The Most Diverse Law Schools In America (2022)
Which law schools do you think came out on top of this list?
Law schools have been doing their very best to recruit diverse students and professors; in fact, more incoming law students identify as people of color than ever before, and in recent years, we’ve seen record numbers of law school deans and faculty members of color. If you’re a person of color searching for a law school where you’ll be truly valued for who you are as a person, rather than a law school where you’ll be a face in marketing materials to promote diversity and inclusion efforts, then have we got a ranking for you.
According to U.S. News, in 2022, the average average percentage of minority students enrolled in law schools nationally was 33% (with minority students including those who identify as Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American or Pacific Islander, or mixed heritage). There are a number of schools, however, that enroll much more diverse classes on a yearly basis. In fact, at the 23 most diverse law schools in the country, the percentage of minority students is about 70% on average.
But which law schools are the most racially and ethnically diverse?
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- Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
- University of Puerto Rico
- Inter-American University
- Howard University
- Texas Southern University
- St. Thomas University
- University of Hawaii-Manoa
- Florida A&M University
- North Carolina Central University
- University of the District of Columbia
- Southern University Law Center
- Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School
- Florida International University
- CUNY School of Law
- University of San Francisco
- Western State College of Law at Westcliff University
- Santa Clara University
- Golden Gate University
- Barry University
- St. Mary’s University
- UC Irvine
- University of North Texas-Dallas
- UC Davis
Here are some additional interesting facts and figures about these diverse student bodies, courtesy of U.S. News:
Among these schools, Howard University School of Law, a historically Black college in Washington, D.C., enrolled the most Black students in fall 2022: 79%. …
In fall 2022, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law matriculated all Hispanic students, the only institution to do this. …
Of the 23 most racially and ethnically diverse schools, the University of Hawaii at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law had the highest proportion of students who identified as Asian and the highest proportion who identified as multiracial. At this law school and at Golden Gate University School of Law in California, Pacific Islander students represented 2% of the population, the highest percentage among the 23 law schools.
Native American students were also underrepresented across those institutions. The highest enrollment among this student population was 3% at NCCU.
Congratulations to each of the law schools listed and all of their students!
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23 Racially and Ethnically Diverse Law Schools [U.S. News]
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.