2027 Best Value Law Schools in District of Columbia

[Law](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/law/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong law education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for law students.
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2027 Best Value Law Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in law, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Law Schools
Catholic University Of America earned the #1 spot for value among law schools in District of Columbia. Set in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,378. Typical student debt for law graduates is $25,771. Law graduates of Catholic University Of America earn a median of $77,441 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes University Of The District Of Columbia one of the best values for law. Located in the city of Washington, University Of The District Of Columbia is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,662, with out-of-state students paying around $12,514. Typical student debt for law graduates is $32,304. Soon after graduation, law degree recipients from University Of The District Of Columbia generally make around $59,595. That is a strong return on a $32,304 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes George Washington University one of the best values for law. George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,710. Law graduates carry a median of $22,910 in student loans. Law graduates of George Washington University earn a median of $95,225 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,910 median debt. The acceptance rate is 47%.
Students looking for strong value in law will find it at Georgetown University, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,089. Students borrow a median of $16,483 to complete the law program here. Law graduates of Georgetown University earn a median of $168,995 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Georgetown University admits about 13% of applicants.
American University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in law, landing the #5 spot this year. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. Law graduates carry a median of $24,139 in student loans. Early-career law graduates make about $73,725. Set against $24,139 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. American University admits about 62% of applicants.
Howard University landed the #6 spot for law value this year. Howard University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $35,810. Law graduates carry a median of $25,498 in student loans. Soon after graduation, law degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $81,173. Set against $25,498 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Howard University admits about 41% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.