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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Legal Studies (Income $30-$48k)

40 Ranked Colleges
2,595 Degrees Awarded
$12,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

Legal Studies is the 225th most popular major in the country with 3,546 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,595 legal studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 40 colleges that offer a degree in legal studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality legal studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the legal studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $3,995 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Northwestern University Legal Studies Report

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 21 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $6,017 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low 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 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 Studies at Vanderbilt University

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $6,860 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read full report on Legal Studies at UW - Madison

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. John Jay is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 157 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

John Jay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend John Jay is $3,108 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full John Jay Legal Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 121 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $7,467 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW Seattle.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Studies at UW Seattle

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 184 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $9,130 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 Studies at University of California - Berkeley

#19 in overall quality

University of Central Florida landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 214 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $7,847 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Full University of Central Florida Legal Studies Report

#15 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 96 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Tempe, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $8,921 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Legal Studies at Arizona State University - Tempe

#9

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts Amherst came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 91 students in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,474 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMass Amherst.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Studies at UMass Amherst

#10

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 155 students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $11,793 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Studies at UC Santa Cruz

#11

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#17 in overall quality

American Public University System landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Charles Town, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.

American Military University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,917 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend American Public University System.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Legal Studies at American Military University

#12

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Springfield is $8,323 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Legal Studies at University of Illinois at Springfield

#13

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 3 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,751 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oakland University.

Full Oakland University Legal Studies Report

#14

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in University, Mississippi, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,566 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ole Miss.

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 full report on Legal Studies at University of Mississippi

#14

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
#25 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong also made our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Skysong is $12,020 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Arizona State University - Skysong Legal Studies Report

#15

Tulane University of Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana
#18 in overall quality

Tulane University of Louisiana came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Tulane has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $24,632 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tulane.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Legal Studies at Tulane

#16

SUNY Canton

Canton, New York

SUNY Canton came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SUNY Canton is a public institution located in Canton, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,557 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SUNY Canton.

Read full report on Legal Studies at SUNY Canton

#17

Hamline University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#14 in overall quality

Hamline University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hamline is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 39 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Hamline, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,298 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hamline.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Full Hamline University Legal Studies Report

#18

Ramapo College of New Jersey

Mahwah, New Jersey
#21 in overall quality

Ramapo College of New Jersey did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Ramapo College is a public institution located in Mahwah, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ramapo College, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ramapo College of New Jersey is $14,988 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Ramapo College Legal Studies Report

#19

American University

Washington, District of Columbia
#6 in overall quality

American University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at The American University, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The American University is $22,578 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 more about Legal Studies at The American University

#20

Mercy College

Dobbs Ferry, New York

Mercy College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dobbs Ferry, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s legal studies degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Mercy is $13,132 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Legal Studies at Mercy

#21

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for KU is $15,380 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Legal Studies at University of Kansas

#22

Bellevue University

Bellevue, Nebraska
#22 in overall quality

Bellevue University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bellevue University is a fairly large school located in Bellevue, Nebraska that handed out 31 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Bellevue University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bellevue University is $13,777 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Bellevue University Legal Studies Report

#23

Morehead State University

Morehead, Kentucky

Morehead State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Morehead State University is a public institution located in Morehead, Kentucky. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,086 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Morehead State University.

Read more about Legal Studies at Morehead State University

#23 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s legal studies degrees to qualified students.

Pitt also took the #23 spot in our “Best Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitt is $21,011 for bachelor’s degree legal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Studies at Pitt

#25

University of the District of Columbia

Washington, District of Columbia

University of the District of Columbia landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of the District of Columbia is a small school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 18 bachelors’s legal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of the District of Columbia is $16,429 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive 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 full report on Legal Studies at University of the District of Columbia

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).
  • 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

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • 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

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to The wub.

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