Rutgers Law School Ranking: Rankings, LSAT, Tuition & More

What Is Rutgers Law School’s Ranking?

Rutgers Law School ranks around #100 among U.S. News Best Law Schools, and about #23 for its part-time program. It earns far higher specialty marks, including a top-10 legal writing program and a top-15 clinical training program. Rutgers Law is the top-ranked public law school in New Jersey.

The overall rank has held steady near #100 in recent years, while the specialty numbers tell the sharper story. A top-10 legal writing program and a top-15 clinical program reflect Rutgers Law’s deep investment in practical skills. The school also earns national recognition in criminal law, health care law, intellectual property, and international law.

Compare its position against peers using the broader law school rankings guide. Among New Jersey law schools, Rutgers Law leads the public field and rivals private options on outcomes and cost.

The gap between the overall rank and the specialty ranks is worth understanding. U.S. News weights median LSAT, GPA, and peer reputation heavily, which pulls schools with lower medians toward the middle of the pack. Rutgers offsets that with elite teaching programs and strong employment, so its real value runs ahead of the raw number for many applicants.

Why Does Rutgers Law Have Two Campuses?

Rutgers Law has two campuses because it formed from a 2015 merger of Rutgers School of Law-Newark and Rutgers School of Law-Camden. The two schools joined into one ABA-accredited Rutgers Law School with two locations. Rankings, admissions, and degrees now apply to the unified school, not to each campus separately.

The Newark campus sits just outside New York City, while the Camden campus sits across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. The two locations are about 90 miles apart. Distance-learning technology links classes across both campuses, and one dean and one accreditation govern the whole school.

Applicants choose their home campus when they apply. Rutgers University itself dates to 1766, and the Camden law roots trace to the South Jersey Law School, which merged into Rutgers in 1950. That long history anchors one of the largest public law schools in the Northeast.

Each campus points toward a different market. Newark connects students to New York City firms, courts, and corporate offices, while Camden feeds the Philadelphia and South Jersey legal community. The two share one faculty, one curriculum, and one degree, so the campus choice shapes geography and culture more than the credential itself.

How Hard Is It to Get Into Rutgers Law?

Rutgers Law is moderately selective. The 2025 entering class reported a median LSAT of 158, with a 25th-to-75th-percentile range of 155 to 161, and a median undergraduate GPA of 3.66, ranging from 3.35 to 3.82. The acceptance rate was about 33.5%, based on roughly 4,305 applications.

Rutgers Law uses a holistic review that weighs work experience, background, and potential alongside numbers, which widens the door for non-traditional applicants. Roughly 482 students enrolled in the most recent first-year class, with about 55% women and about 43% students of color.

What LSAT and GPA Do You Need for Rutgers Law?

To be competitive at Rutgers Law, aim for an LSAT score of 158 or higher and an undergraduate GPA of 3.66 or higher. Numbers at or above the medians strengthen an application. Applicants below the 25th-percentile marks of 155 LSAT and 3.35 GPA can offset with strong work experience, essays, or regional ties.

The holistic review gives real weight to what you bring beyond a transcript. Study the LSAT format early, and target an LSAT score above the median to improve both admission and scholarship odds. Apply early in the cycle, since Rutgers rewards strong early files.

What Is Rutgers Law’s Application Process and Deadline?

Rutgers Law uses a rolling admissions process through the LSAC application, and applying early improves both admission and scholarship odds. A complete file includes an LSAT or GRE score, a bachelor’s degree, transcripts, a personal statement, letters of recommendation, and a resume. The school reviews files as they arrive.

Choose your home campus and your track when you apply. The full-time program runs three years, while the part-time evening program runs four years and suits working students. A streamlined application lets candidates begin at either campus, so decide early where you want to build your network.

Review the general law school admission requirements before you build your file, then follow a structured process to apply to law school so nothing slips past the deadline.

What Is Rutgers Law’s Minority Student Program?

Rutgers Law’s Minority Student Program (MSP) is one of the oldest law school access programs in the country, founded in 1968 after the Newark uprisings. It supports students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds with mentoring, academic support, and community. More than 2,500 lawyers have graduated through the program.

The MSP welcomed its first class of 23 students in the fall of 1968 and expanded to the Camden campus in 2016. It now serves more than 200 students at any time, regardless of race or ethnicity, who can demonstrate disadvantage. The program is nationally recognized and helped make Rutgers one of the most diverse law schools in the country.

That mission traces back to the Newark campus’s activist history, when students nicknamed it “The People’s Electric Law School.” Notable MSP graduates include former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and civil rights leader Wade Henderson. The program remains a core part of what sets Rutgers Law apart from its peers.

The MSP has served as a national model for law school access programs for more than five decades. It survived a federal court challenge that upheld its structure, then broadened its focus to serve students of any background who can show real disadvantage. That track record explains why Rutgers ranks among the most diverse law schools in the country.

How Much Does Rutgers Law Cost?

Rutgers Law is one of the most affordable law schools in the Northeast. Full-time tuition is about $35,607 for New Jersey residents and about $51,893 for non-residents for the 2025-26 year. The part-time program costs less. As a public school, it charges residents far below private-school rates.

The total estimated cost of attendance for residents runs near $57,283 once housing, food, and books are included. Part-time in-state tuition sits near $29,407, which helps working students spread the cost across four years. Published figures vary by year, so confirm the current rates before you budget.

