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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Legal Research

47 Ranked Colleges
372 Degrees Awarded
$71,104 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Legal Research is the 114th most popular major in the country with 12,336 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , legal research graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $66,544 and had an average of $65,720 in loans still to pay off.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 372 legal research graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,735 and $124,256 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major” ranking analyzed 47 colleges that offered a degree in legal research. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their legal research program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The legal research 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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree legal research students.

1
Widener crest
Widener University
Chester, Pennsylvania

Out of the 47 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Widener University landed the #1 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Chester, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 17 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2021-2022.

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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Widener University Legal Research Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Golden Gate University - San Francisco. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major. Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 7 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Research at Golden Gate University - San Francisco

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Case Western Reserve University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major. Case Western is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 13 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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 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 about Legal Research at Case Western

4
STU crest
St. Thomas University
Miami Gardens, Florida

Out of the 47 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major that were part of this year’s ranking, St. Thomas University landed the #4 spot on the list. Miami Gardens, Florida is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s legal research degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Legal Research at St. Thomas University

5
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 12 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at Yale

6
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major ranking, coming in at #6. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 3 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Wake Forest University Legal Research Report

7

With a ranking of #7, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 90%.

Read more about Legal Research at Indiana University - Bloomington

8

With a ranking of #8, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major list. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 10 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Research at WUSTL

9
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

With a ranking of #9, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.2% 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 Research at Stanford

10
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

With a ranking of #10, University at Buffalo did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major list. Buffalo, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s legal research degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Research at University at Buffalo

11
Pace University crest
Pace University - New York
New York, New York

Pace University - New York ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major list. Pace University - New York is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 8 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at Pace University

12
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major list. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 13 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Legal Research at Harvard

13
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s legal research students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Legal Research at Emory

14
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #14, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major list. KU is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full KU Legal Research Report

15
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major ranking. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified doctorate’s legal research students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at Duke

16
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major ranking. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s legal research degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Research at University of Arizona

17

University of California - Berkeley ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s legal research degrees to 2 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at UC Berkeley

18
Tulane crest
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana

Tulane University of Louisiana came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major ranking. Tulane is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Orleans, Louisiana. It awarded 2 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Legal Research at Tulane University of Louisiana

19
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major ranking, coming in at #19. University of Virginia - Main Campus is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 43 doctorate’s legal research degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Virginia Legal Research Report

20
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major ranking. UA is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 30 doctorate’s legal research degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read full report on Legal Research at The University of Alabama

21
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major ranking, coming in at #21. Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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 Research at Georgetown University

22

With a ranking of #22, Southern Methodist University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major list. Southern Methodist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 1 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SMU Legal Research Report

23
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major ranking. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 3 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Research at University of Florida

24
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia

American University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major ranking, coming in at #24. American University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Legal Research at The American University

25

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Research Major ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, 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 95%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Legal Research Report

Notes and References

References

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