WVU Law is proud to earn recognition in top law school rankings. We value these distinctions as further confirmation of our dedicated mission to be the best for our students.
Our goal is to be a top choice as an affordable law school, offering excellent law programs, leading to law degrees valued by employers in West Virginia and nationwide. Thousands of our successful graduates go on to careers to serve the public, government, and business—locally and globally—with a strong commitment to justice, ethics, professionalism, and service.
Accredited and nationally ranked, WVU Law is West Virginia University’s first professional school, established in 1878. The West Virginia Law Review is the fourth oldest in the country, founded in 1894.
Our recent accolades include the following:
- #5 Best Law School for Public Interest — preLaw Magazine (Back to School 2023 Issue)
- Best Value Law School (B+) — preLaw Magazine (Fall 2023)
- Top Law School for Practical Training — preLaw Magazine (Spring 2023)
- Top Law School for Environmental Law— preLaw Magazine (Spring 2023)
- Top Law School for Trial Advocacy — preLaw Magazine (Winter 2023)
- Top Law School for Criminal Law — preLaw Magazine (Fall 2022)
- Top Public Service School (#11 Public Interest, #23 Federal Clerkships) — preLaw Magazine (2021)
- Top Law School for Business Law (A-) — preLaw Magazine (2021)
- Best Law School for Practical Training (A) — preLaw Magazine (2022, 2021, 2020)
- Top Law School for Environmental/Natural Resources Law (A) — preLaw Magazine (2022, 2021, 2020)
- Top Law School for Intellectual Property Law (B+) — preLaw Magazine (2022)
- #5 Best Law Schools for Public Interest Law — preLaw Magazine (2020)
- Top 100 Law Specialties: Environmental Law #73, Health Care Law #77 — U.S. News & World Report 2021 Rankings (2021)
- Top Law School for Trial Advocacy & Litigation Law (A) and Intellectual Property Law (A-)— preLaw Magazine (2019)
- Top 25 for federal clerkships, No. 8 in the South — law faculty research, Univ. of Iowa (2020)
- Best Law Schools: Energy and Environmental Law (grade A) — preLaw Magazine (2019, 2018)
- Best Law Schools: Employment (grade A) — preLaw Magazine (2019, 2018)
- Best Law School (tied for 111) — U.S. News & World Report 2020 Rankings (2020)
- Best Value Law School — preLaw Magazine/The National Jurist (2018, 2017, 2016, 2015)
- Best Specialties: Public Interest Law — preLaw Magazine (2018)
- Best Law Schools: Employment — preLaw Magazine (2018)
- #34 Most Affordable Law School — Student Loan Hero (2018)
- #31 Law School for Federal Clerkships — independent research, ABA data (2018)
- #2 Law School for Greatest Community Impact —The National Jurist (2017)
- #14 “Cheapest” Law School — law.com (2017)
- #28 Law School for State Attorneys/Solicitors General — Empiricalscotus.com (2017)
- #13 Law School for Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio — Internet Legal Research Group (2017)
- Top Law School for Public Interest Law (A) and Criminal Law (B+) — preLaw Magazine (2016)
- #44 for employment rate (80%)—The Faculty Lounge (2016)
- #42 “Go-To” Law School — National Law Journal, 2015
- Top 25 Law School for Corporate Leadership — SEC data of publicly traded companies, independent research, 2014
- Best Law School for Employment (A-) — preLaw Magazine, 2014
- 2012 Excellence in Pro Bono Award (Clinical Law Program) — Super Lawyer, 2013
West Virginia University
WVU Law is one of 14 colleges and schools offering 350+ bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional degree programs at West Virginia University, nationally acclaimed as one of the country’s top land grant and research universities.
