Large-firm (250+) employment: every U.S. law school, ranked

Across the 195 ABA-accredited U.S. law schools that report large-firm (250+) employment, the median is 11%. Values span from 77.5% at Columbia Law School to 0% at University of Hawaii School of Law, drawn from the most recent ABA Standard 509 disclosure cycle.

Schools reporting 195
Median 11%
25th–75th 4.2% – 22.15%
Range 0% – 77.5%

Distribution across 195 schools · median marked

Definition

What it is: Share of graduates employed at law firms of 251+ attorneys (BigLaw 251–500 plus MegaLaw 500+).
Reported by: The American Bar Association, in each school’s annual Standard 509 Required Disclosure.
Unit: Percent

How to read it

Large-firm placement concentrates at a handful of schools; outside the top tier this number is usually in the low single digits.

Every school, ranked

#	Law school	State	Large-firm (250+) employment
1	Columbia Law School	New York	77.5%
2	Duke University School of Law	North Carolina	73.1%
3	University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School	Pennsylvania	70.7%
4	Northwestern Pritzker School of Law	Illinois	69.7%
5	University of Virginia School of Law	Virginia	67.6%
6	New York University School of Law	New York	65.2%
7	Cornell Law School	New York	63%
8	University of Southern California School of Law	California	63%
9	University of Chicago Law School	Illinois	62%
10	UC Berkeley School of Law	California	60.7%
11	Georgetown University Law Center	District of Columbia	59%
12	University of Michigan Law School	Michigan	57.1%
13	Vanderbilt Law School	Tennessee	56.3%
14	UCLA School of Law	California	56.3%
15	Harvard Law School	Massachusetts	56.2%
16	Fordham University School of Law	New York	50.5%
17	Boston College School of Law	Massachusetts	47.9%
18	Washington University (St. Louis) School of Law	Missouri	47.6%
19	Boston University School of Law	Massachusetts	47.2%
20	Stanford Law School	California	46.4%
21	University of Texas School of Law	Texas	40.9%
22	Southern Methodist University School of Law	Texas	38.2%
23	Howard University School of Law	District of Columbia	36.1%
24	Yale Law School	Connecticut	35.6%
25	Washington and Lee University School of Law	Virginia	35.4%
26	Emory University School of Law	Georgia	35.3%
27	University of Notre Dame School of Law	Indiana	34.8%
28	University of California-Irvine School of Law	California	34.8%
29	University of Florida School of Law	Florida	34%
30	Wake Forest University School of Law	North Carolina	33.6%
31	University of Illinois School of Law	Illinois	33.3%
32	University of North Carolina School of Law	North Carolina	30.1%
33	Brigham Young University School of Law	Utah	29.1%
34	The George Washington University School of Law	District of Columbia	28.7%
35	University of California-San Francisco School of Law	California	28%
36	University of Houston School of Law	Texas	27.3%
37	The Ohio State University School of Law	Ohio	26.8%
38	University of Miami School of Law	Florida	26.3%
39	University of Alabama School of Law	Alabama	26%
40	University of California-Davis School of Law	California	25.5%
41	St. John's University School of Law	New York	25.3%
42	Cardozo, Yeshiva University School of Law	New York	25.1%
43	William & Mary School of Law	Virginia	23.6%
44	University of Minnesota School of Law	Minnesota	23.5%
45	University of Georgia School of Law	Georgia	23.5%
46	Villanova University School of Law	Pennsylvania	23.4%
47	Indiana University-Bloomington School of Law	Indiana	23.2%
48	Loyola University-Chicago School of Law	Illinois	22.6%
49	University of Colorado School of Law	Colorado	22.3%
50	Tulane University School of Law	Louisiana	22%
51	Northeastern University School of Law	Massachusetts	20.6%
52	Case Western Reserve University School of Law	Ohio	20.5%
53	University of Pittsburgh School of Law	Pennsylvania	20.5%
54	University of Iowa School of Law	Iowa	20.2%
55	Temple University School of Law	Pennsylvania	20%
56	Brooklyn Law School	New York	20%
57	Georgia State University School of Law	Georgia	20%
58	University of Washington School of Law	Washington	19.8%
59	Loyola Marymount University-Los Angeles School of Law	California	19.6%
60	Texas A&M University School of Law	Texas	19.3%
61	University of Wisconsin School of Law	Wisconsin	19.2%
62	Santa Clara University School of Law	California	19.2%
