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2023 Best Value Colleges for Legal Professions (Income $30-$48k)

260 Ranked Colleges
61,055 Degrees Awarded
$4,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 61,055 people earned their degree in legal professions, making the major the 16th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, legal professions graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $47,649 and had an average of $28,699 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 260 colleges that offer a degree in legal professions. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great legal professions programs and cost less that 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 professions program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 666 diplomas to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $1,396 for Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Read more about Legal Professions at Harvard University

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 260 schools in the Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s legal professions degrees to 328 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k list, UPenn has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $1,938 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Legal Professions at UPenn

3
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 260 schools in the Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 204 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools” list. It costs about $1,581 for Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Legal Professions at Stanford University

4
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 241 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $4,777 for Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UChicago Legal Professions Report

5
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 515 degrees to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also took the #7 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools” ranking. It costs about $917 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Northwestern University Legal Professions Report

6

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 565 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $4,699 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Legal Professions at Columbia University in the City of New York

7
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 997 degrees to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.

Georgetown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown University is $9,871 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Georgetown University Legal Professions Report

8
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 613 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools” list. It costs about $2,446 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Legal Professions at WUSTL

9

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 381 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,670 for Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 undergraduate students.

Read full report on Legal Professions at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

10
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #10, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 230 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools” list. It costs about $4,652 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

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 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Vanderbilt Legal Professions Report

11

University of California - Berkeley landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 672 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

12
Cerritos College crest
Cerritos College
Norwalk, California

Cerritos College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cerritos College is located in Norwalk, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Cerritos College is in the top on our “Best Legal Professions Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $2,179 for Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cerritos College.

Full Cerritos College Legal Professions Report

13
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 358 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best Legal Professions Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $2,857 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UF.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full University of Florida Legal Professions Report

14
Washington and Lee crest
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia

Washington and Lee University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington and Lee University is located in Lexington, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 118 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee is $850 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Washington and Lee Legal Professions Report

15

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 399 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $6,399 for Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Legal Professions Report

16
Nassau Community College crest
Nassau Community College
Garden City, New York

Nassau Community College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Garden City, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s legal professions degrees to 63 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Nassau Community College also did well on our “Best Legal Professions Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Nassau Community College is $3,889 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Nassau Community College Legal Professions Report

17

With a ranking of #17, John Jay College of Criminal Justice did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 148 degrees to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for John Jay is $2,802 for Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Professions at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

18
Palm Beach State College crest
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, Florida

Palm Beach State College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Palm Beach State College is a public institution located in Lake Worth, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Palm Beach State College is $9,727 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Palm Beach State College

19
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s legal professions degrees to 240 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Wake Forest University also did well on our “Best Legal Professions Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,612 for Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wake Forest University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 Professions at Wake Forest University

20

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 405 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,788 for Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Legal Professions at UW - Madison

21
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

El Centro College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. El Centro College is a large school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 77 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

El Centro College excels when it comes to legal professions quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend El Centro College is $4,619 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full El Centro College Legal Professions Report

22
Oakland Community College crest
Oakland Community College
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Oakland Community College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oakland Community College is a public institution located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,762 for Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oakland Community College.

Full Oakland Community College Legal Professions Report

23

Hillsborough Community College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hillsborough Community College is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Hillsborough Community College is $6,712 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Hillsborough Community College Legal Professions Report

24

With a ranking of #24, New York City College of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. City Tech is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 65 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $4,588 for Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend New York City College of Technology.

Read full report on Legal Professions at City Tech

25

Austin Community College District ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Austin Community College District is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,907 for legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Austin Community College District.

Read more about Legal Professions at Austin Community College District

Not only did these schools make the top 40 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida
27
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia
28
29
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
30
31
32
CNM crest
Central New Mexico Community College
Albuquerque, New Mexico
33
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida
34
35
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
36
SPC crest
St Petersburg College
Clearwater, Florida
37
38
Pima County Community College District crest
Pima Community College
Tucson, Arizona
39
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
40

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References

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