Going to law school in Massachusetts means getting your JD in a state famous for starting the American Revolution, the Boston Red Sox, and having lots of great colleges and universities. Given the state’s academic reputation, it probably comes as no surprise that it’s home to eight top law schools. In this article, we review the best law schools in Massachusetts and give you some tips on what you’ll need to get into them!
Here’s our list of the best law schools in the Bay State (based on data obtained from U.S. News and World Report):
1. Harvard University Law School
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #6
Tuition: $78,692
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.96
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 174
Acceptance Rate: 9.2%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 97.9%
Harvard Law School (HLS) is one of the oldest and most renowned law schools in the country. So it’s probably no surprise it tops our list of the best law schools in Massachusetts. Alumni of Harvard Law include Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan, Anthony Kennedy, John Roberts, Stephen Breyer, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Neil Gorsuch. Former President Barack Obama graduated from Harvard Law in 1991. Driving the school’s prestige are its strong alumni network and diverse curricular offerings.
According U.S. News and World Report, Harvard Law School comes in at:
- #1 in Business/Corporate Law and Contracts/Commercial Law
- #2 in Constitutional Law, Dispute Resolution, and International Law
- #3 in Criminal Law and Law Schools With the Most Graduates in Federal Clerkships
- #4 in Healthcare Law
- #5 in Environmental Law
Harvard Law has one of the largest class sizes at roughly 560 students per year, and is home to 90+ student organizations that are active on campus.
In addition to the famous Harvard Law Review, Harvard has 16 other student-run journals, covering legal topics ranging from environmental law to Latin American law.
Harvard also offers a variety of hands-on opportunities, centers, and clinics. Whether your interests lie in Supreme Court litigation, health law and policy, or cyberlaw, Harvard likely has an experiential learning opportunity that will intrigue you.
Every year, Harvard students land externships at nonprofits, public institutions, and legal resource centers throughout the United States.
The application fee is $85. Full-time tuition is comparable with that of other top-rated or even lower-rated law schools.
2. Boston College Law School
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #20
Tuition: $72,380
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.83
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 168
Acceptance Rate: 8.5%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 93.8%
Boston College Law School is a Catholic institution. Its 40-acre campus in Newton, Massachusetts is both urban and isolated, tucked about a mile away from the school’s main campus in Chestnut Hill. In line with its Jesuit heritage, the school’s curriculum has a robust focus on human rights and public interest law.
According U.S. News and World Report, Boston College Law School comes in at:
- #8 in Tax Law
- #16 in Law Schools With the Most Graduates in Big Law Firms
- #25 in Business/Corporate Law
- #26 in Constitutional Law
- #27 in Intellectual Property Law
From the beginning of their legal education, law students at Boston College have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience. As early as their spring semester during their first year, they can take an experiential-based elective.
Advocacy programs and clinics make up a key part of the BC law experience, and students can partake in a variety of externships if they want to engage with the wider Boston or national legal communities.
This law school has dozens of student organizations and has several journals, including the BC Law Review.
The application deadline is March 31, and the application fee is $75. Full-time tuition is comparable with that of other top-rated or even lower-rated Massachusetts law schools.
3. Boston University School of Law
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #24
Tuition: $71,382
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.88
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 170
Acceptance Rate: 12.1%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 92.3%
Next on our list of the best law schools in Massachusetts is the Boston University School of Law. This program offers several scholarships for those interested in particular aspects of the law. These include a Public Interest Scholarship that funds up to full tuition for all three years of law school, and an Antiracist Scholarship for students that are especially committed to racial equity and justice.
According U.S. News and World Report, Boston University Law School comes in at:
- #2 in Healthcare Law
- #11 in Intellectual Property Law
- #17 in Tax Law
- #19 in Constitutional Law
- #21 in Business/Corporate Law
BU law students can deepen their academic training by earning joint degrees in topics such as taxation, management, and mass communication.
The school offers students a variety of clinical experiences, ranging from the Consumer Debt Clinic to simulation-based seminars that covers topics such patent trial advocacy and transaction law research.
Furthermore, BU School of Law has a vibrant student life, with 30+ student organizations and six law journals.
The application deadline is April 1, and the application fee is $85. Full-time tuition is comparable to that of other top-rated or even lower-rated graduate schools.
4. Northeastern University School of Law
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #77
Tuition: $65,840
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.77
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 164
Acceptance Rate: 24.2%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 87.4%
Originally founded as Boston’s first evening law program in the 19th century, today Northeastern University School of Law is known for its hands-on learning opportunities, diverse student body, and public interest law program.
According U.S. News and World Report, Northeastern University School of Law comes in at:
- #3 in Law Schools With the Most Graduates in Public Interest Law
- #9 in Healthcare Law
- #10 in Part-Time Law
- #24 in Clinical Training
- #36 in Legal Writing
Curricular offerings that may interest a public-minded law student include courses in welfare law, the core course Legal Skills in the Social Network, and an extensive co-op network that many Northeastern law students choose to participate in.
