What are the T14 law schools?

The T14 (Top 14) are the 14 law schools at the top of the US News & World Report rankings — schools whose graduates dominate Big Law, federal clerkships, and elite legal academia. In the 2026 US News rankings, the T14 are: Yale, Stanford, Harvard, Chicago, Columbia, Penn, UVA, NYU, Michigan, Berkeley, Duke, Northwestern, UCLA, and Cornell. The group has been remarkably stable for three decades; the most notable 2026 shift was UCLA entering at #13, displacing Georgetown (which dropped to #15). Some admissions community usage still includes Georgetown in the canonical T14 alongside UCLA — both are widely treated as T14-tier in practice.

Why is it called the T14?

The term 'T14' originated in law school admissions communities in the 1990s and 2000s as shorthand for the top 14 schools in US News rankings. It became the canonical grouping because (1) these 14 schools have remained at the top for over 30 years with only minor reshuffling, and (2) the gap in employment outcomes between #14 and #15 has historically been substantial. The most notable recent change: in the 2026 US News rankings, UCLA rose to #13 and Georgetown dropped to #15 — the first major shift in the canonical T14 list in years. Some commentators use 'T6' (Yale, Stanford, Harvard, Chicago, Columbia, NYU) for the very top tier or 'T20' to include schools like Vanderbilt, Wash U, USC.

What LSAT score do I need for the T14?

T14 schools cluster their median LSAT scores between 170 and 174. Yale, Stanford, Harvard, and Chicago sit at 173-174 (about the 99th percentile of LSAT takers). Columbia, Penn, NYU, UVA, and Northwestern cluster at 172-173. The bottom of the T14 (Berkeley, Michigan, UCLA, Cornell) median around 170-172. To be a competitive T14 applicant, your LSAT should typically be at or above the school's 25th percentile (often 168-169 even for Yale).

What GPA do I need for the T14?

T14 schools cluster their median GPAs between 3.85 and 3.95. Yale and Stanford lead with medians around 3.94-3.96. Most of the T14 cluster between 3.85 and 3.92. The 25th percentile GPAs at T14 schools are typically 3.7-3.8 — below that you need an exceptional LSAT and softs to compensate. Splitter applicants with high LSAT but low GPA fare best at Northwestern and Cornell, both of which historically admit splitters at above-baseline rates.

Is going to a T14 worth it?

From a pure career-outcomes standpoint, yes. Over 60% of T14 graduates place into Big Law jobs paying $215K+ first-year. T14 graduates fill the majority of federal clerkships and dominate elite firm hiring. From a financial standpoint, sticker tuition at the T14 ($73K-$80K/year) yields a manageable debt-to-salary ratio because of strong post-grad outcomes. From a non-Big-Law standpoint (public interest, government, academia), T14 graduates have access to LRAP programs that effectively make sticker affordable. The main reasons not to attend a T14 are heavy scholarships at lower-ranked schools, regional career goals far from T14 hubs, or non-traditional career paths.

What's the difference between T14, T6, and HYS?

HYS = Harvard, Yale, Stanford. The most prestigious three schools, with no clear ranking among them. T6 = HYS plus Chicago, Columbia, and NYU (or Penn — the #5 spot has shuffled in recent years). The very top tier where outcomes are nearly indistinguishable. T14 = the full top 14 in the 2026 US News rankings: Penn, UVA, Michigan, Berkeley, Duke, Northwestern, UCLA, and Cornell rounding out the list. There's a meaningful break between T6 and the rest of the T14, and a much larger break between T14 and the rest of the legal-academic landscape.

Is Berkeley still T14?

Yes. Berkeley sits at #10 in the 2026 US News rankings — solidly within the T14. Berkeley has been part of the T14 for the entire history of the rankings, though it briefly slipped to #15 in some prior cycles. Berkeley is universally regarded as a T14 school in admissions and employment terms — the few rankings movements don't change Big Law hiring or clerkship outcomes. Berkeley's strength in tech, IP, and California legal markets makes it especially valuable for students with West Coast career plans.

Yes — in the 2026 US News rankings. UCLA Law rose to #13 in the 2026 cycle, entering the T14 for the first time and displacing Georgetown to #15. UCLA had hovered just outside the T14 for years (#14-#16 range) and finally crossed in. UCLA's California legal market dominance (Big Law in LA and SF), strong entertainment-law program, and steadily rising medians drove the climb.

Is Georgetown still T14?

By the 2026 US News rankings, no — Georgetown dropped to #15. But in admissions community usage, Georgetown is still widely treated as T14. Big Law hiring, federal clerkship placements, and DC-market employment outcomes at Georgetown remain on par with the bottom of the T14 (Cornell, UCLA), and the school's DC base gives it unique access to government and policy careers. The drop reflects US News methodology changes (heavier weighting on bar pass rates, debt outcomes, employment quality) more than a fundamental shift in Georgetown's strength. Most pre-law applicants still treat Georgetown as a T14 target.

Law School Guides

T14 Law Schools — Rankings, Stats & Application Profiles (2026)

Yale, Stanford, Harvard, and the other 11 schools that have made up the “Top 14” for over three decades. LSAT and GPA medians, acceptance rates, employment outcomes, and what makes the T14 the T14.

