School of Law Named Among Top 10 Best Values for Fifth Consecutive Year

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The National Jurist and preLaw magazines have ranked the University of Arkansas School of Law the nation’s seventh “Best Value in Legal Education.” This marks the school’s seventh consecutive year in the list’s top 20 and the fifth consecutive year in its top 10.

According to the National Jurist’s Fall 2017 issue, “The Best Value Schools ranking is designed to recognize schools where graduates have excellent chances of passing the bar and getting a legal job without taking on a ton of debt.”

“The University of Arkansas School of Law’s Best Value ranking is one that we anticipate each year because it reflects so many of our priorities,” said Stacy Leeds, dean of the school. “We are committed first to providing an excellent legal education, and we want to do that while also making sure we pay attention to students’ overall cost, bar passage, job placement and debt load. Our consistent rankings among the nation’s ‘Best Values in Legal Education’ confirms that we’re meeting these goals and performing well relative to our peer institutions.”

The annual study uses information from the American Bar Association and U.S. News and World Report to rank schools based on: percentage of graduates who pass the bar exam, which counts for 15 percent of the rank; employment rate after graduation, 35 percent; tuition, 25 percent; cost of living, 10 percent; and average indebtedness upon graduation, 15 percent.

The magazines are published four times per year and are among the nation’s leading news sources in legal education. The National Jurist reaches an estimated 100,000 law students. preLaw is read by more than 45,000 prospective law students. The magazines are also read by professors and law school administrators.

About University of Arkansas School of Law: The University of Arkansas School of Law prepares students for success through a challenging curriculum taught by nationally recognized faculty, unique service opportunities and a close-knit community that puts students first. With alumni in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, two territories and more than 20 countries, it has been ranked among the top 10 "Best Values in Legal Education" by the National Jurist magazine for five consecutive years and is among the top 42 public law schools, according to U.S. News and World Report.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.