Best Law Schools in Florida

By

Rachel Kapelke-Dale

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Gorgeous beaches, sunny skies, torts class…okay, so maybe law school isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Florida. But it should be! With 11 law schools ranked in the top 200 by U.S. News and World, you’ll find a great match no matter what kind of experience you’re looking for. So here they are: the best law schools in Florida!

Florida university building

Top 11 Law Schools In Florida

1. University of Florida (Levin)

At #21 in the U.S. News & World law school rankings, the University of Florida tops the list of Florida’s best law schools. It’s competitive, accepting 19.8% of students—fewer than one in five.

If you’re accepted, though, you can expect a world-class education, at a school known for producing political leaders on both the state and national levels. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5.7:1, the law school offers a lots of face-time with professors, despite its medium size (currently enrolling 722 full-time students).

LSAT 25th-75th percentile: 156-166
GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.52-3.94

2. Florida State University

Ranked #48 overall, FSU’s law school tops many other lists: Princeton Review rated it #3 for quality of life, while 2019’s The Black Student’s Guide to Law Schools and Firms ranked it #5 in the south for Black students.

With a 29.3% acceptance rate, applicants have slightly less than a 1-in-3 shot of getting into the law school, which has 595 students. Once there, they can anticipate student-to-faculty ratios of 7.3:1, with 57.6% of students employed at graduation (and 85.9% employed ten months later).

LSAT 25th-75th percentile: 156-162
GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.48-3.82

3. University of Miami

Ranked #72 overall, the University of Miami Law School climbs the charts when it comes to Clinical Training (#24 in the country), Tax Law (#28), and International Law (#29). If you’re interested in one or more of these areas, then the University of Miami might be the right place for you!

Boasting a large student body of 1,126 students, University of Miami Law nevertheless has a relatively low student-to-faculty ratio of 6.4:1. Furthermore, they accept around half of applicants, with a 51.4% acceptance rate. Before applying, be sure to check out these other statistics:

LSAT 25th-75th percentile: 156-161
GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.3-3.71

4. Florida International University

At #88 in the rankings, Florida International University Law School moves up the list to #31 of its part-time programs, with a #49 ranking for International Law.

The school admits around 1/3 of applicants, with a 29.1% acceptance rate. Students can anticipate small class sizes, with an overall student body of 409 and a student-to-faculty ratio of 8.1:1. At graduation, 43.4% have jobs lined up; ten months later, that rises to 88.8%.

LSAT 25th-75th percentile: 156-159
GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.35-3.78

5. Stetson University

Coming in at #111 in the overall rankings, Stetson Law has exceptional programs in Trial Advocacy (#2 nationwide) and Legal Writing (#5) as well as Dispute Resolution (#24). If this sounds like a good fit for you, polish up your application: the school accepts around 1/2 of applicants (52.1%).

A medium-sized school with 748 students overall, the student-to-faculty ratio is higher than at some other top law schools in Florida, 11.2:1. Keep in mind the school’s employment statistics, as well: at graduation, 44.8% have accepted job offers. 10 months later, this number rises to 79.8%.

LSAT 25th-75th percentile: 153-157
GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3.18-3.66

6. Ave Maria School of Law

Coming in the #147-193 range (U.S. News & World doesn’t distinguish among these schools), the Ave Maria School of Law is a Catholic institution in Naples, Florida.

With an acceptance rate of 51.6%, it admits around half of the applicants into its student body of 286 students. Once at the institution, students can anticipate a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio. 10 months after graduation, 47% of students had found employment.

LSAT 25th-75th percentile: 147-154
GPA 25th-75th percentile: 2.94-3.55

7. Barry University

Also falling into the #147-193 rankings group is the Barry University Law School in Orlando. Admitting 59% of applicants into its entering classes of around 250, it is less competitive than some other law schools in Florida. Barry alums have an employment rate of 52.2% 10 months after graduation.

LSAT 25th-75th percentile: 146-151
GPA 25th-75th percentile: 2.68-3.34

8. Florida A&M University

With an admissions rate of 33.8%, Florida A&M University has one of the more competitive admissions processes of law schools in Florida.

Also in the #147-193 ranking group, Florida A&M boasts small class sizes, with an overall student body of 358 students, and 8:1 student-to-faculty ratios. 10 months after graduation, 53.5% of recent graduates had found employment.

LSAT 25th-75th percentile: 145-150
GPA 25th-75th percentile: 3-3.48

9. Florida Coastal School of Law

Another school in the #147-193 ranking group, Florida Coastal School of Law admits 46% of applicants into its small student body of 194 students. However, class sizes may be larger than at most other law schools in Florida, with a 10.7:1 student-to-faculty ratio. 10 months after graduation, 65.2% of students were employed.

LSAT 25th-75th percentile: 146-152
GPA 25th-75th percentile: 2.72-3.46

10. Nova Southeastern University (Broad)

Within the #147-193 ranking group, Nova Southeastern University Law School stands out for its highly ranked Legal Writing (#16 nationwide) and Trial Advocacy (#36) programs. With an acceptance rate of 47.5%, around half of applicants end up accepted.

At the small school (447 students total), students have a student-to-faculty ratio of 10.5:1—higher than most other law schools in Florida. 10 months after graduation, 66.4% were employed.

LSAT 25th-75th percentile: 150-154
GPA 25th-75th percentile: 2.96-3.5

11. St. Thomas University

Accepting around half of the applicants (51.9%), this member of the #147-193 ranking group is in Miami Gardens, Florida. Entering students can anticipate a student body of around 630, with student-to-faculty ratios of 10.7:1. At graduation, 33.5% of St. Thomas law students were employed, but this rises to 63.6% ten months later.

LSAT 25th-75th percentile: 147-153
GPA 25th-75th percentile: 2.95-3.5

Takeaways

If you’re looking to go to law school in Florida, you have a wide range of options to choose from! Use the above LSAT and GPA ranges to help set your goals (remembering that you can always retake the LSAT if necessary!). Plan ahead to leave yourself plenty of time for test prep and applications—and good luck!

Author

  • Rachel Kapelke-Dale

    Rachel is one of Magoosh’s Content Creators. She writes and updates content on our High School and GRE Blogs to ensure students are equipped with the best information during their test prep journey. As a test-prep instructor for more than five years in there different countries, Rachel has helped students around the world prepare for various standardized tests, including the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT, and she is one of the authors of our Magoosh ACT Prep Book. Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from Brown University, an MA in Cinematography from the Université de Paris VII, and a Ph.D. in Film Studies from University College London. For over a decade, Rachel has honed her craft as a fiction and memoir writer and public speaker. Her novel, THE BALLERINAS, is forthcoming in December 2021 from St. Martin’s Press, while her memoir, GRADUATES IN WONDERLAND, co-written with Jessica Pan, was published in 2014 by Penguin Random House. Her work has appeared in over a dozen online and print publications, including Vanity Fair Hollywood. When she isn’t strategically stringing words together at Magoosh, you can find Rachel riding horses or with her nose in a book. Join her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook!

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