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Reviewed by:
Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University
Reviewed: 01/11/24
If you’d like to pursue a career advocating for the environment, read on to find out more about the best environmental law schools in the nation.
While the majority of lawyers protect human rights and interests, environmental lawyers protect the environment and the animals within it. Whether it’s preserving national parks or pushing climate change laws, environmental lawyers are primarily concerned with laws that control how people interact with nature.
With the increasing severity of environmental crises in recent decades, environmental lawyers are needed now more than ever.
If you’d like to help create and maintain laws to resolve these environmental crises, it’s important you attend an excellent law school that prepares you for the complexities of environmental law. This guide will go over the best schools for environmental law.
Here are the top 11 environmental law schools.
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law ranks number one for its environmental law program. This school offers more than 40 courses on national and international environmental, energy, conservation, and land use topics!
Despite having a top-ranking environmental law program, this school has a high acceptance rate of 48.1%. With a median GPA of 3.4 and a median LSAT score of 152, you have a high chance of getting into Pace University!
Interested students can expect to pay $51,240 per year in tuition to attend Pace.
UC Berkeley also ranks first as the best environmental law school in the nation. With its Environmental Law Clinic, Berkeley law students can gain valuable hands-on experience addressing the environmental legal needs of underserved communities.
Unlike Pace, UC Berkeley has an acceptance rate of only 12.5%. Prospective students should aim to maintain a GPA of 3.83 and get an LSAT score of 170 to be considered competitive.
California residents pay around $59,306 a year for tuition, and non-residents pay $67,816.
UCLA is another first-place winner for the best environmental law program. UCLA environmental law students not only travel around California and overseas to confer with field experts, but they also write and edit the Journal of Environmental Law and Policy!
With a slightly higher acceptance rate than UC Berkeley, UCLA accepts 15.5% of all applicants. However, they have higher LSAT expectations! The median LSAT score of accepted applicants is 171. Their median GPA is 3.9.
Tuition for California residents costs around $56,455 and $68,700 for non-residents.
Ranking as the fourth best environmental law school is The Lewis & Clark Law School.
This school offers students the opportunity to study environmental, natural resources, and energy law. For all of you nature lovers, their Boley Law Library, Oregon’s largest library, embraces the forest with floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s the perfect place to remind environmental law students what they’re fighting for!
With one of the highest acceptance rates on this list, Lewis & Clark accepts 52% of its applicants, has a median GPA of 3.54, and a median LSAT score of 161.
It costs $56,296 a year for tuition at this school.
NYU comes in fifth place as the Best Law School for Environmental Law. With some of the most distinguished academics in the field, NYU professors offer views on cutting-edge environmental issues like climate change and renewable energy.
With a low acceptance rate of 15.7%, NYU holds prospective students to high standards. The median GPA of accepted students is 3.88 and the median LSAT score is 172.
The tuition costs of this school reflect its prestige. Students can expect to pay $76,878 a year to attend NYU.
Tying for fifth place as one of the Best Schools for Environmental Law is Vermont Law School. As the largest environmental law program in the country since 1978, Vermont alums are shaping environmental policy around the world.
Accepting 60.9% of all applicants, Vermont has the highest acceptance rate on this list! Vermont is a great option for students with lower GPAs or LSAT scores. Their median acceptance GPA is 3.36, and their median LSAT score is 154!
Tuition for this school costs $51,700 a year.
Columbia ranks seventh as the top Environmental Law School in the nation. Columbia is dedicated to finding new ways to respond to environmental threats across disciplines through the ground-breaking centers, clinics, and institutes available for its environmental law students.
This school has an acceptance rate of 11.9%, a median GPA of 3.87, and a median LSAT score of 173.
As one of the top-5 law schools in the US, attending Columbia is an investment! Tuition alone costs $78,444 a year.
Georgetown’s environmental law program places seventh as well and is known for its extensive range of courses that provide students with practical, real-world opportunities to help them succeed.
Georgetown aims to accept only the best candidates and has an acceptance rate of 17.6%. The median GPA of accepted students is 3.86, and the median LSAT score is 171.
Along with Georgetown’s high expectations are their high attendance costs, with tuition costing $75,950 yearly.
As a consistent top-ranking law school, it’s no surprise that Harvard made it on the list as one of the top-notch environmental law schools in the country. Harvard prides itself on its powerhouse roster of academics, lawyers, and experts devoted to improving the environment and supporting clean energy.
With an acceptance rate of only 10.1%, Harvard is the hardest school to get into on this list. Prospective students are expected to have a GPA of 3.92 and an LSAT score of 174 to be considered.
Tuition to attend this prestigious law school is $71,734 a year.
The University of Oregon is another seventh-place winner and is home to a long-established Environmental and Natural Resources program that is amongst the most sought-after by employers!
With an acceptance rate of 55.3%, students have a high chance of gaining admission to this school. The average GPA of admitted students is 3.57 on a 4.0 scale, while LSAT scores average at 158.
Oregon residents can expect to pay $46,264 a year for tuition, and non-residents can expect to pay $57,586.
Vanderbilt University ranks seventh as the top environmental law school in the nation. Vanderbilt’s Energy, Environment, and Land Use Program prepares students for careers in areas of law at government agencies, law firms, and nonprofits.
Vanderbilt has an acceptance rate of 14.5%, a median GPA of 3.9, and a median LSAT score of 170.
Tuition per academic year at Vanderbilt costs $69,998.
Excelling in environmental law starts with choosing the right program. Effective law school admissions preparation ensures your application highlights your passion for environmental advocacy, aligns with top schools' expectations, and showcases your strengths. With personalized strategies, you can target schools with strong environmental law programs and stand out in this competitive field.
If you need guidance on choosing the right law school, take our quiz to receive a personalized list of best-fit schools, and check out our application help for expert support throughout the process.
If you have more questions about the best law schools for environmental law, you can find the answers below!
You don’t have to pursue a specific degree in order to succeed in an environmental law program. But it may be beneficial to complete a political science, environmental science, or earth sciences degree to enhance your knowledge on a variety of environmental issues.
Yes, it ranks ninth in the nation for its environmental law program!
Yes, it ranks ninth as one of the Best Law Schools for Environmental Law!
Yes! Environmental issues are only increasing as the world progresses, which means that the demand for environmental lawyers is only increasing.
Pace University is ranked the top law school for environmental law.
Vermont Law School has the highest acceptance rate on this list at 65.8%!
By attending any of these top environmental law schools, you’re setting yourself up for a budding (no pun intended) legal career making the world a safer place for all its inhabitants!
It’ll equip you with the expertise needed for an impactful career in environmental law. These schools offer a comprehensive education, combining rigorous academics with practical experiences.
Choosing a top-notch environmental law school is not just about obtaining a degree; it is a strategic investment in shaping a future where legal expertise contributes significantly to the protection and sustainability of our environment!
Reviewed by:
Former Head of Northeastern University's Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University
