WACO— October, 2018

Baylor Law ranked fifth in the nation as a Best Value Private Law School and earned an A- rating in the most recent edition of preLaw magazine, a legal education publication of The National Jurist.

Best value is not based solely on a school’s tuition rate. In determining the Best Value law schools, preLaw Magazine based its rankings on data from the American Bar Association (ABA) and U.S. News and World Report using the following weights:

• Employment rate (35%)
• Tuition (25%)
• Ultimate Bar exam pass rate (15%)
• Average indebtedness at graduation (15%)
• Cost of living (10%)

“The Best Value Law Schools ranking is designed to recognize the law schools where graduates have excellent chances of passing the bar and getting a legal job without taking on a ton of debt,” according to preLaw Magazine.

Baylor Law’s class of 2017 employment rate for full-time, long-term bar passage required and J.D. advantage jobs is 86.2 percent — more than ten points higher than the national average. Baylor Law’s ultimate bar passage rate, the rate of students who pass the bar exam within two years of graduation, is 100%, the highest of all 204 ABA-approved law schools, according to a recent ABA study.

“Baylor Law is deeply committed to providing a high quality legal education and we always strive to find ways to make the Baylor Law experience as affordable as possible,” said Dean Brad Toben, who added, “Just as importantly our faculty and staff colleagues are dedicated to producing Baylor Lawyers who not only find meaningful careers, but who thrive in their chosen profession.”

Baylor law has earned five other ratings from preLaw Magazine over the past year: Best Law Schools: Employment; Best for Practical Training; Best Specialties: Practical Training; Best Moot Court; and Best Law School Buildings.

Along with these credits from preLaw Magazine, Baylor Law was recently ranked #26 in the nation for Federal Clerkship placements, often seen as the most prestigious clerkships available.

MEDIA CONTACT: Ed Nelson, Director of Marketing & Communications
EMAIL: Ed_Nelson@Baylor.edu
PHONE: 254-710-6681

ABOUT BAYLOR LAW
Established in 1857, Baylor Law School was one of the first law schools in Texas and one of the first west of the Mississippi River. Today, the school has more than 7,400 living alumni. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Baylor Law School has a record of producing outstanding lawyers, many of whom decide upon a career in public service. The Law School boasts two governors, members or former members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, two former directors of the FBI, U.S. ambassadors, federal judges, justices of the Texas Supreme Court and members of the Texas Legislature, among its notable alumni. In its law specialties rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Baylor Law’s trial advocacy program as one of the top 5 in the nation. Baylor Law School is also ranked #50 in the magazine’s 2019 edition of "America’s Best Graduate Schools." The National Jurist ranks Baylor Law as one of the "Best School for Practical Training," and in the top 15 "Best Law School Facilities" in the country. The Business Insider places Baylor Law among the top 50 law schools in the nation. Baylor Law School received the 2015 American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award, making it only the third law school in the nation to be honored with the award since the award's inception in 1984. Learn more at baylor.edu/law

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more at baylor.edu