by our College Data Analytics Team
[Law](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/law/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find where law graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send law graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying law schools in Michigan. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a public institution. Law graduates of University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earn a median of about $197,273 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in law will find them at Wayne State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a public institution. Law graduates of Wayne State University earn a median of about $102,400 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in law will find them at Michigan State University, which ranked #3. Michigan State University is a public school located in the city of East Lansing. Early-career law graduates from Michigan State University make a median of around $91,995 per year.
University Of Detroit Mercy produces some of the highest-paid graduates in law, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Detroit, University Of Detroit Mercy is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, law degree recipients from University Of Detroit Mercy typically earn about $89,281 annually.
A rank of #5 makes Thomas M Cooley Law School one of the highest-paying schools for law. Thomas M Cooley Law School is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lansing. After graduating, law degree recipients from Thomas M Cooley Law School typically earn about $71,846 annually.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their law graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 5 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.