Getting a law degree is the first step in becoming a lawyer, but with so many different universities offering law courses, it can be difficult to find out which one is right for you. That’s why we put together this handy list of the best universities for law in the UK. This post explores the details of Best Universities For Law And Politics, top law universities in the world, university of law ranking, law university in uk and ucl law ranking.
To a certain extent, law degrees are standardised across all universities in that they have to cover seven compulsory modules to be considered a ‘qualifying law degree’: contract; criminal; tort; equity and trusts; EU law; land law; and constitutional and administrative law. Even though all law degrees in the UK have to cover these seven areas, some law schools have a better reputation than others. Read on to know more about Best Universities For Law And Politics, top law universities in the world, university of law ranking, law university in uk and ucl law ranking.
To a certain extent, law degrees are standardised across all universities in that they have to cover seven compulsory modules to be considered a ‘qualifying law degree’: contract; criminal; tort; equity and trusts; EU law; land law; and constitutional and administrative law. Even though all law degrees in the UK have to cover these seven areas, some law schools have a better reputation than others.
Students have the chance to choose other electives, such as family law or company law, but they are not compulsory element of the qualifying law degree (QLD). If you already have an idea of what areas of practice you are interested in specialising in, or just want to find out more about, it’s worth comparing the electives offered by each course.
How to choose the best university for you?
When you’re choosing where to go to university, it’s important to look beyond just the course you want to take. Other factors such can be equally as important, these include: distance from home, cost of living (the cost of renting differs across the country), the facilities, the extracurricular activities it offers and whether it’s a campus university or spread across a city. The factors that are most important to you in a university can be very personal – think about where you would feel comfortable and fit in.
‘Getting into law is competitive,’ points out Jackie Trench, graduate recruitment manager at solicitors’ firm Clifford Chance. ‘If you want to end up at a firm like Clifford Chance, go to a university where you’ll feel comfortable and will thrive and get a good grade. If you go to a top university but are unhappy and come away with a 2.2 (the third highest degree grade), you’ll find it very difficult to get your first job in law. But if you get a 2.1 (the second highest degree grade) from a slightly less prestigious university most firms will consider your application. The grade you end up with is more important than the university you studied at.’
Make the most of open days and other opportunities to visit universities and see for yourself whether it would be a good choice for you. ‘Think about the environment: different universities suit certain people,’ advises May Worvill, graduate resourcing and alumni manager at law firm Bristows LLP. ‘Some individuals are suited to a big city like London and might apply to UCL or KCL. Others might suit a university in a small city such as York whereas life at a campus university, such as Warwick, is better suited to others.’
Best Universities For Law And Politics
We begin with Best Universities For Law And Politics, then top law universities in the world, university of law ranking, law university in uk and ucl law ranking.
NK | UNIVERSITY | LOCATION | COMPARE | |
1 | Harvard University | United States | ||
2 | University of Oxford | United Kingdom | ||
3 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | ||
4 | Yale University | United States | ||
5 | Stanford University | United States | ||
6 | The University of Melbourne | Australia | ||
7 | The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) | United Kingdom | ||
8 | University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | United States | ||
9 | Columbia University | United States | ||
10 | New York University (NYU) | United States | ||
11 | University of Chicago | United States | ||
12 | The University of Sydney | Australia | ||
13 | National University of Singapore (NUS) | Singapore | ||
14 | The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) | Australia | 6 | |
=15 | The Australian National University | Australia | ||
=15 | UCL | United Kingdom | ||
17 | Georgetown University | United States | ||
18 | The University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong SAR | ||
19 | King’s College London | United Kingdom | ||
20 | University of Toronto | Canada | ||
21 | The University of Tokyo | Japan | ||
22 | McGill University | Canada | ||
=23 | Peking University | China (Mainland) | ||
=23 | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | United States | ||
25 | Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne | France |
top law universities in the world
Next, top law universities in the world, university of law ranking, law university in uk and ucl law ranking.
Don’t forget that even if you don’t necessarily want to study in top-tier schools, there are still plenty of good international study options. So, check the extended law school lists included in the official website links after each top 10.
QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021: Law
- Harvard University, US
- University of Oxford, UK
- University of Cambridge, UK
- Yale University, US
- Stanford University, US
- The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK
- Columbia University, US
- New York University (NYU), US
- University of California, Berkeley (UCB), US
- National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore
World University Rankings 2022 by subject: Law
- Stanford University, US
- University of Cambridge, UK
- New York University, US
- University of Oxford, UK
- University of Melbourne, Australia
- University College London, UK
- Harvard University, US
- National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Yale University, US
- KU Leuven, Belgium
ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2021 – Law
- Yale University, US
- Harvard University, US
- University of Chicago, US
- Columbia University, US
- New York University, US
- University of Pennsylvania, US
- Stanford University, US
- University of California, Berkeley (UCB), US
- University of Virginia, US
- Duke University, US
Academic Influence Real-Time Rankings – Law schools November 2021
- Harvard University, US
- Yale University, US
- Columbia University, US
- University of London, UK
- Stanford University, US
- Georgetown University, US
- New York University, US
- University of Chicago, US
- University of Michigan, US
- University of California, Berkeley (UCB), US
university of law ranking
Now we review university of law ranking, law university in uk and ucl law ranking.
