For the fifth time in seven years, the University of Georgia School of Law has been named the nation’s Best Value in legal education. Last year, UGA occupied the top spot in the National Jurist ranking and, from 2018 to 2020, enjoyed a historic three-peat in the No. 1 position.
“Our vision is to redefine what it means to be a great national public law school: Offering a world-class, hands-on, purpose-driven education, while striving to be the best return on investment in legal education,” School of Law Dean Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge said. “And, we measure our success with the return determined by quality jobs and successful bar exam passage for our graduates and the investment defined by various measures of student debt.”
Proof points include:
- 95% of the Class of 2023 in Full Credit Employment Outcomes within 10 months of graduation (full-time, long-term, bar pass required/J.D. advantage jobs plus enrollment in graduate studies).
- Near perfect Ultimate Bar Passage Rate for Class of 2021 – 99.48% passage for those who sat for the bar within two years of graduation across 20 jurisdictions.
- Student borrowing has plummeted by more than $8.2 million (54%) since 2013. For the 2023-24 academic year, 50% of students did not borrow.
- For 2022-23, 92% of students received financial aid. Additionally, 100% of first-generation college graduates and veterans receive aid. Recently, the School of Law announced that every student in this cohort would be guaranteed at least a quarter scholarship, with some students receiving a full tuition plus scholarship.
- Extremely competitive tuition and fees (the lowest among the top 20 law schools ranked by U.S. News & World Report).
“Our school’s sustained success has been made possible by so many – President Jere W. Morehead; our alumni, alumnae and friends; our faculty and staff; and our students. Thank you all for your support!” Rutledge said.
“Together, we are making the dream of a legal education more accessible and empowering our students to decide how they will serve state and society. They will make those choices based on their passions, not their debt loads,” he said.
“In short, we are redefining what it means to be a great national public law school,” Rutledge said.