April 15, 2010 — For the third year in row, the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law has climbed in the rankings of the nation’s top law schools, according to data compiled by U.S. News & World Report and presented in the 2011 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools. Currently, the College of Law is tied for 42nd place. In 2010, the College was ranked 45th; in 2009, it was ranked 51st; and in 2008, the College was ranked 57th. Additionally, the College’s environmental programs (supported by the Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources and the Environment) ranked 15th in the country.
“Once again, the rankings reflect the school’s achievements along almost every index that the methodology weighs, including selectivity in admissions, improvement in reputation, a lower student-faculty ratio, success in career placement, and an increase in resources per student,” said Dean Hiram Chodosh. “We are well aware of the instrumental importance of rankings as a rough (albeit highly imperfect) measure of value for applicants, peers, donors, employers, and others.”
“Our boost in the rankings, however, barely even begins to reflect the invaluable contributions our faculty, staff, and students are making to the broader community, from critical insights on the pressing challenges of the environment, the economy, family, health, criminal and global justice to the path-breaking, programmatic innovations in leadership, interdisciplinary, advanced research, and global training, as well as in the application of technology.”
Chodosh further noted several additional metric accomplishments published by the Report:
- For most likely to land a job, the College ranked 23rd.
- For schools that cost under $20,000 for in-state tuition, the College tied for 6th.
- For the lowest average debt of graduating students, the College ranked 28th.
- For all schools with an average debt lower than $60,000, the College tied for 2nd.
- And for schools under 500 students, the College tied for 2nd in the nation.
Highlights of the graduate school rankings are scheduled to be published in the May print issue of U.S. News & World Report magazine, available for newsstand purchase beginning on April 27, and the America’s Best Graduate Schools guidebook available on April 20.