2026 Best Value American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/legal-research/american-us-law-legal-studies-jurisprudence/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 12 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence schools.
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2026 Best Value American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence Schools
Our analysis ranked Indiana University Bloomington the best value for a degree in american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the city of Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,144, while out-of-state students pay about $41,891. American/u.s. Law/legal Studies/jurisprudence graduates carry a median of $20,542 in student loans. American/u.s. Law/legal Studies/jurisprudence graduates of Indiana University Bloomington earn a median of $52,123 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Indiana University Bloomington admits about 78% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Illinois Institute Of Technology earned it the #2 place for american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence. Located in the city of Chicago, Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $52,202 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence graduates is $26,774. Early-career american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence graduates make about $71,315. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 55%.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Cincinnati. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,363, while out-of-state students pay about $28,697. American/u.s. Law/legal Studies/jurisprudence graduates carry a median of $23,530 in student loans. American/u.s. Law/legal Studies/jurisprudence graduates of University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earn a median of $58,659 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Depaul University one of the best values for american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,405. American/u.s. Law/legal Studies/jurisprudence graduates carry a median of $25,310 in student loans. American/u.s. Law/legal Studies/jurisprudence graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $55,226 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Dayton came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence schools. Set in the city of Dayton, University Of Dayton is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $49,140 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,033 to complete the american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence program here. American/u.s. Law/legal Studies/jurisprudence graduates of University Of Dayton earn a median of $82,071 early in their careers. Set against $25,033 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 65%.
Loyola University Chicago landed the #6 spot for american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence value this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,710. American/u.s. Law/legal Studies/jurisprudence graduates carry a median of $23,521 in student loans. Soon after graduation, american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago generally make around $98,283. That is a strong return on a $23,521 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Case Western Reserve University placed #7 among the best values for american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence. Case Western Reserve University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cleveland. Students from in state pay about $66,608 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,106 to complete the american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence program here. American/u.s. Law/legal Studies/jurisprudence graduates of Case Western Reserve University earn a median of $74,459 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 36%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.