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2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

42 Ranked Colleges
2,595 Degrees Awarded
$11,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Legal Studies is the 225th most popular major in the country with 3,546 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,595 legal studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 42 colleges that offered a degree in legal studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent legal studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the legal studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

The legal studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $1,866 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Legal Studies at Northwestern University

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 21 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also took the #1 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,156 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Vanderbilt Legal Studies Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 97 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,367 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 157 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal studies students in 2019-2020.

John Jay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for John Jay is $771 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full John Jay College of Criminal Justice Legal Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 121 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW Seattle Legal Studies Report

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 184 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Studies at UC Berkeley

#19 in overall quality

University of Central Florida came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCF is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 214 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCF also took the #19 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCF is $6,211 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Studies at UCF

#15 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 96 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $7,044 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Legal Studies Report

#9

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts Amherst came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMass Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 91 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

UMass Amherst also took the #9 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,137 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMass Amherst.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Legal Studies at University of Massachusetts Amherst

#10

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, American Public University System did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school handed out 78 degrees to qualified bachelors’s legal studies students in 2019-2020.

American Military University also made our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $10,013 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend American Military University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Legal Studies at American Military University

#11

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 155 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,872 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Legal Studies at University of California - Santa Cruz

#12

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in University, Mississippi, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Mississippi is $9,455 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Legal Studies at University of Mississippi

#13

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $7,490 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Legal Studies at Oakland University

#14

Tulane University of Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana
#18 in overall quality

Tulane University of Louisiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Tulane is a fairly large school located in New Orleans, Louisiana that handed out 13 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tulane, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tulane University of Louisiana is $23,968 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Legal Studies at Tulane

#15

Ramapo College of New Jersey

Mahwah, New Jersey
#21 in overall quality

Ramapo College of New Jersey landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Mahwah, New Jersey, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Ramapo College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $11,355 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ramapo College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Legal Studies at Ramapo College

#16

SUNY Canton

Canton, New York

SUNY Canton landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SUNY Canton is located in Canton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend SUNY Canton is $10,037 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Legal Studies at SUNY Canton

#17

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Illinois at Springfield is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $9,771 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Legal Studies at UIS

#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Maryland Global Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMGC is a large public school situated in Adelphi, Maryland. It awarded 87 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMGC, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland Global Campus is $14,288 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Legal Studies at University of Maryland Global Campus

#18

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
#25 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Arizona State University - Skysong is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

ASU - Skysong not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,037 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Arizona State University - Skysong.

Read more about Legal Studies at Arizona State University - Skysong

#19

Hamline University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#14 in overall quality

Hamline University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hamline University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 39 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Hamline has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hamline University is $17,038 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hamline University Legal Studies Report

#23 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pitt has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pitt is $20,075 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Studies at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

#21

Mercy College

Dobbs Ferry, New York

Mercy College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mercy is located in Dobbs Ferry, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Mercy College is $11,755 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Legal Studies at Mercy College

#22

American University

Washington, District of Columbia
#6 in overall quality

American University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s legal studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, The American University has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $28,432 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The American University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Legal Studies at American University

#23

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,387 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Kansas.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Legal Studies at University of Kansas

#24

Bellevue University

Bellevue, Nebraska
#22 in overall quality

Bellevue University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bellevue University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bellevue, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bellevue University also took the #22 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bellevue University is $14,933 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Legal Studies at Bellevue University

#25

Bay Path University

Longmeadow, Massachusetts

Bay Path University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Longmeadow, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,522 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bay Path University.

Full Bay Path University Legal Studies Report

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to The wub.

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