UST School of Law again recognized by Princeton Review
For the fourth consecutive year, the Princeton Review's annual survey of law schools has lauded the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
Princeton Review's 2009 publication of The Best 174 Law Schools includes rankings based on student surveys and on institutional data it obtained from the schools. The New York-based educational services company surveyed 18,000 law school students, asking them to rate their schools on several topics and report about their experiences at them.
The rankings, announced earlier this month, can be found here.
For the second year running, St. Thomas ranks No. 2 in the nation for "Best Quality of Life" among students, according to the Princeton Review. In the survey's 2006 and 2007 editions, St. Thomas was ranked No. 1 in the Best Quality of Life category.
"This ongoing recognition is a reflection of the kind of community we have created and maintain here," said Dr. Thomas Mengler, dean of the school.
The "Best Quality of Life" category of Princeton Review's annual survey is based on "student assessment of: whether there is a strong sense of community at the school, how aesthetically pleasing the law school is, the location of the law school, the quality of the social life, classroom facilities, and the library staff."
The two-page profile of the St. Thomas School of Law in The Best 174 Law Schools describes the community atmosphere at St. Thomas as "fantastic." It quotes one student as saying, “There is healthy competition, but it is still a very collaborative environment.” Another student said that, “People are so nice you almost forget you’re in law school.”
Princeton Review lists the top 10 schools in 11 different categories ranging from best academics to best career prospects. No. 1 for "Best Quality of Life" this year was the law school at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville. In other rankings, Yale topped the list of schools "Toughest to Get Into"; the University of Texas at Austin was No. 1 on the "Best Classroom Experience" list; Baylor University's law school had the "Most Competitive Students"; and the best professors are found at Boston University.
