These top-ranked law schools have cut 1L class sizes by more than 25%
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Even top-rated law schools are seeing smaller class sizes after a drop in applications.
Although admittances at top-tier schools have risen by a median 7 percent since 2011, Bloomberg Business reports, first-year class sizes have dropped by a median of 5 percent at the nation’s top 20-ranked law schools over the same time period. These figures are based on data compiled by the American Bar Association.
Three law schools cut 1L class sizes by more than 25 percent during those five years: The University of Minnesota had the largest decrease—29 percent—followed by the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Michigan.
The shrinking class sizes coincide with a drop in the number of applications at the top 20 law schools. The median decrease is 18 percent since 2011.
University of Minnesota law dean David Wippman told Bloomberg Business that the cut in class size at his school was intended to maintain the LSAT and grade-point profile of its students. “We made a conscious decision in order to maintain the caliber of the student body, the quality of the education, and frankly, to keep our ranking high,” he said.
