THE MOST USEFUL LAW SCHOOL RANKINGS FOR PROSPECTIVE LAW STUDENTS: The 2018 Revealed-Preferences Ranking of Law Schools

As I noted way back in 2004: A huge amount of information is encapsulated in the actual revealed preferences of students who decide to attend or not to attend a law school, because most of these students will have done some research before choosing a school. Such information includes desirability of geographic location (clearly a big factor if one compares, e.g., U.S. News rankings to LSAT rankings), local reputation, job placement, quality of life, tuition costs, bar passage, faculty quality and commitment to teaching, student satisfaction, national reputation, and, of course, U.S. News ranking.

A notable winner in this rankings system is Brigham Young University, which takes the 18th spot, as opposed to being tied for 41st in U.S. News. A notable loser is Washington & Lee, which falls from 26th in U.S. News to 55th in revealed preference.