Top 10 places for Glasgow, Bristol, Edinburgh, and Nottingham in latest law school rankings

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By Legal Cheek on

16

Cambridge takes top spot


The latest set of law school rankings has been released, with Nottingham and Edinburgh firing into the top ten.

The latest 2024 Complete University Guide also shows some movement in the top four, with Cambridge climbing into pole position, and Oxford dropping below London outfits UCL and LSE to take the fourth spot.

Further down King’s College London has kept its 5th position, with Durham remaining in 6th, and Glasgow and Bristol 7th and 8th respectively.

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Impressively, Edinburgh University has climbed five places to come in at number nine, followed by the University of Nottingham, climbing eight places to rank at 10th.

There have been some even more substantial shifts further down on the 109-university power list. The University of Gloucestershire has climbed 17 spots to reach 76th, with Abertay University rising 27 positions to 68th.

New entrant Bath Spa University clocked in at 41st.

The rankings are based on entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality and graduate prospects.

Ranking Law school
1 Cambridge
2 UCL
3 LSE
4 Oxford
5 King’s College London
6 Durham
7 Glasgow
8 Bristol
9 Edinburgh
10 Nottingham
11 Queen’s University Belfast
12 Strathclyde
13 Warwick
14 Queen Mary
15 York
16 Sheffield
17 Aberdeen
18 Exeter
19 Cardiff
20 Leeds

16 Comments

realist

Deeply unserious ranking to pretend UCL of LSE law schools are above Oxford

Joe

UCL Laws was top in research in the last REF assessment, Oxford was 11th. One issue is that Oxford’s high teaching load, and low salaries, affect its ability to attract talented academics. Of course, the centuries-old prestige of Oxbridge does wonders (and this what you are tracking), but league tables track other serious data too (as one would think quality of research is).

Future Trainee at Price Prior LLP

Yes because academic research into the law (??? Oxymoron but moving on) is of course a paramount consideration for assessing the quality of a law school???

oxon rationalist

If you are rational enough to see through the veil of historical prestige of Oxbridge then you’ll realise how great UCL law faculty is as an institution and how gifted some of the students and staff are. I met a UCL LLB grad on my BCL and could not help but wonder how this guy didn’t make it to Oxford for undergrad.

Mohabeen

That’s nothing new.

These top four rankings have been seen before, and in that order.

I remember seeing that the year I applied to University.

I was rejected by Oxford and accepted by UCL.

The rankings helped me show my disappointed parents that I wasn’t a failure.

The real rankings and we all know it

1 and 2 Oxbridge

Big gap

Everyone else.

Anon

Not necessarily for research, particularly these days. Many academics are academic high achievers earning relatively low salaries for their qualifications, but with fellow high achiever partners who are maximising their earning potential.

Mate of mine was a superstar when we were at Oxford and stayed for his PhD. They’d have loved to keep him, but he’s at a London uni because his magic circle set barrister wife is the one bringing the cash home, so they live near her job. By all accounts this is a common theme there, after all an academic career is great but if your spouse is a partner at Latham you’re prioritising their career.

Anonon

Like we care about “legal research”!

Paperwork monkey

Subjective garbage

UCL City Litigator

That Oxford is below LSE in the rankings is absolutely ridiculous.

Future Trainee at Price Prior LLP

And you can add UCL to that

Future Trainee at Price Prior LLP

Where’s BPP? Stupid made up rankings istg

Thrice-warned

Why isn’t Liverpool on there?

Everywhere I go I run into Liverpool grads who are solicitors, counsel and even the occasional Judge.

Surprising that Liverpool doesn’t make the grade.

Are Liverpool grads just good at blagging jobs?

Owen

For me, I would ranking like this:

Oxford first, Cambridge second, Exeter Third

Owen

For me, I would rank them like this:

Oxford first, Cambridge second, Exeter Third

Jemima

Exetah!!!

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