2027 Best Value Legal Research Bachelor’s Degree Schools
[Legal Research](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/legal-research/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for legal research students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Legal Research Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the legal research degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Legal Research Schools
Amherst College tops our 2027 list of the best value legal research schools in the United States. Amherst College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Amherst. In-state tuition and fees average $70,480. Legal Research graduates carry a median of $15,398 in student loans. Legal Research graduates of Amherst College earn a median of $59,271 early in their careers. Set against $15,398 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Amherst College admits about 9% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes James Madison University one of the best values for legal research. Set in the city of Harrisonburg, James Madison University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,966, compared with $31,312 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the legal research program here. Soon after graduation, legal research degree recipients from James Madison University generally make around $40,966. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. James Madison University admits about 72% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Nova Southeastern University one of the best values for legal research. Set in the suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $38,700 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for legal research graduates is $25,021. Legal Research graduates of Nova Southeastern University earn a median of $78,762 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 73%.
University Of Southern California came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value legal research schools. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $71,647. Typical student debt for legal research graduates is $15,625. Early-career legal research graduates make about $73,752. Set against $15,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Southern California admits about 10% of applicants.
Drexel University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value legal research schools. Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,412. Legal Research graduates carry a median of $27,978 in student loans. Early-career legal research graduates make about $59,077. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
Other Legal Research Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Legal Research rankings across degree levels:
View All Legal Research Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, 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.
