2027 Best Value American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

[American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/legal-research/american-us-law-legal-studies-jurisprudence/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence schools.
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2027 Best Value American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence Schools
For return on investment in american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence, no school beat Widener University Main Campus this year. Located in the suburb of Chester, Widener University Main Campus is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $55,730. Typical student debt for american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence graduates is $26,561. Early-career american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence graduates make about $60,864. That is a strong return on a $26,561 median debt. The acceptance rate is 71%.
Cornell University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence schools. Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $69,314. Students borrow a median of $15,005 to complete the american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence program here. Early-career american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence graduates make about $75,976. Set against $15,005 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 9%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Hofstra University earned it the #3 place for american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence. Located in the suburb of Hempstead, Hofstra University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $57,660. American/u.s. Law/legal Studies/jurisprudence graduates carry a median of $24,848 in student loans. Soon after graduation, american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence degree recipients from Hofstra University generally make around $74,178. That is a strong return on a $24,848 median debt. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence will find it at Drexel University, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $62,412. Students borrow a median of $27,978 to complete the american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence program here. Early-career american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence graduates make about $62,692. That is a strong return on a $27,978 median debt. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
American University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence schools. Located in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. Typical student debt for american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence graduates is $24,139. Early-career american/u.s. law/legal studies/jurisprudence graduates make about $65,919. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 62%.
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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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.