Why is USC ranked so highly? Forum

[jewkidontheblock]

Just saw on LST that they have an employment score of 64% (60% without school funded jobs.) How can they be a top 20?

[Rigo]

I can't view the raw score breakdown, but I figure it's a combination of having good inputs (medians) as well as a strong reputation score. I know USC is very respected in Southern California.

[McAvoy]

They're prestigious, obviously.

[sesto elemento]

Just saw on LST that they have an employment score of 64% (60% without school funded jobs.) How can they be a top 20?

Because other schools have an employment score lower than 64%? USNWR also places more emphasizes on gpa and LSAT which impact the rankings more so than any other variable. Game those gpa/LSAT medians and you game the rankings.

[BigZuck]

American University proves that US News doesn't really care about things like how many lawyers a law school creates.

I am wondering though, OP: what schools do you think should be ranked above USC?

[A. Nony Mouse]

Just saw on LST that they have an employment score of 64% (60% without school funded jobs.) How can they be a top 20?

Because the USNWR rankings count a lot of other stuff besides employment stats.

[sundance95]

because its the best law school in South Carolina, bar none

[sublime]

..

[stellina]

OP: what schools do you think should be ranked above USC?

[unodostres]

la is also around the low 60 w/o school funded.

they place well with big law and some fed. pretty well regarded in southern california.

then again, everything outside the t14 is regional so who gives a fuuuu

[MikeJD]

Just saw on LST that they have an employment score of 64% (60% without school funded jobs.) How can they be a top 20?

They would be over 80% if they hired as many as GW or Emory for school funded jobs. Historically better placement, much higher median salary.. Hit HARD by the recession in the brutal cali market. WEll over 50% in firms over 100 before recession now its like 30. They will recover with small class size(about 10-20% smaller after 2013).

[dowu]

Just saw on LST that they have an employment score of 64% (60% without school funded jobs.) How can they be a top 20?

Because the USNWR rankings count a lot of other stuff besides employment stats.

Yep.

Including incoming 1L stats.

[ymmv]

There's a reason it's like 35 on the ATL rankings, which while horribly flawed are still probably more useful than USWNR for most applicants:
http://abovethelaw.com/careers/2014-law ... -rankings/

[xSOCALJDx]

There's a reason it's like 35 on the ATL rankings, which while horribly flawed are still probably more useful than USWNR for most applicants:
http://abovethelaw.com/careers/2014-law ... -rankings/

It's 35 mainly because of the insane sticker price which is higher almost 5 to 10 than t 20 schools.

[star fox]

Their BL + FC is comparable to UCLA.

2013 - USC: 33.6 - UCLA: 39.4
2012 - USC: 37.6 - UCLA: 39.0
2011 - USC: 38.6 - UCLA: 27.9
2010 - USC: 39.5 - UCLA: 40.6

USC 4 year average*: 37.33
UCLA 4 year average*: 36.73

These averages are not precise because I didn't take into account # of graduates in each class.

[MikeJD]

Their BL + FC is comparable to UCLA.

2013 - USC: 33.6 - UCLA: 39.4
2012 - USC: 37.6 - UCLA: 39.0
2011 - USC: 38.6 - UCLA: 27.9
2010 - USC: 39.5 - UCLA: 40.6

USC 4 year average*: 37.33
UCLA 4 year average*: 36.73

These averages are not precise because I didn't take into account # of graduates in each class.

USC and UCLA have legit jd-advantaged(entertainment firms and so on that pay better than small-mid size firms) jobs that LST doesn't count though which hurts them big time.

[BigZuck]

Their BL + FC is comparable to UCLA.

2013 - USC: 33.6 - UCLA: 39.4
2012 - USC: 37.6 - UCLA: 39.0
2011 - USC: 38.6 - UCLA: 27.9
2010 - USC: 39.5 - UCLA: 40.6

USC 4 year average*: 37.33
UCLA 4 year average*: 36.73

These averages are not precise because I didn't take into account # of graduates in each class.

USC and UCLA have legit jd-advantaged(entertainment firms and so on that pay better than small-mid size firms) jobs that LST doesn't count though which hurts them big time.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but can you quantify this? Like, how many people get jobs like that?

[FSK]

Their BL + FC is comparable to UCLA.

2013 - USC: 33.6 - UCLA: 39.4
2012 - USC: 37.6 - UCLA: 39.0
2011 - USC: 38.6 - UCLA: 27.9
2010 - USC: 39.5 - UCLA: 40.6

USC 4 year average*: 37.33
UCLA 4 year average*: 36.73

These averages are not precise because I didn't take into account # of graduates in each class.

USC and UCLA have legit jd-advantaged(entertainment firms and so on that pay better than small-mid size firms) jobs that LST doesn't count though which hurts them big time.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but can you quantify this? Like, how many people get jobs like that?

Not sure the raw #'s are the important point of that statistic. To the extent that those jobs exist, UCLA & USC students will disproportionately get them due to location proximity & network.

[BigZuck]

Their BL + FC is comparable to UCLA.

2013 - USC: 33.6 - UCLA: 39.4
2012 - USC: 37.6 - UCLA: 39.0
2011 - USC: 38.6 - UCLA: 27.9
2010 - USC: 39.5 - UCLA: 40.6

USC 4 year average*: 37.33
UCLA 4 year average*: 36.73

These averages are not precise because I didn't take into account # of graduates in each class.

USC and UCLA have legit jd-advantaged(entertainment firms and so on that pay better than small-mid size firms) jobs that LST doesn't count though which hurts them big time.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but can you quantify this? Like, how many people get jobs like that?

Not sure the raw #'s are the important point of that statistic. To the extent that those jobs exist, UCLA & USC students will disproportionately get them due to location proximity & network.

I think they matter insofar as if its like 2 kids a year then that doesn't really matter. If the point (and maybe I misunderstood this part) is to look at their big law+federal clerk placement and say "well yeah, but there's other good outcomes" it doesn't really matter that much if its just a very negligible percentage of the class.

[baal hadad]

Their BL + FC is comparable to UCLA.

2013 - USC: 33.6 - UCLA: 39.4
2012 - USC: 37.6 - UCLA: 39.0
2011 - USC: 38.6 - UCLA: 27.9
2010 - USC: 39.5 - UCLA: 40.6

USC 4 year average*: 37.33
UCLA 4 year average*: 36.73

These averages are not precise because I didn't take into account # of graduates in each class.

USC and UCLA have legit jd-advantaged(entertainment firms and so on that pay better than small-mid size firms) jobs that LST doesn't count though which hurts them big time.

lol

[goden]

Oh man all the entertainment boutiques were flocking to us during oci

In DROVES

[Yea All Right]

USC does well in biglaw for a school outside the T14, usually about 30% every year.

[Moneytrees]

The reason they are ranked highly is because they have very good medians and have a good reputation.

The reason they deserve to be ranked highly is because they have pretty good Big Law and clerkship numbers. They consistently do better than Minnesota, Emory, GW, William and Mary, etc. in those categories. It's pretty comparable to UCLA quite frankly. USC is extremely expensive and a terrible decision if you pay sticker, but it's hard to argue that it's a top 20 school.

[reasonable person]

The reason they are ranked highly is because they have very good medians and have a good reputation.

The reason they deserve to be ranked highly is because they have pretty good Big Law and clerkship numbers. They consistently do better than Minnesota, Emory, GW, William and Mary, etc. in those categories. It's pretty comparable to UCLA quite frankly. USC is extremely expensive and a terrible decision if you pay sticker, but it's hard to argue that it's a top 20 school.

Pretty sure you meant that the other way around.

[DaRascal]

UCLA is better than USC duh.