Best Law Colleges & Universities in the UK – Requiring LNAT 2024

In this article, we will examine the top law colleges and universities in the UK that require the LNAT – the Law National Aptitude Test, or the National Admissions Test for Law, as part of their admissions process for various law courses or programs.

The LNAT is conducted under the auspices of the LNAT Consortium, which manages the content and structure of the test. The actual test itself is administered by Pearson VUE. Candidates can take the LNAT at any of the 500+ test centers around the world, including approximately 150 centers in the UK.

The LNAT Consortium originally comprised of the universities and colleges that began using this test as part of their law program admissions processes. Subsequently there have been changes in the consortium itself, as well as in the list of other non-consortium members who use the LNAT.

Top UK Law Universities & Colleges – Requiring LNAT 2024

In 2024, there are nine top law colleges & universities in the UK which require the LNAT for admissions to their law courses.

• Durham University
• King’s College London
• LSE – London School of Economics and Political Science
• SOAS
• University College London
• University of Bristol
• University of Cambridge
• University of Glasgow
• University of Oxford

The focus of this article will be on aggregating the rankings for these specific universities and colleges. However, the various rankings used here are based on comparison of these institutions with all the law colleges and universities across the UK.

Other than SOAS, all of these institutions are part of the prestigious Russell Group, which consists of many of the top ranking universities and colleges in the UK.

Why and how is the LNAT 2024 used in law course admissions

Russel Group institutions like the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and the LSE consistently feature within the top ten in various UK and global rankings. This attracts hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants to their law programs every year. For example, in the 2023 Admissions Round, Oxford received 2125 Law undergraduate applications + 68 Senior* status applications. (For 2022, the numbers were 2046 Law applications, with 72 additional applications for Law with Senior status entry).

* Second undergraduate degree candidates may be able to apply for ‘Senior Status’. This exempts you from the First Public Examination, so you can start directly in the second year of the degree.

Given that many of the candidates may have similar scholastic achievements, the LNAT is used as an additional shortlisting criteria. In addition, given the diverse backgrounds of the applicants, the LNAT, as a standardized test, may supplement the university application and show the applicant’s aptitude for studying undergraduate law.

While all of these institutions use the LNAT part A – Multiple Choice Test (MCT) scores for shortlisting, some may also use the LNAT Part B – essay scores for shortlisting or as an alternative to the personal statement. The LNAT Part A – MCT is scored automatically when the test is completed, whereas the essays in part B are sent ‘as is’ to the various institutions, who will evaluate the essays using their own internal criteria.

Best UK Law Schools & Universities National & Global Ranks – The LNAT 2024 List

* TG and CUG show UK university rankings nationally, whereas THE and QS are world university rankings – which should provide a context for the wide variations.

Ranking Sources:

• TG – The Guardian – UK University Rankings
• THE – Times Higher Education World University Rankings
• CUG – Complete University Guide – Law League Table Rankings
• QS World University Rankings

Top UK Law Schools & Universities requiring LNAT 2024 – Comparative & Contextual rankings

Since the main focus of this article is on universities and colleges that specifically require the LNAT, the table below provides a comparative ranking between the institutions – i.e., how they fare against each other in various rankings.

The ‘Avg’ column provides the average of the institution’s rank across the different rankings.

Methodology used for compiling these ranking tables

The four ranking sources – TG, THE, CUG and QS are considered to be among the most reliable and robust rankings in the UK.

While all of these rankings may use similar data-points and factors, the weights will vary. For example, one ranking may give a higher weightage to academics and research, whereas another ranking may consider future career prospects and grad salaries to be equally important.

By considering the various rankings together, students will get a more holistic view of these institutions.

Read our other LNAT related articles that explore how each University uses the LNAT 2024 test scores for their admissions process.