2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Law
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 34,750 people earned their degree in law, making the major the 25th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, law graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $58,876 and had an average of $112,084 in loans still to pay off.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 34,750 law graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 164 colleges that offered a degree in law. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality law 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 law program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
The law school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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.
Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate.
Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Law
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate list. Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lansing, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 319 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at WMU-Cooley Law School are $11,440, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Law at Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Drake University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate. Drake University is a small school located in Des Moines, Iowa that handed out 95 doctorate’s law degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Drake are $11,932, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Thomas Jefferson School of Law. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate list. Thomas Jefferson School of Law is located in San Diego, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 108 doctorate’s law degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Thomas Jefferson School of Law are $1,620, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Seattle University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate. Seattle University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 185 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Seattle University are $14,040, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lewis & Clark College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate. Lewis and Clark College is located in Portland, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 170 doctorate’s law degrees to qualified students.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Lewis and Clark College are $17,550.
With a ranking of #6, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate list. Loyola Marymount University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 332 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Loyola Marymount is also in the top of our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Loyola Marymount are $19,756.
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 326 doctorate’s law degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, UT Austin is in the top on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Austin are $22,886, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Law at The University of Texas at Austin
Purdue University Global came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate ranking. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University Global are $10,674, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Villanova University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate ranking. Villanova University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 169 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Villanova also claimed a top spot on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Villanova University are $20,719, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Creighton University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate list. Creighton University is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 96 doctorate’s law degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Creighton University are $18,528, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Houston landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 254 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Houston are $18,689, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Loyola University Chicago came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 232 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s law students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Loyola Chicago are $19,154, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Temple University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate list. Temple is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 210 doctorate’s law degrees in 2019-2020.
Temple did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Temple are $24,236, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Elon University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Elon, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 108 degrees to qualified doctorate’s law students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Elon are $18,432, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 315 students in 2019-2020.
University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Virginia - Main Campus are $32,394.
With a ranking of #17, Mississippi College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate list. Located in Clinton, Mississippi, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 111 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s law students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at MC are $12,322, but some majors have different tuition rates.
St. Mary’s University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate ranking. St. Mary’s University is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 233 doctorate’s law degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at St. Mary’s are $19,320, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #19, Liberty University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate list. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 58 doctorate’s law degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Liberty University are $8,349.
Gonzaga University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate list. Spokane, Washington is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 102 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Gonzaga University are $17,675, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #21, Valparaiso University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate list. This small school is located in Valparaiso, Indiana, and it awarded 21 doctorate’s law degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Valpo are $12,220.
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #22. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 147 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #23, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate list. This medium-sized school is located in Santa Clara, California, and it awarded 207 doctorate’s law degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, SCU is in the top on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Santa Clara University are $23,507, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #24, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate list. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 120 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNL are $19,513.
Quinnipiac University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #25. Quinnipiac University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Hamden, Connecticut. It awarded 128 doctorate’s law degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Quinnipiac University are $20,090, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
Switch to a More Focused Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Law Doctor's Degree Schools
Law students
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law
Law students
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Online Law Schools
Law students
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law (Income $0-$30k)
Law students with family income less than $30k
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law (Income $48-$75k)
Law students with family income $48-$75k
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law (Income Over $110k)
Law students with family income exceeding $110k
Highest Paid Doctor's Degree Law Graduates
Law students
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law
Law students
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law (With Aid)
Law students getting aid
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law (Income $30-$48k)
Law students with family income $30-$48k
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law (Income $75-$110k)
Law students with family income $75-$110k
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Law
Law students
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.
Featured Law Degree Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.
