Sorry for the flashy Buzzfeed style headline. The short answer is I don’t think so.

Because I seriously doubt anyone can accurately capture all LL.M. programs in one ranking system. In addition to the General v. Specialized LL.M. programs, students enter these programs with different goals and expectations. Factor in the minimal publicly available data, the lack of a standardized admissions process, and the hot trend of online LL.M. programs aimed at foreign lawyers, which I believe will further fragment the market.

The good news: thanks to Yale and a couple other schools, there will hopefully be less emphasis on the U.S. News & World Report this year. Which is a good thing. I can write a separate post on why, but that’s a blog for another time. But LL.M. prospects, especially those from other jurisdictions, will continue to look at rankings wherever they can find them. So given my platform, consider this a PSA and part of how I advise people who ask me to think about these programs.

So in the narrow category of foreign-educated lawyers looking to work in the U.S., here’s how I would “rank” schools. The caveat: I don’t include “local foreign students,” those foreign-educated lawyers who already live in the U.S. and are geographically inflexible and will only go to a school or schools in a specific city.

1. What type of information is the school willing to share with you on employment outcomes for foreign-educated lawyers like you. While some of the top Tax LL.M. programs share LL.M. data, that usually includes a very large number of American-educated J.D. grads, and sometimes might exclude foreign-educated altogether. Given the different goals LL.M. students have, it’s not fair to expect schools on their own to post employment outcomes the way they do for J.D. students, since it would cause LL.M. student confusion (among other problems). But they should be able to give you a sense of what type of jobs their foreign-educated LL.M. students secure.
2. What type of information is the school willing to share with you on employment outcomes for students LIKE YOU. This is a bit trickier. But if students from one country over or under perform, that’s important information. If you’re an LL.B. final year student, you may not be able to rely on how senior associates at large firms do in their U.S. job search. If you come from a certain school in your country, it may not be as helpful if their other graduates are coming from a different category of schools reputation wise. Again, people like me do this for a living. Have a chat about how YOU stack up.
3. What is YOUR cost. If you are paying sticker tuition, it doesn’t matter that a lot of students receive scholarships. Get a sense of what your tuition discount rate/scholarship is going to be as you assess the different options. This will help you choose the best school for your situation. Everyone will come from a different financial background, but especially with the I-20, ensuring you can accurately account for all costs (tuition and non-tuition) is crucial. Remember to think about the extras in that determination.
4. What is your risk tolerance. Your school’s rank does not determine your fate. Your networking ability, alumni network, interviewing skills, connections, initiative/hustle and sometimes sheer luck play important roles. How can you balance the best program for you at the best price for you. A more expensive program that leads to a very well paying job in the U.S. is worth it to the many attorneys who choose Tax LL.M. programs and find success. But I continue to see LL.M. alumni at all rank levels of school achieve success. You may decide to go with a school that provides a full-tuition scholarship and feel less pressure in the job search. You may choose a school that has a smaller program with LL.M. students like you who are able to achieve success through a really proactive LL.M. career office.

So to conclude, I’m pretty skeptical of anyone who is ranking LL.M. programs. I have spent a decade working with them. Given the number of foreign-educated lawyers and law school students interested in these programs, here’s how I suggest you (and my students!) go about that process if your goal is to work in the U.S. and cost is a factor. If either of those is not the case (e.g., you’re planning to return home after graduation or you’re able and willing to pay sticker cost at the highest ranked school you get into/your dream school), then other considerations will play an important role.