Studying Law in the UK is a great choice. British law schools list over 850 Bachelors and 950 Masters in Law on our portals, with tuition fees starting at around 2,000 EUR per academic year.
If you only settle for the best university, these are the top law schools in the UK based on rankings created by:
- Times Higher Education
- TopUniversities
- Shanghai University
- The Complete University Guide
We’ve also included the average acceptance rates for most of these law schools to give you a better idea about the level of competition during the application process. The acceptance rates are based on data from the 2015-2020 period.
1. Best law schools in the UK – Times Higher Education Subject Rankings 2022
- University of Cambridge – 20% acceptance rate
- University of Oxford – 17% acceptance rate
- University College London (UCL) – 63% acceptance rate
- University of Edinburgh – 10% acceptance rate
- London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) – 9% acceptance rate
- King’s College London – 13% acceptance rate
- University of Glasgow – 70% acceptance rate
- Durham University – 41% acceptance rate
- University of Bristol – 67% acceptance rate
- The University of Manchester – 59% acceptance rate
2. Best law schools in the UK – TopUniversities Subject Ranking 2021
- University of Oxford
- University of Cambridge
- London School of Economics and Political Science
- University College London (UCL)
- King’s College London
- University of Edinburgh
- Queen Mary University of London
- Durham University
- University of Glasgow
law university in uk
More details coming up on law university in uk and ucl law ranking.
Read this guide to see a list of the universities which offer a law degree as well as see the key criteria you should be considering when picking a university.
There are several things to bear in mind in your quest for finding the right university for law. They include location, courses on offer and size.
Remember, you’ll be at university for three years or more, so you shouldn’t take this decision lightly. Read on to compare some of the best universities for law in the UK.
Please note, this table has been compiled using ranking websites as a guide, but is not a definitive list. There are other law universities in the UK that are not included below.Show 10202550100 entriesSearch:
University | Typical A-Level or IB Offer | Admissions Test : Interview | Complete University Guide Ranking (for Law) |
---|---|---|---|
University of Aberdeen (LLB) | ABB, 34 points | No : No | 6 |
Abertay University (LLB) | ABB, 29 points | No : N/S | 28 |
Aberystwyth University | ABB-BCC 30-28 points | No: N/S | 42 |
Aston University (LLB) | AAB-ABB, 32 points | No : No | 46 |
Bangor University (LLB) | ABB-BBB 80-128 UCAS points | No : N/S | 45 |
University of Bedfordshire (LLB) | At least 80 UCAS points, 64 from 2 A-Level passes | No : No | 90 |
University of Birmingham (LLB) | AAA, 32 points | No : No | 24 |
University of Bristol (LLB) | A*AA or A*A*B, 38 points Contextual Offer: AAB, 34 points | LNAT : Yes | 19 |
Brunel University London (LLB) | ABB, 31 points | No : No | 52 |
University of Cambridge (BA) | A*AA, 40-42 points | Cambridge Law Test : Yes | 1 |
Cardiff University (LLB) | AAA-AAB, 34-32 points | No : No | 30 |
City, University of London (LLB) | ABB, 29 points | No : No | 75 |
De Montfort University (LLB) | BBB, at least 120 UCAS points. 28 points | No : No | 59 |
University of Dundee (LLB) | ABB, 36 points | No : No | 11 |
Durham University (LLB) | A*AA, 38 points | LNAT: Yes | 10 |
University of East Anglia – UEA (LLB) | AAB, 34 points | No : Only in exceptional circumstances | 29 |
University of Edinburgh (LLB) | A*AA-ABB, 43-39 points | No : No | 7 |
University of Essex (LLB) | BBB, 30 points | No : Yes | 51 |
University of Exeter (LLB) | AAA, 36 | No : No | 13 |
University of Glasgow (LLB) | AAA, 38-34 points | LNAT : Yes | 23 |
ucl law ranking
UCL has beaten Harvard in this year’s top ten world university rankings for law.
London institution UCL ranks sixth in the 2022 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, while Ivy League player Harvard follows closely in seventh place.
The 2022 law school power list, which is topped by non-Ivy League uni Stanford for the fourth consecutive year, features other big-name US, Russell Group and global institutions.
Cambridge and Oxford place second and fourth, respectively, for law.
Top 10 law schools 2022:
Ranking | Law school | Overall THE score (out of 100) |
1 | Stanford | 79.9 |
2 | Cambridge | 79.1 |
3 | NYU | 75.7 |
4 | Oxford | 75.2 |
5 | Melbourne | 74.9 |
6 | UCL | 74.7 |
7 | Harvard | 74.1 |
8 | Singapore | 74.0 |
9 | Yale | 73.9 |
10 | KU Leuven | 73.3 |
Feeling confused about how to get the info you need on best universities for law? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together a list of the best resources available, so you’ll never waste another minute Googling around for answers.
To a certain extent, law degrees are standardised across all universities in that they have to cover seven compulsory modules to be considered a ‘qualifying law degree’: contract; criminal; tort; equity and trusts; EU law; land law; and constitutional and administrative law. Even though all law degrees in the UK have to cover these seven areas, some law schools have a better reputation than others.