A Note from the Office of
Dean Leonard M. Baynes
The 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Law Schools rankings have been released, and the University of Houston Law Center has taken a definitive step forward. We rose nine spots in the overall rankings, to No. 54. We are closer to our immediate goal to be one of the nation's top 50 law schools.
Several factors have fueled this rise. Our first-year entering class’s credentials are excellent. They are the highest in the Law Center’s history: median LSAT: 163; median GPA: 3.79 while at the same time almost 25% of the students are from first-generation college backgrounds.
The Law Center faculty is also outstanding. They have well-credentialed educational backgrounds. Of the recent hires, many have multiple-advanced degrees as well as the traditional J.D. They regularly publish in top 30 law reviews. They are kind, generous, and supportive teachers advancing our students’ transition from law school to the legal profession.
The Law Center’s alumni are very influential and successful in a multitude of practice areas and in business, government, and public interest. At the same time, the alumni give back to their alma mater by mentoring students, teaching as adjuncts, hiring students, or giving philanthropically. The Law Center’s staff is high quality, energetic, and very talented ensuring that the law school functions in an effective manner.
Our specialty rankings have also soared. We now have 11 specialty rankings in the top 50, and three in the top 10: Part-time Law Program at No. 5, Health Care Law at No. 9, and Intellectual Property Law, which surged five spots to No. 7. Beyond these, we saw remarkable, double-digit growth across other disciplines, with Trial Advocacy leaping to No. 16 and Tax Law rising to No. 31.
In these recent rankings, four of our specialty programs stand out as being ranked No. 1 among all the Texas law schools. They include Part-Time Program, HealthCare Law, Intellectual Property, and Legal Writing.
As we go forward, we will continue to rigorously challenge our students, expand the frontiers of legal scholarship, and leverage our position in the nation’s fourth-largest city to create unparalleled opportunities for our Law Center community. As we reflect on the glow from our increased standing in the rankings, it is important to keep in mind that we are more than a mere statistic. Deep in our core, we have a unique and profound understanding of UH Law’s inherent excellence and its historic mission to serve as a law school enabling students from a wide range of backgrounds to achieve dreams that they may not even thought of. The recent rankings are fortunately becoming more aligned with the Law Center’s actual merit. The quality of our legal education depends on the consistent dedication and determination of all members of our community.
Thank you for your support, advocacy, and belief in the University of Houston Law Center. Please take a moment to share in this good news, because you helped make it happen. Now, let us look to the future and continue the vital work of our institution.
Leonard M. Baynes
Dean, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Chair, and Professor of Law
University of Houston Law Center
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The University of Houston Law Center
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