63	University of Arizona School of Law	Arizona	18.4%
64	University of Connecticut School of Law	Connecticut	18.3%
65	Seton Hall University School of Law	New Jersey	17.9%
66	Saint Louis University School of Law	Missouri	17.8%
67	University of San Francisco School of Law	California	17.5%
68	Florida State University School of Law	Florida	17.4%
69	Arizona State University School of Law	Arizona	17.3%
70	University of San Diego School of Law	California	17.3%
71	Florida International University School of Law	Florida	17.2%
72	American University School of Law	District of Columbia	15.8%
73	Drexel University School of Law	Pennsylvania	15.8%
74	Stetson University School of Law	Florida	15.3%
75	University of Dayton School of Law	Ohio	15.2%
76	University of Louisville School of Law	Kentucky	15.1%
77	University of Cincinnati School of Law	Ohio	14.9%
78	Pepperdine University School of Law	California	14.7%
79	University of South Carolina School of Law	South Carolina	14.7%
80	Nova Southeastern University School of Law	Florida	14.3%
81	Chicago-Kent, Illinois Institute of Technology School of Law	Illinois	14.2%
82	The Catholic University of America School of Law	District of Columbia	14.1%
83	George Mason University School of Law	Virginia	13.8%
84	University of Tennessee School of Law	Tennessee	13.7%
85	University of Kansas School of Law	Kansas	13.5%
86	Hofstra University School of Law	New York	13.3%
87	University of Maryland School of Law	Maryland	13%
88	Baylor University School of Law	Texas	12.7%
89	Chapman University School of Law	California	12.3%
90	Rutgers University School of Law	New Jersey	12.2%
91	New York Law School	New York	12.2%
92	Cleveland State University School of Law	Ohio	12.1%
93	University of Denver School of Law	Colorado	12%
94	University of Nevada-Las Vegas School of Law	Nevada	12%
95	Samford University School of Law	Alabama	11.6%
96	Northern Kentucky University School of Law	Kentucky	11.5%
97	Suffolk University School of Law	Massachusetts	11.2%
98	DePaul University School of Law	Illinois	11%
99	University of Missouri School of Law	Missouri	10.4%
100	University of Richmond School of Law	Virginia	10.2%
101	University at Buffalo School of Law	New York	10.2%
102	Barry University School of Law	Florida	10.2%
103	Belmont University School of Law	Tennessee	10.1%
104	Syracuse University School of Law	New York	10.1%
105	Duquesne University School of Law	Pennsylvania	9.9%
106	University of Nebraska School of Law	Nebraska	9.8%
107	Mercer University School of Law	Georgia	9.8%
108	Texas Southern University School of Law	Texas	9.8%
109	Marquette University School of Law	Wisconsin	9.7%
110	University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law	Missouri	9.3%
111	University of New Hampshire School of Law	New Hampshire	9.3%
112	University of Mississippi School of Law	Mississippi	9.1%
113	Albany Law School	New York	8.9%
114	Wayne State University School of Law	Michigan	8.8%
115	West Virginia University School of Law	West Virginia	8.8%
116	St. Thomas University (Miami) School of Law	Florida	8.8%
117	Louisiana State University School of Law	Louisiana	8.6%
118	Penn State Dickinson Law	Pennsylvania	8.5%
119	University of Kentucky School of Law	Kentucky	7.8%
120	Jacksonville University School of Law	Florida	7.7%
121	University of Arkansas School of Law	Arkansas	7.6%
122	University of Oklahoma School of Law	Oklahoma	7.6%
123	Indiana University-Indianapolis School of Law	Indiana	7.6%
124	University of Utah School of Law	Utah	7.5%
125	South Texas College of Law Houston	Texas	7.4%
126	Florida A&M University School of Law	Florida	7.4%
127	University of Detroit Mercy School of Law	Michigan	7.3%
128	Pace University School of Law	New York	6.9%
129	Michigan State University School of Law	Michigan	6.6%
130	University of Memphis School of Law	Tennessee	6.4%
131	California Western School of Law	California	6.3%
132	Creighton University School of Law	Nebraska	6.2%
133	Loyola University-New Orleans School of Law	Louisiana	6.2%
134	Campbell University School of Law	North Carolina	6.1%
135	University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) School of Law	Minnesota	6%
136	Texas Tech University School of Law	Texas	5.9%
137	University of Oregon School of Law	Oregon	5.6%
138	Southwestern Law School	California	5.5%
