2023 Best Legal Professions Colleges for Veterans in California
18
Ranked Colleges
7,816
Degrees Awarded
$42,700
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. 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 Legal Professions” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Legal Professions is the 16th most popular major in the country with 61,055 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
Across California, there were 7,816 legal professions graduates with average earnings and debt of $61,809 and $19,221 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in legal professions. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent legal professions programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the legal professions program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions”.
Top 18 Best Legal Professions Colleges for Veterans in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s legal professions degrees to 750 students 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.Our most recent data shows that 1,311 of the 46,287 students enrolled at USC were GI Bill® students, of which 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 scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 USC Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions that were part of this year’s ranking, Loyola Marymount University landed the #2 spot on the list. Loyola Marymount is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 357 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
Loyola Marymount 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 9,686 students enrolled at Loyola Marymount University, 15 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 $11,741. In addition to receiving other benefits, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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 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 Loyola Marymount University]](/colleges/loyola-marymount-university/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s legal professions degrees to 393 students in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 7 of the 44,589 students enrolled at University of California - Los Angeles 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. To help with additional expenses, 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
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 232 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california vets studying legal professions list, UC Irvine has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,620. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 UC Irvine]](/colleges/university-of-california-irvine/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 204 degrees to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 15,953 students enrolled at Stanford, 188 were 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. On top of their other funding sources, 61 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
Full Stanford University Veteran Student Life Report
Golden Gate University - San Francisco ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions list. Golden Gate University - San Francisco is located in San Francisco, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 189 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
Golden Gate University - San Francisco not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 1,009 of the 2,472 students enrolled at Golden Gate University - San Francisco were GI Bill® students, of which 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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 Golden Gate University - San Francisco Veteran Student Life Report
University of California - Hastings College of Law landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions ranking. UC Hastings is located in San Francisco, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 306 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california vets studying legal professions list, UC Hastings has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $29,809. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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%. 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…
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions ranking, coming in at #8. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 148 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UC Santa Cruz supports 19,161 students, and 273 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 114 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,631. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of California - Santa Cruz]](/colleges/university-of-california-santa-cruz/student-life/veterans/)
University of San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions ranking, coming in at #9. Located in San Diego, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 371 diplomas to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california vets studying legal professions list, USD has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,598. On top of their other funding sources, 17 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%.
Read More…
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions ranking, coming in at #10. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 235 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 39,074 students enrolled at University of California - Davis, 31 are 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. During this same period, 0 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UC Davis]](/colleges/university-of-california-davis/student-life/veterans/)
University of La Verne landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions ranking. ULV is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Verne, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 101 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california vets studying legal professions list, ULV has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 6,983 students enrolled at ULV, 10 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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 received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. ULV 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%.
Full ULV Veteran Student Life Report
University of the Pacific landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions ranking. Pacific is located in Stockton, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 189 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 10 of the 6,263 students enrolled at University of the Pacific were GI Bill® students, of which 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $21,238. To help with additional expenses, 5 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of the Pacific Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #13, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions list. Located in Santa Clara, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 234 degrees to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SCU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 8,616 students enrolled at SCU, 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. During this same period, 38 students received scholarships 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
Chapman University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions list. Orange, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s legal professions degrees to 160 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 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Chapman University offers 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%. 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 Chapman Veteran Student Life Report
California Western School of Law landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions ranking. California Western School of Law is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 310 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
California Western 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 796 students enrolled at California Western, 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. To help with additional expenses, 21 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%. 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 California Western Veteran Student Life Report
Southwestern Law School did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions ranking, coming in at #16. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s legal professions degrees to 231 students in 2020-2021.
Southwestern Law School also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 13 of the 886 students enrolled at Southwestern Law School 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 $18,827. To help with additional expenses, 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%. 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…
With a ranking of #17, Trinity Law School did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions list. Trinity Law School is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Ana, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 105 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Trinity Law School also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 377 students enrolled at Trinity Law School, 10 are 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Trinity Law School]](/colleges/trinity-law-school/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #18, Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Legal Professions list. Humphreys University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 59 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california vets studying legal professions list, Humphreys University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 401 students enrolled at Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses, 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 scholarships through 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Humphreys University]](/colleges/humphreys-college-stockton-and-modesto-campuses/student-life/veterans/)
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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.
Credits
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