Best Legal Studies Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 27 Legal Studies programs in the United States by median earnings of Legal Studies graduates four years after completing. University of Miami leads the list with median earnings of $99,836 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $99,836 to $25,194, with a median of $63,727. For 5 of the 27 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 12 public and 15 private nonprofit institutions. CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice reports the lowest average net price at $3,203.
University of California-Berkeley ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Miami · Coral Gables, FL | $99,836 | $37,244 | $15,978 | 18.9% |
| A private nonprofit university in Coral Gables, University of Miami ranks 1st on this list and reports $99,836 in median earnings for its Legal Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | Quinnipiac University · Hamden, CT | $74,835 | $40,675 | $33,649 | 72.2% |
| Quinnipiac University posts $74,835 in median earnings for its Legal Studies graduates four years after completing and a median federal debt of $27,000 among Legal Studies completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | American University · Washington, DC | $72,792 | $41,943 | $23,233 | 62.0% |
| American University admits 62% of applicants and reports $72,792 in median earnings for its Legal Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $72,414 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| Michigan State University shows an average net price of $19,680 and reports $72,414 in median earnings for its Legal Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $71,042 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| With 100 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of Washington-Seattle Campus reports $71,042 in median earnings four years after completing and a median federal debt of $14,512 among Legal Studies completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 6 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $70,636 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports $70,636 in median earnings for its Legal Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Suffolk University · Boston, MA | $70,274 | $29,618 | $24,745 | 82.3% |
| Suffolk University posts an average net price of $29,618 and admits 82% of applicants. | |||||
| 8 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $70,123 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| With 113 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of Wisconsin-Madison reports $70,123 in median earnings for its Legal Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst · Amherst, MA | $69,269 | $22,383 | $10,164 | 59.7% |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst shows an average net price of $10,164 for families earning under $30,000 and reports $69,269 in median earnings four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | University of La Verne · La Verne, CA | $66,373 | $20,161 | $20,151 | 71.2% |
| A private nonprofit university in La Verne, University of La Verne ranks 10th on this list and posts a median federal debt of $27,870 among Legal Studies completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 11 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $66,244 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| University of California-Santa Cruz reports $66,244 in median earnings for its Legal Studies graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $17,890. | |||||
| 12 | Hamline University · Saint Paul, MN | $65,460 | $20,744 | $15,371 | 87.6% |
| Hamline University admits 88% of applicants and reports $65,460 in median earnings for its Legal Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | St. John's University-New York · Queens, NY | $65,316 | $29,999 | $27,787 | 83.4% |
| St. John's University-New York reports $65,316 in median earnings of Legal Studies graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $29,999. | |||||
| 14 | University of Denver · Denver, CO | $63,727 | $36,131 | $20,097 | 77.8% |
| University of Denver, a private nonprofit university in Denver, ranks 14th on this list with median federal debt of $20,063 among Legal Studies completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 15 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $61,356 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion posts $61,356 in median earnings of Legal Studies graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 90%. | |||||
| 16 | University of New Haven · West Haven, CT | $60,438 | $34,192 | $27,837 | 60.4% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left University of New Haven with a median of $27,000 in federal loans, and its Legal Studies completers earn $60,438 four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | University of Central Florida · Orlando, FL | $59,715 | $10,411 | $5,816 | 40.1% |
| University of Central Florida ranks 17th on this list and reports an average net price of $10,411. | |||||
| 18 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice · New York, NY | $57,073 | $3,203 | $1,073 | 57.1% |
| CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice shows $57,073 in median earnings of Legal Studies graduates four years after completing alongside an average net price of $1,073 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 19 | St. John Fisher University · Rochester, NY | $54,899 | $28,945 | $16,054 | 66.4% |
| St. John Fisher University admits 66% of applicants, and its Legal Studies graduates earn $54,899 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Mercy University · Dobbs Ferry, NY | $51,161 | $14,072 | $11,974 | 85.8% |
| Mercy University reports median federal debt of $25,000 among Legal Studies completers who borrowed and earnings of $51,161 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Bay Path University · Longmeadow, MA | $48,575 | $14,271 | $11,948 | 85.2% |
| Bay Path University ranks 21st on this list with $48,575 in median earnings of Legal Studies graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 85%. | |||||
| 22 | Webster University · Saint Louis, MO | $41,789 | $27,047 | $22,359 | 86.2% |
| Webster University posts $41,789 in median earnings of Legal Studies graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $27,047. | |||||
| 23 | University of Central Oklahoma · Edmond, OK | $41,565 | $18,309 | $15,275 | 78.1% |
| University of Central Oklahoma admits 78% of applicants, and its Legal Studies graduates earn $41,565 four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | Morehead State University · Morehead, KY | $40,990 | $9,793 | $7,150 | 77.2% |
| Morehead State University reports median federal debt of $24,383 among Legal Studies completers who borrowed and earnings of $40,990 four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $35,416 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
| Northwestern University admits 8% of applicants and reports $35,416 in median earnings for its Legal Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Legal Studies graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the United States appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 5 of the 27 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range from University of Miami to the bottom of the list is $74,642, and the gap between University of Miami and Quinnipiac University is $25,001.
Related rankings
- Legal Studies Colleges for Social Mobility