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2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

42 Ranked Colleges
2,595 Degrees Awarded
$15,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

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 Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 3,546 people earned their degree in legal studies, making the major the 225th most popular in the United States.

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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 42 colleges that offered a degree in legal studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great legal studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the legal studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #1 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 157 students 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. The yearly cost to attend John Jay is $2,532 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students with aid.

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 #2 for the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 121 degrees to qualified bachelors’s legal studies students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $13,297 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read full report on Legal Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 97 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,708 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Legal Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#19 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Central Florida 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,274 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid per year to attend UCF.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Studies at University of Central Florida

#5

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#17 in overall quality

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, American Public University System landed the #5 spot on the list. 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 took the #17 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,222 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid per year to attend American Military University.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Legal Studies at American Public University System

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 184 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Studies at University of California - Berkeley

#15 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $11,706 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students with aid.

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

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

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. UIS 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 estimated yearly cost for UIS is $12,477 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students with aid.

Read more about Legal Studies at UIS

#9

Bellevue University

Bellevue, Nebraska
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Bellevue University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Bellevue University is located in Bellevue, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

Bellevue University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $15,616 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students with aid per year to attend Bellevue University.

Read more about Legal Studies at Bellevue University

#10

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 155 students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $18,186 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Legal Studies at UC Santa Cruz

#16 in overall quality

University of Maryland Global Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Adelphi, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 87 students in 2019-2020.

UMGC also made our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend UMGC is $14,288 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students with aid.

Full University of Maryland Global Campus Legal Studies Report

#12

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#1 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $19,432 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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. 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%.

Full Vanderbilt Legal Studies Report

#13

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

With a ranking of #13, University of Mississippi did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Mississippi is a public institution located in University, Mississippi. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ole Miss is $14,016 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students with aid.

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

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Scottsdale, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Skysong is $13,971 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid.

Read full report on Legal Studies at ASU - Skysong

#14

Brandman University

Irvine, California
#3 in overall quality

Brandman University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Irvine, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s legal studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brandman, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,604 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid per year to attend Brandman.

Full Brandman Legal Studies Report

#15

SUNY Canton

Canton, New York

SUNY Canton came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. SUNY Canton is a small school located in Canton, New York that handed out 1 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,864 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students with aid per year to attend SUNY Canton.

Read more about Legal Studies at SUNY Canton

#16

Ramapo College of New Jersey

Mahwah, New Jersey
#21 in overall quality

Ramapo College of New Jersey landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ramapo College of New Jersey is a medium-sized school located in Mahwah, New Jersey that handed out 21 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Ramapo College also made our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $21,729 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid per year to attend Ramapo College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Full Ramapo College of New Jersey Legal Studies Report

#17

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oakland is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 3 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $11,802 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students with aid.

Read more about Legal Studies at Oakland

#18

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $22,501 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid per year to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Full University of Massachusetts Amherst Legal Studies Report

#19

Post University

Waterbury, Connecticut

Post University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Post University is a private for-profit institution located in Waterbury, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Post University is $15,653 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid.

Full Post University Legal Studies Report

#20

Hamline University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#14 in overall quality

Hamline University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hamline is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 39 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Hamline not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Hamline is $20,866 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students with aid.

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

#21

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 20 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $24,664 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students with aid.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Legal Studies at Northwestern University

#22

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Little Rock, Arkansas

University of Arkansas at Little Rock landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a medium-sized public school situated in Little Rock, Arkansas. It awarded 4 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UA Little Rock is $14,906 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid.

Full UA Little Rock Legal Studies Report

William Paterson University of New Jersey landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. William Paterson University of New Jersey is a public institution located in Wayne, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend William Paterson University of New Jersey is $19,547 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Legal Studies at William Paterson University of New Jersey

#24

Mercy College

Dobbs Ferry, New York

With a ranking of #24, Mercy College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Dobbs Ferry, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal studies students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Mercy is $14,281 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students with aid.

Read full report on Legal Studies at Mercy College

#25

University of the District of Columbia

Washington, District of Columbia

University of the District of Columbia landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of the District of Columbia is $15,894 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students with aid.

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 University of the District of Columbia

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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