As predicted, U.S. News & World Report changed some of the methodology for its "Best Law Schools" rankings, with many speculating about the reasons for the changes

U.S. News derived each school's overall rank by scoring it on 10 distinct ranking factors, according to the publication's methodology release, as compared to last year, as follows:

• Employment outcomes 10 months after graduation: weighted by 33% (same as last year, but double from previous years)
• Bar passage rate for first-time test-takers: 18% (same as last year; 3% previously)
• Ultimate bar passage rate: 7% (same as, and new, last year)
• Peer assessment score: 12.5% (same as last year; 25% previously)
• Lawyers and judges assessment score: 12.5% (same as last year; 15% previously)
• Median LSAT and GRE scores: 5% (same as last year; 11.3% previously)
• Median undergraduate grade point average: 4% (same as last year; nearly 9% previously)
• Acceptance rate: 1% (same as previous years)
• Student-faculty ratio: 5% (same as last year; 2% previously)
• Library resources: 2% (same as last year; 1% previously).

While the category breakdown looks the same as last year's, U.S. News noted in its methodology release that a few other factors varied. At the same time, several industry professionals have also pointed to other issues with the agency's methodology that have persisted from prior years.