139	University of Illinois-Chicago School of Law	Illinois	5.4%
140	University of Akron School of Law	Ohio	5.3%
141	University of North Texas at Dallas School of Law	Texas	5%
142	Seattle University School of Law	Washington	4.9%
143	Ave Maria School of Law	Florida	4.9%
144	University of the Pacific School of Law	California	4.8%
145	Lewis & Clark Law School	Oregon	4.6%
146	University of Toledo School of Law	Ohio	4.3%
147	Capital University Law School	Ohio	4.1%
148	Widener University Delaware Law School	Pennsylvania	3.9%
149	Lincoln Memorial University School of Law	Tennessee	3.6%
150	University of Baltimore School of Law	Maryland	3.5%
151	St. Mary's University School of Law	Texas	3.1%
152	Washburn University School of Law	Kansas	3%
153	New England Law/Boston	Massachusetts	3%
154	Atlanta's John Marshall Law School	Georgia	3%
155	North Carolina Central University School of Law	North Carolina	2.9%
156	Southern Illinois University School of Law	Illinois	2.8%
157	Southern University School of Law	Louisiana	2.6%
158	Gonzaga University School of Law	Washington	2.5%
159	University of Puerto Rico School of Law	Puerto Rico	2.4%
160	University of District of Columbia School of Law	District of Columbia	2.4%
161	Vermont Law School	Vermont	2.3%
162	Faulkner University School of Law	Alabama	2.3%
163	University of Maine School of Law	Maine	2.2%
164	Elon University School of Law	North Carolina	2.2%
165	Western State, Westcliff University School of Law	California	2.2%
166	Oklahoma City University School of Law	Oklahoma	2.1%
167	City University of New York School of Law	New York	2%
168	Charleston School of Law	South Carolina	2%
169	Widener University Commonwealth Law School	Pennsylvania	1.9%
170	Roger Williams University School of Law	Rhode Island	1.8%
171	Quinnipiac University School of Law	Connecticut	1.6%
172	University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law	Arkansas	1.6%
173	Mitchell/Hamline School of Law	Minnesota	1.5%
174	University of Idaho School of Law	Idaho	1.5%
175	Touro University School of Law	New York	1.4%
176	Western New England University School of Law	Massachusetts	1.2%
177	Regent University School of Law	Virginia	1%
178	Willamette University School of Law	Oregon	1%
179	University of Massachusetts/Dartmouth School of Law	Massachusetts	1%
180	Mississippi College School of Law	Mississippi	1%
181	University of Tulsa School of Law	Oklahoma	0.9%
182	Northern Illinois University School of Law	Illinois	0.9%
183	Cooley Law School	Michigan	0.7%
184	Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law	Puerto Rico	0.5%
185	University of Hawaii School of Law	Hawaii	0%
186	University of New Mexico School of Law	New Mexico	0%
187	Drake University School of Law	Iowa	0%
188	University of Montana School of Law	Montana	0%
189	University of Wyoming School of Law	Wyoming	0%
190	Liberty University School of Law	Virginia	0%
191	University of South Dakota School of Law	South Dakota	0%
192	University of North Dakota School of Law	North Dakota	0%
193	Ohio Northern University School of Law	Ohio	0%
194	Appalachian School of Law	Virginia	0%
195	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law	Puerto Rico	0%

At the extremes

Top: Columbia Law School (77.5%) · Duke University School of Law (73.1%) · University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (70.7%) · Northwestern Pritzker School of Law (69.7%) · University of Virginia School of Law (67.6%)

Bottom: University of South Dakota School of Law (0%) · University of North Dakota School of Law (0%) · Ohio Northern University School of Law (0%) · Appalachian School of Law (0%) · Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law (0%)

FAQ

What is large-firm (250+) employment?

Share of graduates employed at law firms of 251+ attorneys (BigLaw 251–500 plus MegaLaw 500+).

What is the median large-firm (250+) employment across U.S. law schools?

11%, across the 195 ABA-accredited schools that report it in the most recent ABA Standard 509 cycle.

Which law school has the highest large-firm (250+) employment?

Columbia Law School, at 77.5%.

What counts as a strong large-firm (250+) employment?

Schools above the median of 11% are above average; the top tenth begins around 44.2%.

How should I read large-firm (250+) employment?