When Choosing Law Schools, Students Prioritize Rankings Over Debt

Prospective law students prioritize high-ranking law schools over cheaper options that would saddle them with less debt, a study from Kaplan Test Prep found. When 600 pre-law students were presented with three options, only 16 percent said they would accept offers from a lower-ranked school that would give them a full ride, as opposed to 39 percent who said they’d opt for a top-tier school even if it had no financial aid whatsoever. The driver may be finding a job: Top-tier programs have more success placing new grads into jobs, and in a dire employment environment, having a job and debt is better than no job at all, Kaplan executive director for pre-law programs Jeff Thomas told The Wall Street Journal.