By Ali Unar, JD candidate at Georgetown Law and founder of Lovare Institut. Last updated August 2026. Every figure on this page was verified in August 2026 against the sources listed below.
Boston University School of Law is an ABA-approved law school on BU's Charles River campus in Boston. Its current U.S. News rank and the admissions and outcome numbers that matter most are summarized below.
MetricValue (2026 cycle)U.S. News rank24th (tie)Median LSAT170Median GPASee the school's ABA 509 reportAcceptance rate12.08%First-time bar passageSee the school's ABA 509 reportEmployment (JD-required, 10 months)See the school's ABA 509 report
The rank comes from the U.S. News 2026-27 Best Law Schools ranking; the median LSAT of 170 and 12.08% acceptance rate come from Boston University School of Law's 2025 ABA Standard 509 report; its median GPA, first-time bar passage, and 10-month employment are published in that report and the school's ABA required disclosures.
In the Boston market, BU Law competes with Harvard Law in Cambridge and Boston College Law in Newton, with Northeastern, Suffolk, and New England Law also nearby. Harvard sits in the national T14; BU and BC are strong national schools that place especially well across New England. The table shows the local field.
Law schoolLocationU.S. News rankMedian LSATMedian GPAHarvard Law SchoolCambridge, MA6th1743.96Boston University School of LawBoston, MA24th (tie)170See ABA 509 reportBoston College Law SchoolNewton, MA20th (tie)1683.83Northeastern University School of LawBoston, MA77th (tie)See ABA 509 reportSee ABA 509 reportSuffolk University Law SchoolBoston, MA128th (tie)See ABA 509 reportSee ABA 509 reportNew England Law BostonBoston, MA168th (tie)See ABA 509 reportSee ABA 509 report
Ranks come from the U.S. News 2026-27 Best Law Schools ranking, and each school's median LSAT and median GPA come from its 2025 ABA Standard 509 report; schools not captured in this reference report their medians in their own 509 reports.
Rank comes from U.S. News, which weights reputation surveys, selectivity (median LSAT and GPA, acceptance rate), and outcomes (bar passage and employment). The medians, bar-passage rates, and employment figures come from each school's ABA Standard 509 Information Report. Because U.S. News revises its weights periodically and publishes them in its methodology, positions can move a little without real change.
Whether BU Law is a reach, target, or likely school depends on how your LSAT and GPA compare to its medians. If you are at or above both, it is a realistic target and a possible scholarship source; below both, treat it as a reach. If you plan to practice in Boston or New England, weigh BU alongside BC and Northeastern on cost and placement.
Boston University School of Law sits in a strong local market alongside Harvard Law in Cambridge and Boston College Law in Newton, with Northeastern, Suffolk, and New England Law also nearby. Harvard is a T14 school; BU and BC are strong national schools that place especially well across New England. In the U.S. News 2026-27 ranking, Harvard is 6th, Boston College 20th (tie), and BU 24th (tie).
Boston University School of Law typically reports a first-time bar-passage rate well above the Massachusetts state average, but the exact figure changes each year with the graduating class. The reliable source is BU Law's most recent ABA Standard 509 Information Report, since that rate is not captured in this reference.
There is no fixed cutoff, but the practical target is BU Law's median LSAT of 170, reported in its 2025 ABA Standard 509 report along with its median GPA and 25th and 75th percentiles. Being at or above the median makes you competitive, and above the 75th percentile strengthens your scholarship case.
No. Boston University School of Law is a strong national law school but not part of the T14, the fourteen schools that consistently top the U.S. News rankings. BU Law nonetheless places graduates well across New England and into national markets. Its rank is 24th (tie) in the U.S. News 2026-27 edition.
Verified August 2026.
August 21, 2026
August 21, 2026