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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Legal Studies (Income $48-$75k)

40 Ranked Colleges
2,595 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 40 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in legal studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality legal studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the legal studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 $48-$75k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k.

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,452 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Legal Studies at Northwestern

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s legal studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,086 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read more about Legal Studies at Vanderbilt University

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 121 students in 2019-2020.

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. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $9,694 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Read full report on Legal Studies at UW Seattle

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the 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 $48-$75k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,227 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Madison Legal Studies Report

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 157 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at John Jay, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,751 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Full John Jay College of Criminal Justice Legal Studies Report

#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 184 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #4 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $13,081 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UC Berkeley Legal Studies Report

#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 $48-$75k ranking. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 214 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

UCF also took the #19 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,161 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCF.

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%.

Full University of Central Florida Legal Studies Report

#8

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this large public school handed out 91 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal studies students in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst also made our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Amherst is $18,104 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Massachusetts Amherst Legal Studies Report

#9

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#17 in overall quality

American Public University System did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. American Military University is located in Charles Town, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

American Military University also made our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for American Public University System is $8,461 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Legal Studies at American Military University

#10

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 155 degrees to qualified bachelors’s legal studies students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #11 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $15,253 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 University of California - Santa Cruz

#15 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 96 students in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,033 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Arizona State University - Tempe.

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

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Legal Studies Report

#12

Bellevue University

Bellevue, Nebraska
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Bellevue University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bellevue, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

Bellevue University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Bellevue University is $16,615 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Bellevue University Legal Studies Report

#13

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIS is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,857 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIS.

Read full report on Legal Studies at University of Illinois at Springfield

#14

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #14, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $10,387 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Legal Studies at Oakland University

#16 in overall quality

University of Maryland Global Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Adelphi, Maryland, this large public school awarded 87 degrees to qualified bachelors’s legal studies students in 2019-2020.

UMGC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list.

Read more about Legal Studies at University of Maryland Global Campus

#16

Post University

Waterbury, Connecticut

Post University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Waterbury, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,079 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Post University.

Full Post University Legal Studies Report

#16

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
#25 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, ASU - Skysong has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Skysong is $15,891 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Legal Studies at Arizona State University - Skysong

#17

Hamline University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Hamline University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

Hamline did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $18,963 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Hamline.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Hamline Legal Studies Report

#18

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in University, Mississippi, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,415 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ole Miss.

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

Read full report on Legal Studies at Ole Miss

#19

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 12 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend KU is $17,132 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full University of Kansas Legal Studies Report

#20

SUNY Canton

Canton, New York

SUNY Canton ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. SUNY Canton is a public institution located in Canton, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,123 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SUNY Canton.

Read full report on Legal Studies at SUNY Canton

#21

Mercy College

Dobbs Ferry, New York

Mercy College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Mercy College 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 estimated yearly cost for Mercy College is $16,991 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Legal Studies at Mercy

#22

Ramapo College of New Jersey

Mahwah, New Jersey
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Ramapo College of New Jersey did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ramapo College is a public institution located in Mahwah, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ramapo College also took the #21 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,945 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ramapo College of New Jersey.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Ramapo College of New Jersey Legal Studies Report

#23

American University

Washington, District of Columbia
#6 in overall quality

American University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 31 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, The American University has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $33,158 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The American University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 American University

#24

Morehead State University

Morehead, Kentucky

Morehead State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Morehead State University is located in Morehead, Kentucky and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Morehead State University is $12,967 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Morehead State University Legal Studies Report

William Paterson University of New Jersey landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. William Paterson University is located in Wayne, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $20,540 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend William Paterson University of New Jersey.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full William Paterson 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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