The University of Arkansas School of Law ranks first in the nation in preLaw magazine’s annual “Best Value Law Schools” issue. This is the fourth year in a row that the School of Law has been honored as a top 20 “Best Value.” It ranked second in the nation last year.

“The University of Arkansas School of Law delivers an extraordinary education for its students and at a value that leaves them with significantly less debt than students at most law schools,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “The return on investment for a student who graduates from our law school is good not only for our students but for Arkansas as well.”

School of Law Dean Stacy Leeds is quoted throughout the preLaw story, and credits support from the Arkansas Bar Association and investments in bar exam preparation and career services as factors in the law school’s continued success.

The rankings, which highlight the law schools that produce “lawyer-ready grads without saddling them with debt,” are determined by a formula that uses “the percent of graduates who pass the bar exam, employment rate, tuition, cost of living, and average indebtedness upon graduation.” For the employment category, more weight is given to jobs that require bar exam passage and to jobs that prefer the candidate hold a Juris Doctor degree.

For a detailed report of the law school’s bar passage, placement rates, and tuition and fees, please visit law.uark.edu.