Affordability is central to the school’s value. Rutgers has ranked among the best law schools for salary-to-debt ratio, and its graduates carry a median debt. The school also offers scholarships, loan repayment assistance, and summer funding for public interest work. Compare programs using the guide to law school cost and the overview of law school scholarships.

Low debt reshapes the career math. A graduate who leaves with modest loans can take a clerkship, a government role, or a public interest job without the pressure to chase the highest salary. That freedom is a real advantage for students who choose Rutgers for its public service mission, and it lifts the school’s return on investment above many higher-ranked private programs.

What Degrees and Programs Does Rutgers Law Offer?

Rutgers Law offers a three-year full-time JD and a four-year part-time evening JD at both campuses, plus dual degrees such as JD/MBA, JD/MPH, and JD/PhD in Global Affairs. Its clinical and legal writing programs rank among the best in the country.

The dual-degree options at Rutgers Law include:

• JD/MBA: law paired with a Master of Business Administration.
• JD/MPH: law paired with a Master of Public Health.
• JD/MPA: law paired with a Master of Public Administration.
• JD/MCRP: law paired with a Master of City and Regional Planning.
• JD/MS or PhD: law paired with graduate study in Global Affairs.

Rutgers was the first New Jersey law school to offer clinical education, and its clinics remain a signature strength. Students work in the Women’s Rights Litigation Clinic, the Constitutional Litigation Clinic, community development, tax, and housing clinics, among others. The Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research program anchors a top-10 legal writing curriculum. Students seeking the core degree can study the Juris Doctor path, while those pursuing advanced or non-lawyer credentials can review the Master of Laws and Master of Legal Studies options.

The school also publishes several journals, including the Rutgers Law Review, the Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal, the first journal in the country on computers and the law, and the Women’s Rights Law Reporter, the first American journal focused on women’s rights. Applicants drawn to specific fields can explore criminal law school, health law school, intellectual property law school, and employment law school options.

What Is Rutgers Law Known For?

Rutgers Law is known for public interest law, clinical education, legal writing, and a strong commitment to diversity and social justice. It also earns national recognition in criminal law, health care law, intellectual property, and international law. Its clinics were the first in New Jersey.

The school’s identity centers on access and public service, from the Minority Student Program to a deep clinic roster. Its regional reach across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania makes it a practical launch point for lawyers who plan to practice in the tri-state area. Explore the underlying fields through the criminal law, health law, intellectual property law, and employment law resources.

What Are Rutgers Law’s Bar Passage and Employment Outcomes?

Rutgers Law graduates posted a first-time bar pass rate of about 73%, near the New Jersey statewide average, and an ultimate pass rate of about 86%. About 95.6% of the Class of 2024 were employed within 10 months of graduation. Graduates practice across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Because the two campuses sit near two state lines, graduates sit for the New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania bars. About 94.5% of the Class of 2024 landed jobs that require bar admission or where the JD gave an advantage. Applicants can compare state and national figures on the bar exam passing rate page and build a plan through the guide on how to prepare for the bar exam.

Employment concentrates in the regional market. Graduates move into public interest organizations, government offices, judicial clerkships, and regional firms, with large-firm placement more limited than at top-ranked schools but attainable for strong students.

Clerkships and public interest work are real strengths. New Jersey places a large share of new graduates into state trial and appellate clerkships each year, and Rutgers sends many students into those roles. That pipeline, plus the school’s clinic network, makes it a strong fit for students who want courtroom experience early in a career.

Who Are Notable Rutgers Law Alumni?

Notable Rutgers Law alumni include U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, and former FBI Director Louis Freeh. Graduates also include federal judges such as Esther Salas and civil rights leaders. Ruth Bader Ginsburg taught at Rutgers Law but earned her law degree elsewhere.

Other graduates include Peter Rodino, the congressman who chaired the House Judiciary Committee during the Nixon impeachment inquiry, and Richard J. Hughes, who served as both Governor and Chief Justice of New Jersey. The alumni base runs deep across the New Jersey judiciary, government, and public interest bar.

The Ruth Bader Ginsburg connection is often misstated. She served on the Rutgers Law faculty from 1963 to 1972, where she helped launch the Women’s Rights Law Reporter and shaped the women’s rights clinic, but she earned her law degree at Columbia. Her time in Newark still marks an important chapter in the school’s history.

Beyond the headline names, Rutgers Law fills the New Jersey bench and government at every level. Graduates serve as trial judges, appellate judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and legislators across the state. For a student who plans to build a career in New Jersey, that concentration of alumni in positions of influence is a practical, lasting asset.

Is Rutgers Law School Worth It?

Rutgers Law is worth it for students who want an affordable public law degree and a career in New Jersey, New York, or Pennsylvania, especially in public interest, government, or clinical practice. Low resident tuition and strong employment outcomes give it strong value. Applicants targeting national biglaw should compare higher-ranked schools.

Compare Rutgers Law with regional peers before you commit. New Jersey and Northeast options include Seton Hall and Fordham, and you can review the broader field through the top law schools in the Northeast region and the best law schools on the East Coast.

The decision comes down to goals and geography. Choose Rutgers Law for a tri-state career, low resident tuition, or a focus on public interest, clinics, or government work. Start your research from the main law school hub, and when you are ready to hire counsel or research firms, use the Lexinter law directory.

Look elsewhere if your plan centers on national biglaw or a coastal market outside the tri-state area, where a higher-ranked school widens your options. For a regional career built on public service, clinics, or affordable access to the profession, Rutgers Law pairs strong outcomes with one of the lowest price tags among respected law schools in the Northeast.