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2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Law in California

21 Ranked Colleges
3,980 Degrees Awarded
$26,800 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 for a Doctorate in California” ranking.

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.

Across California, there were 3,980 law graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,856 and $134,551 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,980 law graduates with average earnings and debt of $71,544 and $133,402 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in law. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great law programs and cost less that 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Law Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 for a Doctorate in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California.

Top 22 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Law in California

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 331 doctorate’s law degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley also took the #1 spot in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UC Berkeley Law Report

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 312 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s law students in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Law Report

#3

Thomas Jefferson School of Law

San Diego, California
#16 in overall quality

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 in California list. San Diego, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 108 students in 2019-2020.

Thomas Jefferson School of Law not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Thomas Jefferson School of Law are $1,620, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Law at Thomas Jefferson School of Law

#4

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Loyola Marymount University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 332 students in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Loyola Marymount are $19,756, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Law at Loyola Marymount

#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 140 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s law students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Irvine are $28,456, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UC Irvine Law Report

#10 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California ranking. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 151 doctorate’s law degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis also made our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Davis are $28,700, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of California - Davis Law Report

#8

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California list. Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Clara, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 207 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SCU are $23,507.

Full Santa Clara University Law Report

#9

Golden Gate University - San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Golden Gate University - San Francisco did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California list. Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 131 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california doctor’s degree law students list, Golden Gate University - San Francisco has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Golden Gate University - San Francisco are $19,705, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Law at Golden Gate University - San Francisco

#10

University of La Verne

La Verne, California
#17 in overall quality

University of La Verne came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California ranking. La Verne, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 76 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california doctor’s degree law students list, ULV has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at ULV are $14,526, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Law at ULV

#11

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California ranking. USFCA is located in San Francisco, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 126 doctorate’s law degrees to qualified students.

USFCA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of San Francisco are $26,710, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full USFCA Law Report

#12

University of San Diego

San Diego, California
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California list. University of San Diego is located in San Diego, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 241 doctorate’s law degrees to qualified students.

USD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at USD are $28,410, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Law at University of San Diego

#13

Trinity Law School

Santa Ana, California
#20 in overall quality

Trinity Law School did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California ranking, coming in at #13. Santa Ana, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california doctor’s degree law students list, Trinity Law School has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Trinity Law School are $13,650.

Read more about Law at Trinity Law School

#14

Whittier College

Whittier, California
#18 in overall quality

Whittier College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California list. Whittier is a small school located in Whittier, California that handed out 11 doctorate’s law degrees in 2019-2020.

Whittier not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Whittier College are $14,742.

Read more about Law at Whittier

#15

California Western School of Law

San Diego, California
#14 in overall quality

California Western School of Law did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 206 doctorate’s law degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at California Western, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California Western are $32,590, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Law at California Western School of Law

#21 in overall quality

The Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law at Ventura ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California list. This small school is located in Ventura, California, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s law degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california doctor’s degree law students list, Ventura College of Law has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.

Read full report on Law at Ventura College of Law

#17

Southwestern Law School

Los Angeles, California
#22 in overall quality

Southwestern Law School came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 209 degrees to qualified doctorate’s law students in 2019-2020.

Southwestern Law School also took the #22 spot in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Southwestern Law School are $18,530, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Law at Southwestern Law School

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California list. Humphreys University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stockton, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california doctor’s degree law students list, Humphreys University has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Humphreys University are $13,200.

Full Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses Law Report

#18

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California ranking, coming in at #18. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s law degrees to 189 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at USC are $48,715, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full USC Law Report

#19

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#13 in overall quality

University of the Pacific came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California ranking. Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 131 doctorate’s law degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Pacific are $49,374, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of the Pacific Law Report

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Hastings College of Law landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California ranking. University of California - Hastings College of Law is located in San Francisco, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 293 doctorate’s law degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Hastings, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Hastings College of Law are $53,772, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Law at University of California - Hastings College of Law

#21

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

Stanford University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Law Schools for a Doctorate in California ranking. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 182 doctorate’s law degrees to qualified students.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Law Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Law at Stanford University

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.

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