News UMass Law: Newly released American Bar Association data establishes UMass Law as one of the nation’s fastest-growing law schools

Ranks 3rd in U.S. for enrollment growth while setting record high LSATs and UGPAs and maintaining the smallest class sizes and most affordable tuition of any MA law school

UMass Law has continued its upward trajectory of enrollment growth, again ranking third in the nation, according to data recently released by the American Bar Association (ABA), while establishing record high LSAT and undergraduate GPA medians.

Since receiving full ABA accreditation in 2016, UMass Law has grown 102% with a total enrollment of 376, up from 186 over the last six years. Over that same period, the law school’s median LSAT has increased from 148 to 152, and its median undergraduate GPA has increased from 3.11 to 3.47.

 In 2022, the law school also ranked third in the same enrollment metric. While growing enrollment, UMass Law has remained committed to small class sizes to foster greater student-faculty interaction. The recently released ABA data places UMass Law first among eight ABA-accredited Massachusetts law schools for the smallest first-year, doctrinal course sizes with an average first-year class size of 56 students.

UMass Law’s tuition also remains the lowest of any ABA-accredited law school in the Commonwealth and is less than half of some private MA law schools.

“Our enrollment growth is a straightforward function of the exceptional and affordable legal education offered by our faculty and staff, combined with our unique identity as the Commonwealth’s only public law school, and our crucial and compelling access to justice mission,” said UMass Law Dean Eric Mitnick.

“Keeping class sizes small enhances our students’ legal education by facilitating access to faculty, enabling greater student-faculty interaction, and creating a stronger sense of community,” Mitnick added.

UMass Law has ranked among the best law schools in the country for its program of practical training for three of the last four years and is currently ranked second in Massachusetts and fourth among all law schools New England, according to the most recent data. Students at UMass Law are 100% guaranteed a clinic or internship placement.

The law school also ranks second among all 15 law schools in New England for the percentage of students entering public service. UMass Law’s focus on public and community service has resulted in more than 185,000 hours of pro bono legal services provided to the community since 2010.

UMass Law has 15 partnerships with undergraduate institutions in Massachusetts and Rhode Island for accelerated 3+3 degree programs where students can earn an undergraduate and law degree in six rather than seven years.

The University of New Hampshire topped the enrollment growth ranking followed by Lincoln Memorial University – Duncan School of Law in Knoxville, TN.

“Our enrollment growth is a straightforward function of the exceptional and affordable legal education offered by our faculty and staff, combined with our unique identity as the Commonwealth’s only public law school, and our crucial and compelling access to justice mission.”