The 20 Best Universities in East Asia to Study Law in 2026

The University of Hong Kong leads the ranking compiled by Impact Lawyers, followed by the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Seoul National University.

This ranking covers South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Mongolia. Mainland China and Japan are excluded because they have separate rankings. North Korea is geographically part of East Asia but is not included because comparable, verifiable public information about legal programmes open to students is unavailable.

Countries and territories covered

East Asia can be defined in different ways. For this ranking, Impact Lawyers examines South Korea, Taiwan, the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and Mongolia.

Mainland China and Japan are omitted to avoid duplication because their university systems are large enough to support separate national rankings of 20 institutions. North Korea is acknowledged as geographically part of the region but cannot responsibly be assessed by the same criteria because verifiable data on programmes, admissions, research, outcomes and professional access are not available.

The table uses the heading “Country or territory”. This describes the comparative academic scope accurately without turning a university ranking into a statement on the political status of Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan.

How the ranking was compiled

HKU tops the first edition of the Impact Lawyers ranking of the best universities in East Asia—outside mainland China and Japan—for studying Law. CUHK and Seoul National University take second and third place, while CityUHK, Korea University and Yonsei complete the top six.

The methodology combines the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 for Law and Legal Studies, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2026 for Law, and the SCImago Institutions Rankings in the legal field. International results were interpreted solely among institutions within the defined scope.

QS contributes academic and employer reputation, citations and research impact. Times Higher Education assesses teaching, research environment, research quality, industry links and international outlook. SCImago adds research, innovation and societal impact.

The quantitative comparison was supplemented by a review of the degrees actually offered, language, clinics, moot courts, research, employability, connections with courts and companies, and the route to professional qualification. This adjustment is essential because the region brings together legal and educational systems that are not directly equivalent.

Five different academic and professional systems

Hong Kong retains a common-law system. Its three principal law schools offer an LLB or JD and the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws. The PCLL is the vocational stage before a solicitor’s training contract or a barrister’s pupillage.

South Korea replaced the traditional university route with professional law schools. At its leading universities, the qualifying degree is a three-year JD taken after a prior bachelor’s degree. Seoul National University confirms that undergraduate law courses were removed when the new system was introduced in 2009.

Taiwan retains undergraduate law degrees within a civil-law tradition influenced by continental European and Japanese models. Legal education and professional examinations operate primarily in Mandarin.

Macao has a Portuguese-rooted civil-law system, local legislation and a bilingual or multilingual environment. Mongolia has its own national system, shaped by civil-law and post-socialist traditions, with professional education delivered mainly in Mongolian.

The University of Hong Kong leads the region

1. University of Hong Kong (HKU)

The University of Hong Kong ranks first. Its Faculty of Law combines common-law tradition, international research, Chinese-law expertise and an exceptional location in one of Asia’s leading financial and arbitration centres.

HKU offers the LLB, joint degrees, JD, LLM and PCLL. The university explains that the LLB is the academic stage: practising in Hong Kong requires completion of the PCLL, followed by the relevant professional training.

The faculty is strong in commercial and financial law, arbitration, public law, human rights, technology, intellectual property and comparative Chinese law. Its combination of reputation, research, employability and professional access supports first place.

CUHK and Seoul National University

2. Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)

The Chinese University of Hong Kong ranks second. Its Faculty of Law is younger than HKU’s but has rapidly built a major international presence. It offers an LLB, JD, BBA-JD, LLM, doctoral research and PCLL, with close links to Hong Kong’s commercial and legal districts.

CUHK is particularly attractive for corporate law, international transactions, energy, arbitration and Chinese law. Its structure combines academic and vocational education with a substantial JD and postgraduate community.

3. Seoul National University (SNU)

Seoul National University ranks third and is the leading South Korean institution. Its School of Law is the principal public benchmark for research, selectivity, faculty and networks across the courts, prosecution service, government, academia and major companies.

SNU offers a professional JD as well as master’s and doctoral study. In March 2026 it reported 467 JD students and a large research community. Entry normally requires a prior degree, Korean-language proficiency and participation in the national admissions process.

CityUHK, Korea University and Yonsei

4. City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK)

City University of Hong Kong ranks fourth. It is one of the three institutions offering the PCLL in Hong Kong and provides an LLB, JD and several postgraduate degrees. It is particularly strong in arbitration and dispute resolution, commercial, Chinese and international law.

5. Korea University

Korea University ranks fifth. Its Law School has one of the country’s most powerful private-sector networks and a strong presence in business, the judiciary, politics and government. It stands out in corporate, constitutional, international and competition law.

6. Yonsei University

Yonsei University ranks sixth. Its JD requires at least 90 credits and integrates foundation courses, legal writing, ethics, moot court and at least 120 hours of practical training. Its international profile and Seoul location strengthen graduate opportunities.

National Taiwan University

7. National Taiwan University (NTU)

National Taiwan University ranks seventh and is Taiwan’s leading institution. Its College of Law has the island’s strongest academic and professional reputation and a central network in the courts, government, business and universities.

NTU’s LLB normally takes four years and is organised through Legal Science, Judicial Studies, and Economic and Financial Law divisions. The curriculum includes constitutional, administrative, civil, criminal, commercial, procedural and international law.

