Dayton Docket

The University of Dayton School of Law is now a top 3 Ohio law school according to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.

UDSL is tied for third among Ohio’s nine law schools with Case Western Reserve University Law School and behind only The Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law and the University of Cincinnati College of Law. 

“While rankings cannot fully capture the value of a legal education at the University of Dayton School of Law, it is nice to see that others are beginning to notice the many great things happening here,” says UDSL Interim Dean Christopher Roederer. 

Dean Roederer points to the School of Law’s bar passage rate, which was tied for second among Ohio law schools, and its job numbers, which placed it in the top two in Ohio in full-time bar pass required and J.D. advantage positions for the Class of 2023.

“The change a few years ago by U.S. News to focus more on outcomes has really helped our ranking,” Roederer says. “Our faculty and staff do a tremendous job preparing students for the bar exam and helping them find jobs after graduation, and while that has always been something we have put great emphasis on, it is now being better measured in the rankings.”

The School of Law also provides great flexibility for its students. As one of the first schools in the country to get an American Bar Association variance to start an online J.D. program, UDSL’s Online Hybrid J.D. program will graduate its third cohort in May 2025. The first two cohorts passed the bar exam at rates of 92% and 94%.

“We started our Online Hybrid J.D. program in 2019, even before the pandemic gave many people a new perspective on online legal education,” Roederer says. “So we were very intentional about creating an online J.D. that would provide students with a comprehensive legal education, and we have proven over the years that we know how to teach law online. Our bar passage numbers show the success we have had.”  

Thanks to its innovative programs and focus on providing students with a valuable law school experience, UDSL has steadily risen up in the rankings over the last several years.  

The School of Law’s overall ranking this year is 107, which is the highest in its history. The ranking is up one spot from last year’s ranking of 108, which was the School of Law’s previous highest ranking. UDSL improved 22 spots in the rankings in 2022, which tied for the largest jump in the rankings that year. 

“Rankings will change from year to year, and it is possible that future versions will not put as much emphasis on the things we do well here,” Roederer says. “But we will continue to provide our students with a great legal education and the ability to turn that into a rewarding career.”