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 7 schools on the early-career earnings of their legal research graduates.
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Below are the schools whose legal research graduates go on to earn the most.
University Of San Francisco tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying legal research schools in California. Set in the city of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the legal research program here go on to a median salary of roughly $133,773.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of San Diego earned it the #2 place for legal research. Located in the city of San Diego, University Of San Diego is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career legal research graduates from University Of San Diego make a median of around $130,361 per year.
A rank of #3 makes Golden Gate University San Francisco one of the highest-paying schools for legal research. Located in the city of San Francisco, Golden Gate University San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the legal research program here go on to a median salary of roughly $106,626.
Students chasing top earnings in legal research will find them at University Of California Los Angeles, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a public institution. Early-career legal research graduates from University Of California Los Angeles make a median of around $91,677 per year.
A rank of #5 makes University Of The Pacific one of the highest-paying schools for legal research. University Of The Pacific is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Stockton. Early-career legal research graduates from University Of The Pacific make a median of around $73,893 per year.
University Of Southern California came in at #6 for legal research graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career legal research graduates from University Of Southern California make a median of around $80,312 per year.
Pepperdine University placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for legal research. Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Malibu. Legal Research graduates of Pepperdine University earn a median of about $58,929 a year early in their careers.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries legal research graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 7 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.