Dispute Resolution is about average in terms of popularity for master's degrees programs. That is, it ranks #185 out of the 343 majors across the country that we analyze each year. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 2 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Dispute Resolution Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 183 master's degrees in dispute resolution during the 2022-2023 academic year.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Major Focus - How much a school focuses on dispute resolution students vs. other majors.
Major Demand - How many other dispute resolution students want to attend this school to pursue a master's degree.
Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
Student Debt - How easy is it for dispute resolution to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized dispute resolution related body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for dispute resolution students working on their master's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Dispute Resolution Master's Degree Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Dispute Resolution in California
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in dispute resolution.
Top California Schools for a Master's in Dispute Resolution
University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in dispute resolution. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.
Those dispute resolution students who get their master's degree from University of Southern California receive $4,396 more than the typical dispute resolution graduate.
Pepperdine University is a good choice for students interested in a master's degree in dispute resolution. Located in the large suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the dispute resolution program earn around $64,096 in the first couple years of their career.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
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 the rest of our data about colleges.
