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Drake Law was again chosen as a Best Value Private Law School by preLaw Magazine, a National Jurist publication. The National Jurist looks at a number of academic and financial variables, including the law school’s price of tuition, student debt accumulation, employment success, bar passage rate and cost of living. Employment is given the greatest weight – 35 percent.
Drake Law is one of only 22 private schools named.
Drake’s position on this list comes directly from the benefit of location and the success of each graduating class. Des Moines stands out as an ideal place to gain experience and mentorship through a legal community that is second to none. Recently named “#1 Best Place for Business and Careers” as well as “#1 Best Place in U.S. for Young Professionals” by Forbes, the location is also ideal for a personal/professional balance.
Bar pass rates and employments rates also help Drake Law stand out. Graduates rank well with an average bar pass rate of 94% and employment placement 10% above the national average.
“When law school enrollment began to drop a few years ago, some schools began to offer more scholarships,” said Jack Crittenden, editor-in-chief of the National Jurist. “We are now starting to see the beginning of that impact on debt. Also, employment numbers are improving, even if slightly.”
Being able to get through law school without taking on large amounts of debt is a key to getting graduates started on the right foot in their legal career.
“We do everything we can to keep the cost of a Drake Law School legal education as reasonable as possible, while at the same time offering a tremendous education imbedded with real life opportunities for hands on practical/professional experiences,” says Ben Ullem, dean of Drake Law School. “Our graduates not only get a great education, employers readily hire them. Knowing what to do and how to do it successfully greatly enhances employment opportunities.”
According to preLaw Magazine, the Best Value ranking is designed to find the law schools where graduates have excellent chances of passing the bar and getting a legal job without taking on a ton of debt.
This year’s list shows it’s still possible for students to graduate with under $100,000 in debt and land a job. The magazine will release a complete list with grades (A, A- or B+) for the 53 schools in the Back to School issue of preLaw Magazine and the September issue of the National Jurist. It will rank the top 20 schools in order.
Read more about the Best Value Law Schools.