Texas A&M University School of Law now ranks 26th nationally among U.S. law schools, according to U.S. News & World Report. The law school’s progressive rise over the last decade is unprecedented in the history of the rankings.

Up three spots from its ranking last year, the law school is also making strides among Texas schools, continuing to close the gap with its nearest-ranked neighbor, the University of Texas, at 16.

The law school also placed favorably in several specialty rankings. The Aggie Dispute Resolution program ranked 5th, the Center for Law & Intellectual Property ranked 6th, the Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing program ranked 11th, and the Energy, Environmental, and Natural Resource Systems Law program ranked 25th. In each of these categories, Texas A&M Law also ranked highest in Texas.

John Sharp, Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, highlighted the law school's striking progress.

“When I worked to acquire this law school a decade ago, even I did not dream it would move up in the rankings this fast! Our law school has climbed in the rankings faster than any law school in U.S. history. Hats off to Dean Ahdieh, his faculty and staff, and our great students,” Sharp said.

Texas A&M Law’s meteoric rise in the rankings reflects the underlying commitment to excellence and innovation that has animated the law school since it joined the Texas A&M family in 2013. With its recruitment of high-caliber students, attraction of world-class faculty, and development of dynamic programs that open the door to high-quality employment opportunities, the law school's continued rise shouldn’t surprise us, says General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, president of Texas A&M.

“I was thrilled, but not surprised, to learn about the latest rankings,” Welsh said. “Rising 57 spots in five years is an incredible feat. The law school’s continued upward trajectory is a direct result of the exceptional work of our world-class faculty and staff, who are passionate about their role in educating the best Aggie lawyers possible."

The law school’s impressive rise in the rankings offers another pillar of excitement as Texas A&M-Fort Worth — a new Tier 1 research and innovation campus built around the law school — emerges in downtown Fort Worth.

The new campus, currently under construction, is a partnership of the Texas A&M University System, the City of Fort Worth, and Tarrant County. It will feature innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology at its core, offer a home for academic programs across multiple disciplines, and create concentric circles of industry co-location and collaboration.

"Rankings can sometimes be noisy – reflecting quirks of the moment as much as anything else,” said Dean Robert B. Ahdieh. “Texas A&M Law’s steady progress over time, however, reflects the underlying achievements of the last decade — as well as the passion and commitment of our stellar faculty, student body, and staff. That is definitely something to celebrate.”