UMKC Law sets the pace for enrolling accepted applicants

The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law is one of the top 10 law schools in the country in terms of converting accepted applicants into enrolled students.

That’s the word from U.S. News & World Report, which cited the nation’s top law schools for attracting students, at a time when overall law school admissions are in decline. UMKC is seventh on a top 10 list that also includes Yale, Harvard and Stanford. See the full list in the U.S. News “Short List” report.

This year, enrollment at the UMKC School of Law increased by almost 15 percent, even while total applications declined 12 percent. According to Dean Ellen Y. Suni, two key elements are the school’s exceptional value and student-centered approach.

Tuition at UMKC Law is a reasonable $18,000 a year for Missouri residents, and the university offers out-of-state tuition scholarships to many Kansas and other out-of-state residents. But despite the low cost, the school boasts a 90 percent job placement rate and a 92 percent bar passage rate among graduates. Those figures helped earn the school a “Best Value” ranking from National Jurist magazine.

The school’s student-centered approach begins with the admissions process, which requires an interview with a member of the admissions committee. The school building is designed for close faculty-student interaction, with office suites that mix students and faculty – a design that draws faculty who want that kind of relationship with students.

In addition, the school focuses on preparing students for practice. Powered by the extensive practice experience of its faculty, important lawyering skills are integrated into doctrinal classes from the very first semester. In addition, the school’s close ties to the Kansas City legal community allow for networking and significant clinical and externship opportunities.

Earlier this year, U.S. News ranked the online graduate nursing programs at UMKC’s School of Nursing and Health Studies among the nation’s top 10.  The nonprofit management emphasis in the Henry W. Bloch School of Management’s Master of Public Administration program has been ranked no. 15 in the country by U.S. News.