Last updated: January 2026. Data sourced from ABA 509 disclosures and US News & World Report rankings. Cross-verify with each school's admissions site for current cycle figures.

T14 Application Profiles

LSAT and GPA medians and acceptance rates for the entering class (most recent ABA 509 cycle).

School	Rank	LSAT (25/50/75)	GPA (25/50/75)	Acceptance Rate	Class Size
Yale University	#1	171/174/177	3.90/3.96/4.00	4.1%	204
Stanford University	#2	171/173/176	3.87/3.96/4.00	6.1%	193
Harvard University	#2	171/174/176	3.89/3.96/4.00	9.2%	579
University of Chicago	#4	171/174/176	3.87/3.97/4.00	9.7%	203
Columbia University	#5	169/173/175	3.85/3.92/3.98	11.8%	444
University of Pennsylvania	#5	167/173/174	3.77/3.95/4.00	8.1%	265
University of Virginia	#7	168/173/175	3.83/3.99/4.04	10.2%	309
New York University	#8	169/172/174	3.81/3.92/3.97	13.4%	452
University of Michigan	#9	168/171/173	3.74/3.88/3.95	8.6%	343
University of California-berkeley	#10	167/170/172	3.84/3.92/3.99	14.8%	374
Duke University	#11	169/171/172	3.83/3.91/3.96	12.9%	227
Northwestern University	#12	167/173/175	3.76/3.96/4.00	12.3%	250
University of California-los Angeles	#13	166/171/172	3.73/3.95/4.00	12.1%	328
Cornell University	#14	168/173/175	3.75/3.92/3.97	18.2%	217

What Is the T14?

The T14 is the unofficial label for the 14 law schools that have consistently held the top 14 spots in US News & World Report rankings since US News began ranking law schools in the 1990s. While the exact rank-order within the T14 reshuffles year to year — Yale, Stanford, and Chicago commonly rotate among the top three — the group itself has been remarkably stable. The same 14 schools dominate Big Law hiring, federal clerkships, elite legal academia, and Supreme Court bar admissions decade after decade.

The reason the T14 is treated as a meaningful grouping (rather than just “the top schools”): there has historically been a noticeable break between the school ranked #14 and the school ranked #15. T14 graduates have outsized access to:

Big Law starting salaries. 60-90% of T14 graduates place into Big Law (the “Cravath scale” firms paying $225K base + bonus to first-year associates). Outside the T14, Big Law placement drops sharply.
Federal clerkships. T14 graduates fill the majority of federal Article III clerkships, including most US Supreme Court clerkships.
Legal academia. Tenure-track law professors are overwhelmingly drawn from T14 grads — particularly Yale, Harvard, and Stanford.
Elite government positions. Solicitor General line, federal appellate clerkships, and senior DOJ positions.

T14 Sub-tiers: HYS, T6, and the Rest

Within the T14, there are commonly referenced sub-tiers based on historical placement strength:

HYS (Harvard, Yale, Stanford). The most prestigious tier. Yale and Stanford's small class sizes and Harvard's pure brand strength create the strongest outcomes pipeline of any law schools. Within HYS there's no clear hierarchy — choice typically comes down to location, scholarship, and personal fit.
T6 (HYS + Chicago, Columbia, NYU). Adds Chicago, Columbia, and NYU. Big Law placement at the T6 is nearly indistinguishable — over 75% of graduates place into firms paying the Cravath scale.
T7-T14. UVA, NYU, Michigan, Berkeley, Duke, Northwestern, UCLA, and Cornell. Strong Big Law placement and good clerkship pipelines. Some have specific regional strengths — UVA for DC and Big Law; Berkeley for California and tech; Northwestern for Chicago Big Law and splitter-friendly admissions; Cornell for elite NY firms.

T14 vs. T15-30 Schools

The line between #14 and #15 has historically been the most studied break in the law school rankings. Schools that have sometimes hovered around T14 status — Vanderbilt, Washington University in St. Louis, USC, Texas — are excellent schools, but their Big Law placement rates and federal clerkship access have historically been meaningfully lower than the bottom of the T14.

That said, attending a T15-30 school with significant scholarship often beats attending a T14 at sticker. A 75%-tuition scholarship at Vanderbilt or USC saves ~$170K over three years and still opens strong regional Big Law markets. Use our Law School Cost Calculator to model the financial trade-off, and our Law School Admissions Calculator to see where your numbers fit.

T14 Admissions for Splitters

LSAT splitters (high LSAT, low GPA) and reverse splitters (high GPA, lower LSAT) have uneven success across the T14:

Most splitter-friendly: Northwestern and Cornell historically admit LSAT splitters at noticeably above-baseline rates.
Reverse-splitter-friendly: Berkeley and Penn tend to weight GPA more than the rest of the T14.
Hardest for splitters: Yale and Stanford rarely admit applicants with both an LSAT or GPA below the 25th percentile.

Our admissions calculator flags splitter status and identifies splitter-friendly schools in your output.

Use the T14 in Your School List

Law School Admissions Calculator — predict your admit chances at every T14 (and the other 184 ABA schools).
Law School Cost Calculator — model 3-year cost of attendance at any T14 vs. lower-ranked schools with scholarship.
Law School Profiles — full research on every T14 school: signature clinics, journals, employment markets.
Transfer Predictor — if you don't get into a T14 the first time, model your transfer chances after 1L.