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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Legal Research in the Great Lakes Region

26 Ranked Colleges
668 Degrees Awarded
$102,061 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 6,874 people earned their degree in legal research, making the major the 114th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, legal research graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $66,544 and had an average of $26,000 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 966 legal research graduates with average earnings and debt of $90,143 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 668 legal research graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,892 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 26 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in legal research. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in legal research.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The legal research school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region. Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s legal research degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full WMU-Cooley Law School Legal Research Report

2
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Loyola University Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s legal research degrees to 116 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Loyola University Chicago Legal Research Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Case Western Reserve University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Case Western is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 65 masters’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at Case Western Reserve University

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois Institute of Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 34 masters’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Illinois Tech Legal Research Report

5
UDayton crest
University of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Dayton. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region. UDayton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 53 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at UDayton

6
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 95 degrees to qualified masters’s legal research students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Northwestern University Legal Research Report

7
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region list. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full DePaul Legal Research Report

8
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Research at UChicago

9

With a ranking of #9, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region list. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 33 masters’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Legal Research Report

10

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s legal research degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Legal Research Report

11

Cleveland State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland State University is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 masters’s legal research degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Legal Research at Cleveland State University

12

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 22 masters’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Research at University of Illinois at Chicago

13
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified masters’s legal research students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at Indiana University - Bloomington

14
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

With a ranking of #14, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s legal research degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at University of Notre Dame

15

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 masters’s legal research degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Legal Research at University of Wisconsin - Madison

17
University of Toledo crest
University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio

University of Toledo came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Toledo, Ohio, and it awarded 4 masters’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Legal Research at University of Toledo

18

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

19

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 12 masters’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Legal Research at Ohio State University - Main Campus

20

University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 3 masters’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Legal Research Report

21
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wayne State is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 masters’s legal research degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Legal Research at Wayne State University

22
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #22, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s legal research degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Legal Research at Michigan State University

23
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Marquette University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Marquette is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 0 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at Marquette

23

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 0 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Legal Research at SIUC

23
Capital crest
Capital University
Columbus, Ohio

Capital University ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 0 masters’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Capital Legal Research Report

23

Ohio Northern University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Research Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. ONU is a small school located in Ada, Ohio that handed out 0 masters’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full ONU Legal Research Report

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