2027 Best Value Legal Research Schools in Virginia
[Legal Research](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/legal-research/) 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 5 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value legal research schools.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Legal Research Schools in Virginia
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
For return on investment in legal research, no school beat George Mason University this year. George Mason University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,220, while out-of-state students pay about $38,688. Students borrow a median of $23,529 to complete the legal research program here. Legal Research graduates of George Mason University earn a median of $63,131 early in their careers. Set against $23,529 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes College Of William And Mary one of the best values for legal research. College Of William And Mary is a large public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $25,734, while out-of-state students pay about $51,038. Students borrow a median of $18,935 to complete the legal research program here. Soon after graduation, legal research degree recipients from College Of William And Mary generally make around $53,338. That is a strong return on a $18,935 median debt. The acceptance rate is 34%.
University Of Virginia Main Campus came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value legal research schools. University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville. Students from in state pay about $23,118 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $61,591. Students borrow a median of $18,627 to complete the legal research program here. Legal Research graduates of University Of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of $69,126 early in their careers. Set against $18,627 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Virginia Main Campus admits about 17% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes James Madison University one of the best values for legal research. James Madison University is a very large public school located in the city of Harrisonburg. Students from in state pay about $13,966 in tuition and fees, compared with $31,312 for out-of-state students. Legal Research graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. 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. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Liberty University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in legal research, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $16,173 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for legal research graduates is $27,414. Legal Research graduates of Liberty University earn a median of $48,834 early in their careers. Set against $27,414 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 99%.
More Legal Research Rankings
View All Legal Research Rankings >
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.
