Connecticut is the southernmost state in New England with quaint coastal cities and small rural towns, yet there is nothing quaint about the wealth or status of its residents. Connecticut, which is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west and the Long Island Sound to the south, is famed for the highest per-capita income and the highest median household income of any state in the United States.
By default, it’s also the stomping ground of celebrities, politicians and public figures of all types. The slogan of Connecticut might as well be, “We pride ourselves on being the best.” Given all that, it’s hardly surprising that this is the location of the number one law school in the country—Yale!
As far as exclusivity and owning its place on top, Yale has been ranked first by U.S. News and World Report every year since 1994. Located in the city of New Haven, Yale Law School produces some of the top lawyers and leaders in the country, including U.S. presidents (Bill Clinton), senators, Supreme Court justices (Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas), federal court judges, state politicians and more.
It’s hard to compete with Yale, but Connecticut is home to three notable law schools in total. Read below to learn what it takes to compete for a slot in some of the top law schools in this prosperous state that makes no apologies for aiming high.
Top Law Schools in Connecticut
- 1. Yale University Law School
- 2. University of Connecticut School of Law
- 3. Quinnipiac University School of Law
Connecticut is home to three top law schools. Let’s see what makes each school stand out in this southernmost New England state, which prides itself on exclusivity and maintaining its place as number one!
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1. Yale University Law School
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #1
Tuition: $68,117 (full-time)
Average GPA: 3.9
Average LSAT Score: 173
Acceptance Rate: 7.4%
Bar Passage Rate: 96.4%
Yale is the crème de la crème of law schools and the definition of Ivy League. If you are lucky enough to be part of the 7.4% that is accepted, you may find yourself entering this grand Connecticut campus as an ordinary law school student with only a high LSAT score and big dreams and emerging as a future politician, Supreme Court Justice, Federal Court Judge or even President of the United States. Imagine Bill Clinton—born in the small city of Hope, Arkansas—who attended law school here and ended up the president of the country in the 1990s! Anything is possible with a Yale law degree. This is the best law school in the country and it produces the future leaders of the world.
If you are brave enough to aim this high, be sure to get your application in early, for obvious reasons: it is that competitive and because the deadline is February 28. Considering this is Yale, the $68,117 tuition seems justified and is comparable to top law schools in other parts of the country. The student-faculty ratio is 4.4:1 so you are assured personalized attention.
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2. University of Connecticut School of Law
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #78
Tuition: $31,288 (full-time)
Average GPA: 3.4
Average LSAT Score: 158
Acceptance Rate: 45.4%
Bar Passage Rate: 79.3%
The University of Connecticut School of Law is located in the state capital of Hartford, placing law school students smack bam in the middle of the action, close to local courts, agencies, law firms and corporations. Popular in-house legal clinics are focused on the following areas of law: intellectual property law, asylum and human rights, mediation and entrepreneurship law. Externship clinics are offered in poverty law, environmental law and LGBT civil rights. For students interested in national affairs, the UConn School of Law offers a semester program in Washington, D.C.
Legal journals produced at this campus include the Connecticut Law Review, the Connecticut Insurance Law Journal and the Connecticut Journal of International Law.
The application deadline is April 30, giving you ample time to get your package together. Tuition for full-time, in-state is half of the tuition at Yale ($31,288); however out-of-state is comparable at $62,330.
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3. Quinnipiac University School of Law
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #129
Tuition: $51,450 (full-time)
Average GPA: 3.4
Average LSAT Score: 152
Acceptance Rate: 60.3%
Bar Passage Rate: 71.2%
Located in North Haven, the School of Law at Quinnipiac University is the newest law school in Connecticut. It received full accreditation from the American Bar Association in 1992.
There are three degree programs offered, including the regular JD program, the JD/MBA double-degree program and the LLM in health law. Concentrations are offered in civil advocacy and dispute resolution, criminal law and advocacy, family law, health law, intellectual property, tax law and workplace law. As of 2017, the school began offering a new concentration in international law and policy.
The school has a late application deadline of August 1, so you have plenty of time to procrastinate, reconsider or make a last-minute decision to submit. There is no application fee, but tuition falls in the high-middle range at $51,450 for full-time students. To cut your tuition in half, consider part-time study.
How Do I Get Accepted to a Law School in Connecticut?
Whether you’re applying to the best law school in Connecticut or Colorado, the process is the same. The first step in the law school admissions timeline is to take the LSAT. Although there are no required LSAT scores for law school, getting into a Connecticut law school is rather competitive and all three of these Connecticut law schools have median LSAT scores that give you a pretty good indication of how you compare to their previous incoming classes. 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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