CUA Law students received this message from the Dean today regarding the latest US News & World Report law school rankings. It’s the most direct communications we’ve received from the Administration about the annual rankings in my time at the school.
I share it here, without further commentary, for your comments or other thoughts on law school rankings…
April 15, 2010
Dear CUA Law Students:
Every year April marks the completion of another semester of coursework, the anticipation of final exams, and the annual U.S. News rankings of America’s graduate schools. As you may already know, CUA remains among the Top 100 Law Schools in the overall ranking. In the 2011 edition, we are ranked #98, a ranking shared with four other law schools; our part-time program is ranked #21 among 84 part-time programs.
Because the survey and our ranking are widely discussed among the community and may be significant to each of us in different ways, I would like to share some information with you regarding this year’s results and what it means for CUA. The survey is primarily based on statistical data that all law schools are required to report on the ABA Annual Questionnaire. Accordingly, the information that is the basis of the survey includes LSAT/GPA/selectivity of the entering class, student/faculty ratio, placement statistics, bar pass rates, as well as a peer assessment score.
This year, CUA’s data reflected improvement in LSAT/GPA/selectivity, student/faculty ratio, and the bar pass rate. Our peer assessment score remained the same. Thus, in every key statistical area, save one, we have maintained or improved upon previous numbers. Our job placement rate for the Class of 2008, the statistic reported in this year’s survey, was the lone rating where CUA saw a decline. This was primarily a result of the 2008 job market downturn. The job placement rate for the Class of 2009 is much improved due to the efforts of our Office of Career and Professional Development and a recovering employment market. That improvement will be reflected in next year’s U.S. News survey. We anticipate making statistical improvements in other survey factors as well.
I hope that this information has been helpful. Please feel free to contact me or any other member of the administration if you have additional questions regarding the survey.
Best wishes for a strong finish to the semester and good luck on your finals!
Sincerely,
Dean Veryl V. Miles
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Where were y’all ranked last year? Judging from the contents of the Dean’s message defending the school, I’m guessing CUA went down this year?
We did. Part of me says “who cares?” Mostly, I’m frustrated that people continue to be infatuated with the belief that everything can be ranked empirically. I’m also anoyed that the only reason that crappy magzazine persists is because of consumption of their crappy rankings.
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