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2023 Best Law Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in California

17 Ranked Colleges
4,128 Degrees Awarded
$68,237 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate

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 for a Doctorate” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 36,216 people earned their degree in law, making the major the 28th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, law graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $64,466 and had an average of $19,500 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 4,128 law graduates with average earnings and debt of $67,324 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 17 colleges that offered a degree 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate”.

Top 17 Best Law Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in California

1
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 193 doctorate’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california doctor’s degree vets studying law list, USC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 46,287 students enrolled at USC, 1,311 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 862 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,487. To help with additional expenses, 388 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. USC does offer 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at USC]](/colleges/university-of-southern-california/student-life/veterans/)

2
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate 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 doctorate’s law degrees to 305 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Marymount, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Of the 9,686 students enrolled at Loyola Marymount University, 15 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,741. On top of their other funding sources, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 Loyola Marymount Veteran Student Life Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 342 doctorate’s law degrees to qualified students.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list.Our most recent data shows that 7 of the 44,589 students enrolled at UCLA were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,071. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 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…

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 210 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, UC Irvine supports 36,303 students, and 8 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,620. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 UC Irvine Veteran Student Life Report

5
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 184 students in 2020-2021.

Stanford also took the #2 spot in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 15,953 students enrolled at Stanford University, 188 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 118 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,909. During this same period, 61 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Stanford]](/colleges/stanford-university/student-life/veterans/)

6

University of California - Hastings College of Law came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate ranking. UC Hastings is a small public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 284 doctorate’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Hastings also made our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7.Our most recent data shows that 38 of the 1,026 students enrolled at UC Hastings were GI Bill® students, of which 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $29,809. During this same period, 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%. 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…

7

Golden Gate University - San Francisco landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 169 students in 2020-2021.

Golden Gate University - San Francisco also made our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14.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. During this same period, 75 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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…

8

University of California - Davis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 201 doctorate’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Of the 39,074 students enrolled at University of California - Davis, 31 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were 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 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 93%.

Read More…

9
USD crest
University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate list. San Diego, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 227 students in 2020-2021.

USD also took the #8 spot in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.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. To help with additional expenses, 17 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%.

Full University of San Diego Veteran Student Life Report

10
ULV crest
University of La Verne
La Verne, California

With a ranking of #10, University of La Verne did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate list. ULV is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Verne, California. It awarded 84 doctorate’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california doctor’s degree vets studying law list, ULV has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 10 of the 6,983 students enrolled at ULV were GI Bill® students, of which 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,536. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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…

11
Pacific crest
University of the Pacific
Stockton, California

With a ranking of #11, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate list. University of the Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 180 doctorate’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list.According to our most recent data, University of the Pacific supports 6,263 students, and 10 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $21,238. On top of their other funding sources, 5 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of the Pacific offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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 87%.

Read More…

12
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate list. Santa Clara, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 217 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california doctor’s degree vets studying law list, SCU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 8,616 students enrolled at SCU, 106 are 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. On top of their other funding sources, 38 students qualified for 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

13
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

With a ranking of #13, Chapman University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate list. This medium-sized school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 145 doctorate’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

Chapman also took the #11 spot in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Of the 9,761 students enrolled at Chapman University, 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 received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Chapman University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Chapman University]](/colleges/chapman-university/student-life/veterans/)

14

California Western School of Law did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #14. California Western School of Law is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 207 doctorate’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at California Western, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, California Western supports 796 students, and 37 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 19 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $25,967. On top of their other funding sources, 21 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 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 California Western]](/colleges/california-western-school-of-law/student-life/veterans/)

15
Southwestern Law School crest
Southwestern Law School
Los Angeles, California

Southwestern Law School came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate ranking. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 227 doctorate’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

Southwestern Law School did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list.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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,827. During this same period, 0 students qualified for 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 More…

16

Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #16. Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stockton, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Humphreys University also made our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19.Among the 401 students enrolled at Humphreys University, 13 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 7 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,202. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Humphreys University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses Veteran Student Life Report

17
Trinity Law School crest
Trinity Law School
Santa Ana, California

Trinity Law School ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Law for a Doctorate list. Santa Ana, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

Trinity Law School also took the #17 spot in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 10 of the 377 students enrolled at Trinity Law School were GI Bill® students, of which 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. During this same period, 0 students received funds through 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.

Full Trinity Law School Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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