Most Likely To Succeed Rankings 2007

The question arises from time to time which schools might make big moves up or down in the rankings over the next decade or two. To produce some sort of rough proxy of potential to succeed, I ranked schools based on an equal weighting of their current US News composite reputation scores and the total size of their endowments. Endowment figures come from the 2006 NACUBO Endowment Study and are for parent institutions or university systems, not the law schools alone. For schools not covered in the NACUBO survey, I pulled numbers from their most recent IRS Form 990 on GuideStar.org. Private and public schools are ranked separately. I did not attempt to factor in the "virtual" endowment of tax revenues received by public schools. When using state university system-wide endowment figures, I divided them by the number of law schools supported by the system. The REP and $$$ scores are percentile rankings on a 500 point scale. Equal total scores get equal MLTS ranks. See Law School Endowments for notes.


MLTS Most Likely To Succeed Rank
REP Reputation Score (0-500)
$$$ Endowment Score (0-500)
USNWR US News Rank

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

MLTS / REP / $$$ / USNWR
1 495 500 2 HARVARD UNIVERSITY
1 500 495 1 YALE UNIVERSITY
3 490 490 2 STANFORD UNIVERSITY
4 481 486 5 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
5 471 481 6 PENNSYLVANIA, UNIVERSITY OF
6 481 466 6 CHICAGO, UNIVERSITY OF
7 452 476 12 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
8 462 457 10 DUKE UNIVERSITY
9 462 447 13 CORNELL UNIVERSITY
10 476 433 4 NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
11 433 471 22 EMORY UNIVERSITY
12 433 462 19 WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
13 447 438 16 VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
14 442 442 16 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, UNIVERSITY OF
15 418 452 28 NOTRE DAME, UNIVERSITY OF
16 409 423 28 BOSTON COLLEGE
17 452 370 14 GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
18 423 394 22 GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
19 385 428 53 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
20 399 399 36 WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY
20 409 389 20 BOSTON UNIVERSITY
22 375 409 46 SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
23 361 413 52 YESHIVA UNIVERSITY
24 394 375 47 TULANE UNIVERSITY
25 423 341 25 WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY
26 365 380 53 BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
27 404 327 25 FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
28 370 356 70 MIAMI, UNIVERSITY OF
29 288 418 77 RICHMOND, UNIVERSITY OF
30 317 385 T3 SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
31 389 308 47 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
32 288 404 T3 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - DCL College
32 327 365 85 ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY
34 375 269 60 VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY
35 288 351 91 SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY
36 327 303 66 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY-LOS ANGELES
37 327 298 70 LOYOLA UNIVERSITY-CHICAGO
37 288 337 66 PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY
39 327 260 60 ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
40 236 346 85 NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
41 288 288 97 MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY
42 236 332 T3 HOWARD UNIVERSITY
43 327 236 85 SAN DIEGO, UNIVERSITY OF
43 356 207 70 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY
43 269 293 70 ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY
46 236 313 T3 LOYOLA UNIVERSITY-NEW ORLEANS
47 269 274 91 DEPAUL UNIVERSITY
48 221 317 T3 CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY
49 327 202 97 CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
49 288 240 77 DENVER, UNIVERSITY OF
51 163 361 T4 TULSA, UNIVERSITY OF
52 163 322 T4 DAYTON, UNIVERSITY OF
52 269 216 82 LEWIS AND CLARK COLLEGE
54 317 149 60 BROOKLYN LAW SCHOOL (*)
55 269 192 T3 HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY
56 236 221 T3 GONZAGA UNIVERSITY (*)
57 202 250 100 MERCER UNIVERSITY (*)
58 260 183 85 SEATTLE UNIVERSITY
58 197 245 T4 WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY
60 236 197 100 SAN FRANCISCO, UNIVERSITY OF
61 163 264 T3 SAMFORD UNIVERSITY
62 139 284 T3 UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS SCHOOL OF LAW
63 202 178 T4 VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY
64 221 154 100 STETSON UNIVERSITY
65 202 168 T4 DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY
66 154 212 100 MCGEORGE SCHOOL OF LAW
66 87 279 T4 NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY (*)
68 202 159 T3 DRAKE UNIVERSITY
69 115 231 T4 CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY (*)
70 221 111 T3 NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL (*)
71 125 188 T3 QUINNIPIAC COLLEGE
72 163 139 T3 PACE UNIVERSITY
72 139 163 T4 ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY
74 163 125 T3 SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY
75 48 226 T4 OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY (*)
76 260 10 T3 VERMONT LAW SCHOOL
76 14 255 T4 REGENT UNIVERSITY
78 188 67 T3 ALBANY LAW SCHOOL OF UNION UNIVERSITY (*)
79 87 144 T4 MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE (*)
80 154 72 T4 JOHN MARSHALL LAW SCHOOL (*)
80 125 101 T4 WIDENER UNIVERSITY
82 125 96 T4 HAMLINE UNIVERSITY
83 87 130 T4 TOURO COLLEGE (*)
84 188 19 T3 FRANKLIN PIERCE LAW CENTER (*)
84 72 135 T4 ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY
86 115 87 T4 CAPITAL UNIVERSITY
87 149 43 T3 WILLIAM MITCHELL COLLEGE OF LAW (*)
88 14 173 T4 CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
89 72 106 T4 WHITTIER COLLEGE
90 53 120 T4 OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY
91 87 82 T4 SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE OF LAW (*)
91 53 115 T4 DETROIT MERCY, UNIVERSITY OF (*)
93 87 77 T3 SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (*)
94 87 48 T4 NEW ENGLAND SCHOOL OF LAW (*)
95 72 58 T4 CALIFORNIA WESTERN SCHOOL OF LAW (*)
96 29 91 T4 THOMAS M. COOLEY LAW SCHOOL (*)
97 53 29 T4 ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY
97 29 53 T4 WESTERN NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE
99 29 38 T4 TEXAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
100 0 63 T4 DWAYNE O. ANDREAS SCHOOL OF LAW (*)
101 53 0 T4 AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW (*)
102 14 34 T4 GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY
103 29 14 T4 THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL OF LAW (*)
104 5 24 T4 APPALACHIAN SCHOOL OF LAW (*)
105 10 5 T4 FLORIDA COASTAL SCHOOL OF LAW (*)


PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MLTS / REP / $$$ / USNWR
1 500 494 8 MICHIGAN, UNIVERSITY OF
2 481 500 18 TEXAS AT AUSTIN, UNIVERSITY OF
2 494 487 10 VIRGINIA, UNIVERSITY OF
4 487 474 8 CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY, UNIVERSITY OF (1) (*)
5 474 481 15 CALIFORNIA-LOS ANGELES, UNIVERSITY OF (2) (*)
6 461 468 20 MINNESOTA, UNIVERSITY OF
7 455 442 31 WISCONSIN, UNIVERSITY OF (3)
8 416 461 31 OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
9 468 403 36 NORTH CAROLINA, UNIVERSITY OF
10 429 435 34 CALIFORNIA-DAVIS, UNIVERSITY OF (11) (*)
11 442 416 25 ILLINOIS, UNIVERSITY OF
12 429 422 36 CALIFORNIA-HASTINGS, UNIVERSITY OF (12) (*)
13 396 448 28 WASHINGTON, UNIVERSITY OF
14 357 455 57 PITTSBURGH, UNIVERSITY OF
15 442 364 24 IOWA, UNIVERSITY OF
16 396 383 47 FLORIDA, UNIVERSITY OF
17 409 325 36 INDIANA UNIVERSITY - BLOOMINGTON (7)
18 357 370 36 ALABAMA, UNIVERSITY OF
19 377 312 36 COLORADO, UNIVERSITY OF
19 299 390 66 KANSAS, UNIVERSITY OF
19 351 338 36 MARYLAND, UNIVERSITY OF
19 416 273 31 WILLIAM AND MARY SCHOOL OF LAW
23 377 299 36 GEORGIA, UNIVERSITY OF
24 266 396 57 CINCINNATI, UNIVERSITY OF
25 227 429 91 DICKINSON SCHOOL OF LAW (4)
25 247 409 77 NEBRASKA, UNIVERSITY OF
25 299 357 53 TENNESSEE, UNIVERSITY OF
28 377 253 44 ARIZONA, UNIVERSITY OF
29 247 377 70 OKLAHOMA, UNIVERSITY OF
30 266 351 60 KENTUCKY, UNIVERSITY OF
31 318 286 53 FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
32 279 292 57 UTAH, UNIVERSITY OF
33 331 234 51 ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
34 299 260 66 MISSOURI-COLUMBIA, UNIVERSITY OF (8)
35 227 325 85 INDIANA UNIVERSITY - INDIANAPOLIS (7)
36 227 318 91 LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
37 331 208 82 OREGON, UNIVERSITY OF
38 331 201 47 CONNECTICUT, UNIVERSITY OF
39 162 344 97 LOUISVILLE, UNIVERSITY OF
40 247 247 60 HOUSTON, UNIVERSITY OF
41 201 279 77 STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO
42 318 156 60 TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
43 279 175 70 RUTGERS UNIVERSITY-CAMDEN (9)
43 279 175 77 RUTGERS UNIVERSITY-NEWARK (9)
45 357 84 34 GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY (*)
45 201 240 T3 MISSISSIPPI, UNIVERSITY OF
47 117 305 T3 TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
48 188 221 T3 ARKANSAS, FAYETTEVILLE, UNIVERSITY OF (6)
49 201 188 70 NEW MEXICO, UNIVERSITY OF
50 188 195 91 SOUTH CAROLINA, UNIVERSITY OF (10) (*)
51 117 260 T3 MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY, UNIVERSITY OF (8)
52 143 214 T3 WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
53 162 162 T3 MAINE, UNIVERSITY OF (5)
54 97 221 T3 ARKANSAS, LITTLE ROCK, UNIVERSITY OF (6)
54 182 136 91 HAWAII, UNIVERSITY OF (*)
56 162 149 T4 WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
56 143 169 T3 WYOMING, UNIVERSITY OF
58 201 71 82 GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY
59 117 130 T3 IDAHO, UNIVERSITY OF
60 143 91 T4 SOUTH DAKOTA, UNIVERSITY OF
61 117 110 100 WILLIAM S. BOYD SCHOOL OF LAW (*)
62 71 123 T3 AKRON, UNIVERSITY OF
62 52 143 T3 MEMPHIS, UNIVERSITY OF
64 71 117 85 TOLEDO, UNIVERSITY OF
65 97 78 T3 MONTANA, UNIVERSITY OF
65 71 104 T3 WASHBURN UNIVERSITY
67 58 97 T4 NORTH DAKOTA, UNIVERSITY OF (*)
68 97 32 T3 CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY (*)
68 71 58 T3 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY-CARBONDALE
70 65 45 T4 BALTIMORE, UNIVERSITY OF (*)
71 45 52 T4 NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY (*)
72 6 65 T3 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF LAW
73 26 39 T4 NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
74 32 26 T4 NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY (*)
75 32 19 T4 CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
76 19 6 T4 TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY (*)
77 6 13 T4 SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY (*)
78 0 0 T4 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (*)