by our College Data Analytics Team
[Legal Research](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/legal-research/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools on the early-career earnings of their legal research graduates.
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If you want to know which schools send legal research graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is University Of San Francisco, our #1 for legal research graduate salaries in the Far Western Region. Located in the city of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career legal research graduates from University Of San Francisco make a median of around $133,773 per year.
University Of San Diego produces some of the highest-paid graduates in legal research, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of San Diego is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Diego. Early-career legal research graduates from University Of San Diego make a median of around $130,361 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in legal research will find them at Golden Gate University San Francisco, which ranked #3. Golden Gate University San Francisco is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco. After graduating, legal research degree recipients from Golden Gate University San Francisco typically earn about $106,626 annually.
University Of California Los Angeles came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying legal research schools. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a public institution. Legal Research graduates of University Of California Los Angeles earn a median of about $91,677 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Washington Seattle Campus one of the highest-paying schools for legal research. Located in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a public institution. Early-career legal research graduates from University Of Washington Seattle Campus make a median of around $115,020 per year.
University Of The Pacific landed the #6 spot for legal research salaries this year. University Of The Pacific is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Stockton. Legal Research graduates of University Of The Pacific earn a median of about $73,893 a year early in their careers.
University Of Southern California placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for legal research. University Of Southern California is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. Legal Research graduates of University Of Southern California earn a median of about $80,312 a year early in their careers.
Pepperdine University placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for legal research. Located in the suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the legal research program here go on to a median salary of roughly $58,929.
Lewis And Clark College landed the #9 spot for legal research salaries this year. Set in the city of Portland, Lewis And Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career legal research graduates from Lewis And Clark College make a median of around $47,878 per year.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their legal research graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 9 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.