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Every T14 school ranked with median LSAT, GPA, and acceptance rate from the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. Includes the significant 2025 changes — four new schools joined, Cornell dropped out, and Virginia jumped to #4.
The T14 refers to the group of institutions that have historically occupied the top fourteen spots in US News & World Report's Best Law Schools rankings. The designation marks a meaningful employment boundary: T14 graduates can access BigLaw, federal clerkships, and elite legal positions in any US market. Below the T14, placement becomes increasingly regional.
The group is not formally defined by any institution. The streak of stable membership broke in 2023 when US News changed its methodology, and 2025 brought the most significant disruption yet — a four-way tie at #14 expanded the group to seventeen schools, while Cornell (a T14 fixture for decades) dropped to #18.
Within the T14, practitioners commonly use a further tier structure reflecting employment outcomes and hiring preferences.
Rankings from 2025 US News Best Law Schools. LSAT, GPA, and acceptance rate data from 2025 ABA 509 Required Disclosures (fall 2025 entering class). Verify current cycle data at each school's admissions page before applying.
| # | School | Med. LSAT | 25th LSAT | Med. GPA | Accept | Class Size | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yale Law SchoolNew Haven, CT | 174 | 172 | 3.96 | 4.1% | ~200 | HYS |
| 2 | Stanford Law SchoolStanford, CA | 173 | 171 | 3.96 | 6.1% | ~180 | HYS |
| 3 | University of ChicagoChicago, IL | 174 | 171 | 3.97 | 9.7% | ~185 | ↑ Up from #5 T6 |
| 4 | UVA School of LawCharlottesville, VA | 173 | 170 | 3.99 | 10.2% | ~330 | ↑ Jumped to #4 |
| 5 | Harvard Law SchoolCambridge, MA | 174 | 171 | 3.94 | 12.0% | ~560 | ↓ Tied #5 HYS |
| 5 | Duke University LawDurham, NC | 171 | 169 | 3.88 | 14.5% | ~200 | ↑ Tied #5 |
| 7 | Columbia Law SchoolNew York, NY | 173 | 171 | 3.92 | 11.8% | ~420 | T6 |
| 7 | Penn Carey LawPhiladelphia, PA | 173 | 170 | 3.95 | 8.1% | ~250 | Tied #7 |
| 9 | NYU School of LawNew York, NY | 172 | 170 | 3.92 | 13.4% | ~440 | T6 |
| 10 | UC Berkeley LawBerkeley, CA | 171 | 168 | 3.88 | 20.0% | ~270 | In-state value |
| 11 | Northwestern PritzkerChicago, IL | 171 | 168 | 3.89 | 14.0% | ~240 | Work exp. valued |
| 12 | University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI | 171 | 168 | 3.88 | 17.5% | ~300 | Michigan Mystique |
| 13 | Georgetown LawWashington, DC | 171 | 167 | 3.93 | 16.0% | ~672 | Largest T14 class |
| 14 | UCLA School of Law NewLos Angeles, CA | 171 | 168 | 3.95 | 18.0% | ~300 | In-state value |
| 14 | UT Austin Law NewAustin, TX | 170 | 167 | 3.85 | 22.0% | ~250 | Texas markets |
| 14 | Vanderbilt Law NewNashville, TN | 171 | 167 | 3.88 | 25.0% | ~180 | Scholarship-generous |
| 14 | WashU Law NewSt. Louis, MO | 175 | 172 | 3.97 | 18.0% | ~200 | Highest LSAT median |
T6 shading indicates consensus T6 schools. "New" badge indicates first-time T14 entrants in 2025. Data from 2025 ABA 509 Required Disclosures. Cornell (#18) dropped from T14 in 2025.
For BigLaw, federal clerkships, and elite government positions: yes, significantly. The employment boundary between T14 and non-T14 schools is real and durable. Firms with 500+ attorneys hire the overwhelming majority of associates from T14 schools. This is not prestige signalling — it is a structural feature of elite legal hiring that has persisted for decades.
For regional practice, public interest work, and markets where a strong regional school dominates: less so. A University of Texas graduate in the Texas legal market or a Fordham graduate in New York public interest law may have comparable outcomes to a lower T14 graduate — particularly if scholarship money makes the regional school dramatically cheaper.
The rank within the T14 matters less than most applicants believe. The employment gap between #1 Yale and #13 Georgetown is real for Supreme Court pathways. For BigLaw and federal clerkships outside the most elite positions, the gap is much smaller. A school's fit with your career goals is more determinative than its annual US News differential.
Lovare coaches students through every stage of the T14 application — from LSAT preparation to school list strategy, personal statement, and scholarship negotiation.
Request a Private ConsultRankings are from the 2025 US News Best Law Schools report. LSAT, GPA, and acceptance rate data are from the 2025 ABA 509 Required Disclosures, reflecting the fall 2025 entering class. Rankings and admissions statistics change annually — verify current cycle data directly with each law school before applying. Lovare Institut is not affiliated with any law school, US News, or the American Bar Association. LSAT® is a registered trademark of LSAC.