College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Law

160 Ranked Colleges
36,216 Degrees Awarded
$25,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Law Schools

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 Law Schools” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 36,216 people earned their degree in law, making the major the 28th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, law graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $64,466 and had an average of $19,500 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Law Schools” ranking looked at 160 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in law. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality law programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the law program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Law Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Law Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Law Schools” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Law Schools

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Law Schools.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Law

1

Out of the 160 schools in the Best Value Law Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School landed the #1 spot on the list. Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School is a small school located in Lansing, Michigan that handed out 411 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full WMU-Cooley Law School Law Report

2
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Drake University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Law Schools list. Drake University is a small school located in Des Moines, Iowa that handed out 100 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Drake University is $29,903 for law students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Law at Drake

3
Seattle U crest
Seattle University
Seattle, Washington

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Seattle University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Law Schools list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s law degrees to 198 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Seattle University is $35,109 for Law students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Law at Seattle University

4
OCU crest
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Out of the 160 schools in the Best Value Law Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Oklahoma City University landed the #4 spot on the list. OCU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 130 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $22,910 for Law students per year to attend OCU.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Law at Oklahoma City University

5

Out of the 160 schools in the Best Value Law Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #5 spot on the list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s law degrees to 376 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UT Austin is also in the top of our “Best Law Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Law Schools” list. It costs about $18,350 for law students per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Law at The University of Texas at Austin

6
Gonzaga crest
Gonzaga University
Spokane, Washington

Gonzaga University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Law Schools list. Gonzaga is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Spokane, Washington. It awarded 144 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Gonzaga is $34,451 for Law students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Gonzaga Law Report

7
Thomas Jefferson School of Law crest
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
San Diego, California

Thomas Jefferson School of Law ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Law Schools list. Thomas Jefferson School of Law is located in San Diego, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s law degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Thomas Jefferson School of Law Law Report

8
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Law Schools ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Los Angeles, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 305 diplomas to qualified ’s law students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Loyola Marymount is in the top on our “Best Law Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount is $44,467 for law students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Law at Loyola Marymount University

9
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania

Villanova University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Law Schools list. This fairly large school is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 174 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Villanova also did well on our “Best Law Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Villanova is $43,577 for law students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Villanova University Law Report

10

With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Law Schools list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 268 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Madison also did well on our “Best Law Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Law students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Law at UW - Madison

11
Purdue University Global crest
Purdue University Global
Indianapolis, Indiana

Purdue University Global came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Law Schools ranking. Purdue University Global is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 20 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Law at Purdue University Global

12
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

University of Houston came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Law Schools ranking. University of Houston is a large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 233 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,721 for law students per year to attend UH.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Law at UH

13
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Law Schools list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s law degrees to 239 students in 2020-2021.

Temple also made our “Best Law Schools” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $23,888 for Law students per year to attend Temple.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 Law at Temple University

14
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Law Schools ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 233 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $36,434 for Law students per year to attend Loyola Chicago.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Law at Loyola Chicago

15
Creighton crest
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska

With a ranking of #15, Creighton University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Law Schools list. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s law degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Creighton is $31,218 for law students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Law at Creighton

16

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Law Schools ranking, coming in at #16. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 327 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Law Schools” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $16,032 for law students per year to attend UC Berkeley.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Law at University of California - Berkeley

17

University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Law Schools list. UNL is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 113 ’s law degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UNL is $17,013 for law students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Law Report

18
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Law Schools ranking. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 318 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Law Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $22,006 for Law students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Virginia Law Report

19
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Law Schools ranking. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s law degrees to 63 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $29,382 for Law students per year to attend Liberty University.

Read full report on Law at Liberty University

20
MC crest
Mississippi College
Clinton, Mississippi

Mississippi College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Law Schools list. This small school is located in Clinton, Mississippi, and it awarded 94 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $18,190 for law students per year to attend Mississippi College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Law at Mississippi College

21
St. Mary's crest
St. Mary's University
San Antonio, Texas

With a ranking of #21, St. Mary’s University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Law Schools list. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 202 degrees to qualified ’s law students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend St. Mary’s University is $18,658 for law students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Law at St. Mary’s University

22

With a ranking of #22, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Law Schools list. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 169 ’s law degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $18,919 for Law students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 Law at Texas A&M University - College Station

23

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Law Schools ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in Norman, Oklahoma, and it awarded 170 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $21,122 for law students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Law at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

24
Capital crest
Capital University
Columbus, Ohio

Capital University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Law Schools ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s law degrees to 121 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Capital University is $20,020 for law students.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Law at Capital

25

With a ranking of #25, Golden Gate University - San Francisco did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Law Schools list. Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 169 ’s law degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Golden Gate University - San Francisco Law Report

Switch to a More Focused Major

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options