The Law School Enrollment Collapse: Are Liberal Arts Colleges Next?

By Steven Bahls. As a former law school dean and now college president, I have been following the collapse in law school enrollments closely enough to see it as a warning sign for liberal arts colleges. Here are the three lessons we can learn from the collapse in law school enrollment. 
1. By definition, collapse is quick. The number of students taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is down 45 percent from 2009. First-year enrollment in law schools is down 25 percent since 2010. Professor Paul Compos, from the University of Colorado, estimates that law school revenues are down about 15 percent in real terms from three years ago, although it’s telling that costs have not decreased. As a result, Compos estimates that 80 to 85 percent of law schools are incurring significant operating losses. Read more...