15 Sep 2015
The University of Nebraska College of Law has been ranked the No. 1 best value law school in the country by The National Jurist magazine. While the college has consistently been ranked as one of the country’s top 10 best value schools, this is the first time it has received the publication's top ranking.
“Each year we are thrilled to be recognized as a top value law school,” Dean Susan Poser said. “The National Jurist ranking acknowledges that our graduates receive an incredible education that sets them up for success and because of their low debt upon graduation, they have great freedom to choose whatever career path they want.”
The methodology behind the ranking takes into account bar passage rate, tuition costs, post-graduation employment rate, cost of living and average indebtedness. The employment rate is weighted heaviest in the calculation.
Poser said since the recent economic downturn, the College of Law has maintained its academic standards while building the curriculum to make certain that graduates can compete in an increasingly competitive job market.
“Our faculty has taken a hard look at the curriculum in the last five years and we have made some changes that have benefited our students,” she said.
Examples of these curriculum changes include the addition of an international law course to the first year curriculum, the creation of an entrepreneurship legal clinic and the development of a solo/small firm practice area of concentrated study.
“Employers know what we have always known. Our students graduate with an impressive knowledge base and with the skills needed to put that knowledge into practice effectively,” she said. “This is why Nebraska Law graduates have jobs around the country, from top New York law firms to the most rural parts of our state.”
In March, the college was ranked No. 56 of 198 law schools by U.S. News and World Report. In three years, it has climbed more than 30 spots in the annual rankings.