Although English-taught courses exist, most undergraduate teaching is in Mandarin. The college recommends a high level of Chinese and requires international LLB applicants to take a language assessment.

SKKU, Hanyang and Ewha

8. Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)

Sungkyunkwan University ranks eighth. Its Law School benefits from a university of great historical depth and especially strong corporate connections. It is visible in corporate law, technology, intellectual property and economic regulation.

9. Hanyang University

Hanyang University ranks ninth. Its technical and business profile supports teaching and research in innovation, construction, intellectual property, industry and arbitration. Its Seoul location facilitates internships and access to firms and companies.

10. Ewha Womans University

Ewha Womans University ranks tenth. Its Law School has a historic identity connected with women’s education and a strong presence in public, family and gender law, human rights and business practice. The professional school admits men and women under its current rules, although Ewha’s institutional identity remains distinctive.

Kyung Hee, NCCU and Soochow

11. Kyung Hee University

Kyung Hee University ranks 11th. It combines professional education with an international orientation and particular attention to governance, peace, human rights and business law.

12. National Chengchi University (NCCU)

National Chengchi University ranks 12th. Its College of Law benefits from NCCU’s strength in politics, diplomacy, public administration and social sciences. It is especially relevant for public, financial, commercial and international law and careers connected with Taiwan’s government.

13. Soochow University

Soochow University ranks 13th. Its century-old law school is known for combining civil law with common-law and comparative-law courses. The university reports a School of Law community of about 2,300 students supported by a large group of permanent academics and practitioners.

The University of Macau

14. University of Macau

The University of Macau ranks 14th. Its Faculty of Law is Macao’s oldest and has educated a large share of the territory’s bilingual judges, prosecutors, public jurists and lawyers.

It offers degrees in Chinese, Portuguese and bilingual combinations, alongside a newer Chinese Law and Global Legal Studies route. The Faculty of Law explains that its basic teaching belongs to the Roman-German tradition and that Macao’s system retains a deep Portuguese influence.

Its multilingual character and position between China and the Portuguese-speaking world give it an identity unmatched elsewhere in the ranking.

Pusan, HUFS and Taiwan’s universities

15. Pusan National University

Pusan National University ranks 15th and is one of the strongest public options outside Seoul. Its Law School provides a particularly valuable network in Busan, a major port, commercial and judicial centre.

16. Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS)

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies ranks 16th. Its linguistic and international strengths are attractive for foreign trade, diplomacy, comparative law and cross-border relationships.

17. National Taipei University

National Taipei University ranks 17th. Its College of Law has a strong public- and private-law tradition and links to institutions in the capital.

18. Fu Jen Catholic University

Fu Jen Catholic University ranks 18th and provides a private humanistic education with substantial coverage of civil, business and family law and professional ethics.

MUST and the National University of Mongolia

19. Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST)

Macau University of Science and Technology ranks 19th. Its Faculty of Law has expanded local competition through programmes in law, jurisprudence, international economic law and criminal justice. It is younger than the University of Macau but benefits from the territory’s academic and commercial growth.

20. National University of Mongolia (NUM)

The National University of Mongolia completes the ranking in 20th place. Its School of Law is the country’s principal public reference and reports more than 2,200 students and over 6,000 graduates. Its law library, containing around 30,000 volumes, is among Mongolia’s largest.

NUM’s national importance exceeds its visibility in international rankings. Mongolian proficiency is normally essential for completing the programme and working with domestic legislation, courts and clients.

Language and professional qualification

Language is a decisive professional barrier. Hong Kong combines legal English and Chinese; South Korea requires advanced Korean; Taiwan operates mainly in Mandarin; Macao may require Chinese and Portuguese; and Mongolia requires Mongolian.

An English-taught programme does not automatically provide access to legal practice. In Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Bar Association identifies the PCLL as the standard professional route, followed by pupillage for barristers. Solicitors complete their own training-contract stage.

In South Korea, the professional JD leads to the national bar examination. Taiwan, Macao and Mongolia apply their own examinations, training, registration and domestic requirements. Degrees do not transfer automatically between these systems.

There is no perfect university for everyone

HKU offers the strongest international and professional balance. CUHK provides a modern school with a substantial JD and postgraduate community. SNU is the benchmark for a Korean career, while CityUHK stands out in arbitration and vocational education.

Korea University and Yonsei have exceptional private networks. NTU dominates Taiwan’s market; NCCU is particularly strong in public law and regulation; and Soochow provides a distinctive comparative tradition.

The University of Macau is the strongest choice for understanding Macao law and Chinese-Portuguese legal relations. NUM has indispensable national value in Mongolia.

Applicants should consider where they intend to practise, language, degree structure, cost, immigration status, professional admission, clinics, internships and local networks. In such a diverse region, the intended legal system matters more than a small ranking difference.

A region of legal contrasts

East Asia brings together common law, civil-law systems, a professional JD route, Portuguese legal traditions and post-socialist legal orders. This diversity creates exceptional opportunities in trade, finance, technology, arbitration and comparative law, but limits automatic degree portability.

The University of Hong Kong leads through reputation, research and professional connections. CUHK confirms Hong Kong’s legal strength, while Seoul National University heads the South Korean model. The ranking guides academic choice; professional qualification must always be checked jurisdiction by jurisdiction.