Northeastern has two scholarly legal journals, dozens of student organizations, and numerous research institutes.
The application deadline is March 1, and there is no application fee. Full-time tuition is comparable with other top-rated and even lower-rated graduate schools.
5. Suffolk University Law School
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #128
Tuition: $64,046
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.58
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 155
Acceptance Rate: 61.9%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 79.4%
Suffolk Law School has a history of inclusivity. It was founded in 1906 to help those who wanted to go to law school, but had been unable to get in because of racism or a lack of financial resources.
According U.S. News and World Report, Suffolk Law School comes in at:
- #4 in Clinical Training
- #5 in Legal Writing
- #14 in Dispute Resolution
- #28 in Part-Time Law
- #31 in Trial Advocacy
The school emphasizes the importance of practicality and experience when it comes to training new lawyers, which is evident when looking at its U.S. News and World Report rankings. Suffolk’s legal skills programs consistently punch above their weight, ranking in the top 30 for clinics, legal writing, trial advocacy, and dispute resolution.
Suffolk has a large class size of slightly under 400 students per year, and is home to five student-run law reviews and dozens of student organizations.
The priority application deadline is April 1, and the application fee is $60. Full-time tuition is comparable with other law schools of similar or lower ranking.
6. Western New England University Law School
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #159 (tie)
Tuition: $50,320
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.27
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 153
Acceptance Rate: 51.9%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 77.2%
Next on our list of the best law schools in Massachusetts is Western New England University Law School (WNE Law). As the only law school in the western part of the state, WNE Law students have exceptional access to experiential learning opportunities in local and federal courts. The school admits a small number of students (roughly 100-130) per year and prides itself on being a tight-knit community.
According U.S. News and World Report, Western New England University Law School comes in at:
- #9 in Law Schools With the Most Graduates in Public Interest Law
- #71-78 in Part-Time Law
- #115 in Dispute Resolution
- #135 in Trial Advocacy
- #155 in Health Care Law
JD students at WNE law have the option to concentrate in several fields, including criminal law practice, gender and sexuality law, and international and comparative law. Furthermore, the school offers an LLM program in elder law and estate planning.
Students at WNE Law work closely with the surrounding community through clinics and WNE’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which helps regional entrepreneurs through its Small Business Clinic.
The priority application deadline is July 31st and there’s no feel to apply. Full-time tuition is comparable to (or lower than that) of law schools with a similar ranking.
7. New England Law Boston
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #168
Tuition: $63,216
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.37
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 153
Acceptance Rate: 61.3%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 79.2%
New England Law Boston is located in the heart of downtown Boston, near the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the State House, and various other law agencies and firms.
The school was founded in 1908 as a women’s only law school to help women enter the legal profession. It didn’t admit male students until the 1920s.
Today, New England Law Boston offers both full and part-time programs and the class size is usually ~200 students. The school offers academic concentrations such as immigration and intellectual property law.
According U.S. News and World Report, New England Law Boston comes in at:
- #69 in Part-Time Law
- #116 in Dispute Resolution
- #126 in International Law
- #132 in Criminal Law and Tax Law
- #134 in Health Care Law
The application deadline is May 1, and there’s no application fee. Full-time tuition is comparable to that of other law schools of a similar or lower ranking.
8. University of Massachusetts (Dartmouth)
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #171
Tuition: $33,356 (in-state); $43,155 (out-of-state)
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.36
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 152
Acceptance Rate: 52.2%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 58.3%
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (UMass Law) is the only public law school in the entire state of Massachusetts. The school partners with a number of undergraduate programs in the state to offer students what’s called the 3+3 option, which allows students in Massachusetts to earn their bachelor’s and JD in six (rather than seven) years.
According U.S. News and World Report, UMASS Law comes in at:
- #26 in Law Schools With the Most Graduates in Public Interest Law
- #66 in Part-Time Law
- #116 in Dispute Resolution
- #122 in Clinical Training
- #154 in Contracts/Commercial Law
With ~120 students admitted per year, the UMASS Law student community is small and tight-knit.
The school has three legal clinics in-house and partners with other institutions to offer clinics in criminal prosecution and tribal law. In August of 2014, UMass Law kicked off its Justice Bridge Program, which is a legal center in downtown Boston that provides low-cost legal services to the disadvantaged.
The application deadline is June 30, and the application fee is $50. Full-time tuition is comparable to that of law schools with a similar or lower ranking.
How Do I Get Accepted to a Massachusetts Law School?
Whether you’re applying to the best law schools in Massachusetts or another part of the country, the process is the same. The first step in the law school admissions timeline is to take the LSAT and get the best score you can!
If you’re not sure what counts as a high score, be sure to check out this article!
The median LSAT score range at each of these Massachusetts law schools gives you a pretty good indication of how you compare to their previous incoming class. Remember, law schools want to attract the best, so make sure you give yourself the ultimate chance by getting a high LSAT score.
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