2027 Best Value Law Schools in New York

[Law](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/law/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 11 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value law schools.
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2027 Best Value Law Schools in New York
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the law degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Law Schools
For return on investment in law, no school beat Columbia University In The City Of New York this year. Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Students from in state pay about $70,517 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,258 to complete the law program here. Soon after graduation, law degree recipients from Columbia University In The City Of New York generally make around $220,843. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 4%.
University At Buffalo is a great value for students pursuing a degree in law, landing the #2 spot this year. University At Buffalo is a very large public school located in the suburb of Buffalo. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,936, while out-of-state students pay about $31,536. Typical student debt for law graduates is $22,232. Early-career law graduates make about $64,220. Set against $22,232 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 74%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Cornell University earned it the #3 place for law. Set in the city of Ithaca, Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $69,314. Law graduates carry a median of $15,005 in student loans. Soon after graduation, law degree recipients from Cornell University generally make around $213,356. Set against $15,005 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 9%.
Students looking for strong value in law will find it at St Johns University New York, which ranked #4. St Johns University New York is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Queens. In-state tuition and fees average $53,529. Typical student debt for law graduates is $25,521. Early-career law graduates make about $82,812. That is a strong return on a $25,521 median debt. The acceptance rate is 83%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Touro College earned it the #5 place for law. Touro College is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $20,052. Typical student debt for law graduates is $20,285. Law graduates of Touro College earn a median of $61,293 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,285 median debt. The acceptance rate is 61%.
Pace University New York earned the #6 position for value in law this year. Set in the city of New York, Pace University New York is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,510. Typical student debt for law graduates is $25,656. Early-career law graduates make about $67,469. Set against $25,656 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Pace University New York admits about 76% of applicants.
Hofstra University landed the #7 spot for law value this year. Located in the suburb of Hempstead, Hofstra University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $57,660 in tuition and fees. Law graduates carry a median of $24,848 in student loans. Law graduates of Hofstra University earn a median of $69,677 early in their careers. Set against $24,848 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 68%.
New York University earned the #8 position for value in law this year. Located in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $62,796. Students borrow a median of $21,897 to complete the law program here. Soon after graduation, law degree recipients from New York University generally make around $64,516. That is a strong return on a $21,897 median debt. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
Syracuse University earned the #9 position for value in law this year. Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,528. Students borrow a median of $26,130 to complete the law program here. Soon after graduation, law degree recipients from Syracuse University generally make around $67,081. Set against $26,130 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 46% of applicants are accepted.
Fordham University earned the #10 position for value in law this year. Located in the city of Bronx, Fordham University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $64,470. Law graduates carry a median of $25,643 in student loans. Early-career law graduates make about $170,942. Set against $25,643 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 59%.
Yeshiva University landed the #11 spot for law value this year. Yeshiva University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Students from in state pay about $51,800 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for law graduates is $20,625. Soon after graduation, law degree recipients from Yeshiva University generally make around $76,957. Set against $20,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 56%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.