- Women outnumbered men in law school classrooms for the 5th year in a row
- The best law schools for female representation
- Female enrollment in top-ranked law schools
- The worst law schools for female representation
- Gender demographic trends over the last 5 years
Studies consistently show that female enrollment in law schools is important in the legal field. For this reason, the Enjuris team has made a point of keeping our eyes on the ever-changing gender demographics of the nation’s law schools.
Recently, we took a close look at the gender breakdown of law schools in 2020 and compiled the latest Law School Rankings by Female Enrollment report, which details the percentage of women in each state’s law schools, including the country’s 20 top-ranked law programs.
In recognition of our 5th year tracking the data, we also took a look at how gender demographics have changed since 2016.
Here are some of our key findings:
Women outnumbered men in law school classrooms for the 5th year in a row
According to data collected by the American Bar Association (ABA), women outnumbered men in law school classrooms across the country for the 5th year in a row in 2020.
Specifically, women made up 54.09% of all students in ABA-approved law schools, while men made up 45.70% of law school students.
The percentage of law students who identified as “other” was 0.20% (up from 0.13% in 2019).
The best law schools for female representation
The law schools in the chart below rank in the top 20 nationally for female enrollment.
Female enrollment in top-ranked law schools
Women were also well represented in top-ranked law schools in 2020, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
The worst law schools for female representation
However, there are still a number of law schools where the percentage of women enrolled continues to lag. The schools in the chart below ranked in the bottom 10 nationally for female enrollment in 2020.
Gender demographic trends over the last 5 years
In 1960, women comprised only 3.5% of enrollees in ABA-approved law schools. The percentage of women rose steadily, culminating in 2016 when women outnumbered men in law school classrooms for the first time. The percentage of female attendees has increased ever since.
Nevertheless, women remain underrepresented in positions of leadership within the legal field. Given the latest data, particularly the significant percentage of women enrolled in top-ranked law schools, there is reason to be optimistic that this will soon change.
You can view our full report here:
https://www.enjuris.com/students/law-school-women-enrollment-2020.html
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