2027 Best Value Non-Professional General Legal Studies Schools in New York
[Non-Professional General Legal Studies](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/general-legal-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value non-professional general legal studies schools.
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2027 Best Value Non-Professional General Legal Studies Schools in New York
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in non-professional general legal studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Non-Professional General Legal Studies Schools
Cuny John Jay College Of Criminal Justice tops our 2027 list of the best value non-professional general legal studies schools in New York. Cuny John Jay College Of Criminal Justice is a large public school located in the city of New York. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,470, while out-of-state students pay about $15,420. Non-Professional General Legal Studies graduates carry a median of $9,500 in student loans. Non-Professional General Legal Studies graduates of Cuny John Jay College Of Criminal Justice earn a median of $32,649 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in non-professional general legal studies will find it at Mercy College, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Dobbs Ferry, Mercy College is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $22,880. Students borrow a median of $29,250 to complete the non-professional general legal studies program here. Soon after graduation, non-professional general legal studies degree recipients from Mercy College generally make around $38,579. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
A rank of #3 makes Suny At Purchase College one of the best values for non-professional general legal studies. Set in the suburb of Purchase, Suny At Purchase College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,016, with out-of-state students paying around $19,266. Non-Professional General Legal Studies graduates carry a median of $23,689 in student loans. Early-career non-professional general legal studies graduates make about $23,182. Set against $23,689 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in non-professional general legal studies will find it at University At Buffalo, which ranked #4. University At Buffalo is a very large public school located in the suburb of Buffalo. In-state tuition and fees average $10,936, with out-of-state students paying around $31,536. Non-Professional General Legal Studies graduates carry a median of $22,232 in student loans. Early-career non-professional general legal studies graduates make about $52,403. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 74%.
Saint John Fisher College came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value non-professional general legal studies schools. Set in the suburb of Rochester, Saint John Fisher College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $41,190. Typical student debt for non-professional general legal studies graduates is $25,086. Early-career non-professional general legal studies graduates make about $55,630. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 66% of applicants are accepted.
St Johns University New York ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value non-professional general legal studies schools. Located in the city of Queens, St Johns University New York is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $53,529. Non-Professional General Legal Studies graduates carry a median of $26,030 in student loans. Soon after graduation, non-professional general legal studies degree recipients from St Johns University New York generally make around $29,307. That is a strong return on a $26,030 median debt. St Johns University New York admits about 83% of applicants.
Siena College ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value non-professional general legal studies schools. Siena College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Loudonville. Students from in state pay about $45,805 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the non-professional general legal studies program here. Early-career non-professional general legal studies graduates make about $32,435. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Siena College admits about 69% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
