Attending a Liberal Arts school is a great way to prepare for a future career in law. Liberal Arts (LA) schools will offer smaller classes and opportunities to work closely with professors. Most Liberal Arts schools focus on the humanities, writing, and developing critical thinking–all of which are necessary for practicing law.
The American Bar Association (sort of a big deal for lawyers) has a helpful page on preparing for law school, and they’ve highlighted that you don’t need a specific major. You can really go to law school with just about any degree, so don’t sweat it if some schools don’t offer a specific Pre-Law major. Law schools care about your GPA and LSAT scores over just about anything else—you can study psychology or physics, chemistry or Chinese.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the best schools for pre-law students. The list we’ve put together isn’t ranked–these are just some of our favorite schools for aspiring lawyers.
Amherst College
Amherst College is located in–you guessed it–Amherst, MA, and has a student population of just under 1,800. Amherst tells us that approximately 50-60 of their students apply to law school each year, and have a 95-97% acceptance rate to law school, which is astoundingly high. Amherst is part of the Five Colleges consortium, so their students can take classes at any of the other member schools–if a course isn’t offered at Amherst, you can probably find it at Smith (or Hampshire, etc.)
Popular majors at Amherst include English, History, and Political Science, which are all great preparation for law school. Amherst is pretty rural–about two hours from Boston–so be prepared for that quiet New England feel if you’re applying here.
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore is our favorite pre-law liberal arts school in the mid-Atlantic. Swat focuses heavily on the humanities and generalist education–be prepared to read and write a lot if you’re applying here. That said, their students are some of the best-prepared for careers in law: their students have a 94% acceptance rate when applying to law school.
Swarthmore students are known for their intellectual curiosity and friendliness, and some of the most popular majors include Psychology, Social Sciences, and English. Swarthmore is located just ten miles from Philadelphia, so the campus feels a bit suburban–there’s plenty of open space (check out the arboretum if you visit), but you can hop on a train and be in the city in half an hour.
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is one of the few Universities on our list, and they’re really more of a college–they focus heavily on their undergraduates but still offer a couple graduate degrees. They’re an exception among Liberal Arts schools in that they actually have a law school.
Washington and Lee (W&L) is located in Lexington, VA, a couple of hours south-southwest of DC. Lexington is a small college town nestled in the beautiful blue ridge mountains–if you’re interested in hiking or biking, this might just be the place for you. W&L’s most popular majors include English, Political Science, and Accounting (exciting, we know).
Grinnell College
If you’re looking to study in the midwest, Grinnell might be the place for you. With just under 1,500 students, it’s one of the smallest schools on our list–take a close look at it if you’re really interested in that small-school vibe. Grinnell won’t divulge statistics on their students’ law-school acceptance rate, but it seems to be pretty high–about 10% of their last class entered into law school or a law-related profession after graduating.
Grinnell is a great school, but be prepared for the Iowa winters and wind–this is one of the coldest schools on our list, and by far the most isolated. Grinnell tells us that the isolation brings their students closer together–they heavily emphasize community development.
Colorado College
Students looking to study in the Mountain West can turn to Colorado College, a small school located in Colorado Springs, CO. Colorado College (CC) has a block-format for courses instead of semesters or quarters–students take one course per month. Classes are small and have no set end time: CC’s education is a little bit unconventional, to say the least.
That said, they’re also one of the best Liberal Arts schools in the nation, and certainly the best running on Mountain Time. Colorado has some of the best hiking, camping, and backpacking locations in the U.S., and Pikes Peak is just an hour from the school.
Some of CC’s most popular majors (for potential law students) are Economics, Sociology, and Art. Colorado releases five-year reports on its graduates, and it seems that ~15% of the last class reported went to law school.
Pomona College
For our west coast aspiring lawyers, Pomona College is our top recommendation. Pomona College (PC) is located just outside of Los Angeles and has a student body of around 1,500. Pomona’s location in the LA Metro region means students have opportunities to volunteer and get involved in urban groups, and PC highlights the sense of community they try to build.
Pomona has a dedicated pre-law advisor, and emphasizes the support they give their students years after graduation. Take a closer look if you’d like to study at a more dynamic institution–Pomona might not have the traditions of ivy-league schools, but it’s also not as stuffy.
If you’re interested in a pre-law track at a Liberal Arts school, there are plenty of options out there for you–don’t be afraid to pick schools that aren’t on this list. If you’d like to discuss your academic planning, or your future in pre-law, feel free to reach out to us. We’re always available.
Contact us here if you need help with the college application process