The Texas Tech University School of Law was ranked ninth in the Nation in a "Best Value" ranking of America's nearly 200 law schools recently released by the National Jurist and preLaw magazines. The Best Value ranking is based on three factors: the law school’s annual tuition costs; the school's bar passage rate above the State average; and an employment rate for the school's graduates that exceeded 85% within nine months after graduation. Texas Tech Law was the only one of Texas’ nine law schools ranked in the top 25. Dean Walter Huffman stated that he was "gratified, but not surprised by Texas Tech Law's top ten ranking." "We annually either lead or are among the leaders in the State in bar passage rate with an average historical passing rate of 90% against a statewide average in the mid-70th percentile," Huffman noted, "and employers consistently tell me they love to hire Tech Law grads because they are well prepared to practice law – and 98% of our graduates were hired within nine months of graduation last year." "We also work hard at keeping our tuition relatively low compared to other law schools because we do not want to deny the opportunity to pursue a top-flight legal education to qualified persons who have limited financial means," Huffman stated, "and it is gratifying to see that philosophy – and the extraordinary quality of our law school – recognized by important national publications."