Northwestern Pritzker Law Ranked Seventh Among Law Schools in Study Evaluating Return on Investment

Northwestern Pritzker School of Law has been ranked seventh in a Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce study evaluating the return on investment (ROI) of a law degree. The study evaluates law school employment outcomes, bar exam passage rates, and student loan debt, ranking 186 law schools based on median annual earnings net of debt payments. Northwestern Pritzker Law was one of only seven schools with median earnings net of debt above $200,000. For all law school graduates, median earnings net of debt are $72,000 four years after graduation.

“This recognition is a testament to Northwestern Pritzker Law’s extraordinary graduates and alumni, as well to our faculty, staff, and alumni who support them,” said Dean Hari Osofsky. “I am especially grateful to Associate Dean Donald Rebstock, Assistant Dean Dave Diamond, Director of Judicial Clerkships Janet Brown, Assistant Dean Leah Gould, and the Career Strategy Center and Public Interest Center teams for their wonderful work that makes such a difference.”

Northwestern Pritzker Law’s Career Strategy Center offers a variety of programs and counseling services, all of which are designed to help students develop sound career strategies and skills to build an effective framework for a lifetime of active career management. The Career Strategy Center also provides services to alumni looking to pursue a new career path, offering tools and connections to further a personally fulfilling and rewarding career at any stage.

An impressive 97.8% of Northwestern Pritzker Law Class of 2023 graduates secured full-time, long-term jobs where bar passage is required or where the JD degree provides an advantage–the 5^th highest percentage among top law schools.  The Law School was also recently recognized as the top “Go-To Law School” in big law for 2024, with 65.2% of its 2023 graduates entering associate jobs at the nation’s largest 100 law firms.

The Law School’s Public Interest Center also offers a wide array of financial support opportunities for students and graduates interested in public interest careers, including generous public interest summer funding, summer fellowships, post-graduate fellowships, the Loan Repayment Assistance Program, and full-tuition scholarships.

Students who wish to pursue judicial clerkships also receive comprehensive advising and assistance with the application and interviewing process. Throughout the year, the Law School hosts educational programs, such as clerkship information sessions, alumni law clerk panels, and a variety of events that bring judges to campus to speak to and interact with students. The 2023-2024 term was the Law School’s best year to date for judicial clerkship placements, with an impressive 83 graduates clerking in 25 states and D.C. This exceeds last year—the Law School’s next best term—by more than 20%. These factors all combine to ensure that Northwestern Pritzker Law students see a strong return on investment no matter what career path they choose.

“The Career Strategy Center, Public Interest Center, and Director of Judicial Clerkships are fortunate to work with such strong students, alumni, staff, and faculty,” said David Diamond, Associate Dean, Career Strategy Center. “Employers know that hiring a Northwestern Pritzker Law graduate means adding to their team a highly intelligent, well-rounded, dedicated, and mature professional, which is reflected in our alumni’s accomplishments in the private and public sectors, industry, judiciary, and academia.”