by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2024, College Factual analyzed 167 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Law Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 36,216 doctor's degrees in law to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The law doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality law program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their doctor's degree from the school. After all, your doctor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for law students working on their doctor's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Law Doctor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in law. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It is hard to beat University of Pennsylvania if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in law. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia.More information about a doctorate in law from University of Pennsylvania
Any student who is interested in a doctor's degree in law has to take a look at University of California - Berkeley. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in law from University of California - Berkeley
Northwestern University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in law. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in law from Northwestern University
Harvard University is a good decision for students pursuing a doctor's degree in law. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in law from Harvard University
Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington.More information about a doctorate in law from Georgetown University
UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a doctorate in law from University of Chicago
Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.More information about a doctorate in law from Columbia University in the City of New York
NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.More information about a doctorate in law from New York University
Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in law from Stanford University
Located in the large city of Boston, Suffolk is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.
Students who graduate with their doctorate from the law program report average early career income of $56,355.
More information about a doctorate in law from Suffolk University
Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in law from University of Virginia - Main Campus
Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in law from Vanderbilt University
Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in law from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in law from University of Southern California
WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis.More information about a doctorate in law from Washington University in St Louis
Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.More information about a doctorate in law from University of Notre Dame
UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle.More information about a doctorate in law from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Emory is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Atlanta.More information about a doctorate in law from Emory University
UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a doctorate in law from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in law from George Washington University
Fordham U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Bronx.More information about a doctorate in law from Fordham University
Temple is a very large public university located in the large city of Philadelphia.More information about a doctorate in law from Temple University
Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in law from Boston University
SCU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Santa Clara.More information about a doctorate in law from Santa Clara University
U Miami is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Coral Gables.More information about a doctorate in law from University of Miami
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Law Doctor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | University of California - Hastings College of Law | San Francisco, CA |
| 27 | Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School | Lansing, MI |
| 28 | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Madison, WI |
| 29 | Widener University | Chester, PA |
| 30 | The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX |
| 31 | Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX |
| 32 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville, TN |
| 33 | Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles, CA |
View the Best Law Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
Law is one of 4 different types of Legal Professions programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Law | 36,216 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Legal Research | 153 |
| Legal Professions (Other) | 54 |
| Non-Professional General Legal Studies | 3 |
