2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law
17
Ranked Colleges
4,128
Degrees Awarded
$42,800
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 36,216 people earned their degree in law, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 4,128 law graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law” ranking looked at 17 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in law. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great law programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the law program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law
The colleges and universities below are the best for california vets studying law.
Top 17 Best Law Colleges for Veterans in California
Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #1 spot on the list. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 193 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 46,287 students enrolled at University of Southern California, 1,311 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 862 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,487. To help with additional expenses, 388 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at USC]](/colleges/university-of-southern-california/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law that were part of this year’s ranking, Loyola Marymount University landed the #2 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s law degrees to 305 students in 2020-2021.
Loyola Marymount also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 15 of the 9,686 students enrolled at Loyola Marymount University were GI Bill® students, of which 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,741. To help with additional expenses, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Loyola Marymount University Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 342 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california vets studying law list, UCLA has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 44,589 students enrolled at University of California - Los Angeles, 7 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,071. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%.
Full UCLA Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 210 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 36,303 students enrolled at University of California - Irvine, 8 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,620. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #5 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 184 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Stanford supports 15,953 students, and 188 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 118 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,909. On top of their other funding sources, 61 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read More…
University of California - Hastings College of Law landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law ranking. University of California - Hastings College of Law is located in San Francisco, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 284 ’s law degrees to qualified students.
UC Hastings did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, University of California - Hastings College of Law supports 1,026 students, and 38 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 20 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $29,809. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UC Hastings]](/colleges/university-of-california-hastings-college-of-law/student-life/veterans/)
Golden Gate University - San Francisco did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law ranking, coming in at #7. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s law degrees to 169 students in 2020-2021.
Golden Gate University - San Francisco did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 2,472 students enrolled at Golden Gate University - San Francisco, 1,009 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 816 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,556. In addition to receiving other benefits, 75 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Golden Gate University - San Francisco Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 201 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california vets studying law list, UC Davis has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UC Davis supports 39,074 students, and 31 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 23 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,489. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of California - Davis]](/colleges/university-of-california-davis/student-life/veterans/)
University of San Diego came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law ranking. USD is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 227 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
USD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 8,861 students enrolled at University of San Diego, 44 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 28 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $22,598. During this same period, 17 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 More…
University of La Verne came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law ranking. University of La Verne is a medium-sized school located in La Verne, California that handed out 84 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ULV, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 6,983 students enrolled at University of La Verne, 10 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,536. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of La Verne Veteran Student Life Report
University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law ranking, coming in at #11. Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Stockton, California that handed out 180 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.
Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 6,263 students enrolled at University of the Pacific, 10 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $21,238. On top of their other funding sources, 5 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of the Pacific offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law ranking, coming in at #12. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 217 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california vets studying law list, SCU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 8,616 students enrolled at Santa Clara University, 106 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,898. To help with additional expenses, 38 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full SCU Veteran Student Life Report
Chapman University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law ranking. Located in Orange, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 145 diplomas to qualified ’s law students in 2020-2021.
Chapman also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 9,761 students enrolled at Chapman, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
California Western School of Law came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law ranking. This small school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 207 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.
California Western also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 796 students enrolled at California Western School of Law, 37 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 19 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $25,967. In addition to receiving other benefits, 21 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Southwestern Law School came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s law degrees to 227 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Southwestern Law School, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 886 students enrolled at Southwestern Law School, 13 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,827. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law list. Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses is located in Stockton, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s law degrees to qualified students.
Humphreys University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 401 students enrolled at Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses, 13 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 7 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,202. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
Trinity Law School landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law ranking. Trinity Law School is a small school located in Santa Ana, California that handed out 33 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.
Trinity Law School also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 377 students enrolled at Trinity Law School, 10 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,959. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read More…
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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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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.
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