by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 1 U.S. colleges awarded 1 degrees and certificates in Patent Law. Graduates earn a median $78,306 one year after completing, rising to $107,082 after four years.
A major in Patent Law covers An Advanced, Professional Study Of The Law, Policies, And Regulations Affecting Patents. Examples: [Patent Law], [Patent Prosecution].
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., patent law draws strong interest, with 1 degrees awarded annually. 1 colleges award patent law degrees, an average of 1 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 1.
All 1 of the awards are master’s degrees, the only level colleges reported.
Women earned 100% of patent law degrees and certificates in the latest year (1 of 1).
O*NET rates Speaking the most important skill for jobs related to patent law, at 4.6 out of 5. The key knowledge areas are Law and Government, English Language and Education and Training. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Written Comprehension and Oral Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a patent law degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 1 |
First professional degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to patent law, at 43.2%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| First professional degree | 43.2% |
| Doctoral degree | 40.6% |
| Master’s degree | 13.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.8% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 0.9% |
Source: O*NET Online.
2 occupations are related to Patent Law, with an average median salary of $82,454; the strongest outlook belongs to Lawyers, at 2.6% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Assistant Professor, Law Professor, Constitutional Law Professor and Teacher.
The occupation related to patent law with the most projected jobs is Law Teachers, Postsecondary, at 1,017,747.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,017,747 | -2.9% |
| Lawyers | 155,305 | 2.6% |
Patent Law graduates earn a median $78,306 one year after completing their program, $107,082 after four years and $107,285 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $78,306 |
| 4 years | $107,082 |
| 5 years | $107,285 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to patent law, with a median salary of $91,726.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $91,726 |
| Lawyers | $73,181 |
Patent Law has 19 similar majors in the Legal Professions field, which together award 12,177 degrees a year; the largest are Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General (5,066), Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, Other (1,551) and Programs for Foreign Lawyers (1,380). Browse all Legal Professions majors or the full list of college majors.
More about our data sources and methodologies.