College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Legal Research

47 Ranked Colleges
153 Degrees Awarded
$71,104 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 153 legal research graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 47 colleges that offered a degree in legal research. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in legal research.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Legal Research Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree legal research students.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Case Western Reserve University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 20 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Full Case Western Reserve University Legal Research Report

2
Widener crest
Widener University
Chester, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Widener University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. Widener University is located in Chester, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 doctorate’s legal research degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Widener Legal Research Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 doctorate’s legal research degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Indiana University - Bloomington

4
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s legal research degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Yale University Legal Research Report

5
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University at Buffalo. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate. This large school is located in Buffalo, New York, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University at Buffalo Legal Research Report

6
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #6, Harvard University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 7 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Legal Research at Harvard

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s legal research degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 96%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Legal Research Report

7

Washington University in St Louis ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 6 degrees to qualified doctorate’s legal research students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full WUSTL Legal Research Report

9
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #9. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 more about Legal Research at Stanford University

9
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s legal research students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Legal Research at University of Arizona

9

Golden Gate University - San Francisco ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 5 doctorate’s legal research degrees 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%.

Read full report on Legal Research at Golden Gate University - San Francisco

12
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate ranking. Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s legal research degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Wake Forest University Legal Research Report

12
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 4 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at KU

12
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #12, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified doctorate’s legal research students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 UF Legal Research Report

15
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 3 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Virginia - Main Campus

15
Pace University crest
Pace University - New York
New York, New York

Pace University - New York did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #15. Pace University is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 3 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Research at Pace University

15
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s legal research students in 2020-2021.

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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Legal Research at Emory University

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Legal Research Report

15
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate ranking. Duke University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 3 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read more about Legal Research at Duke University

15
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. UA is a large school located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama that handed out 3 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full UA Legal Research Report

15
STU crest
St. Thomas University
Miami Gardens, Florida

St. Thomas University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #15. STU is a medium-sized school located in Miami Gardens, Florida that handed out 3 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Legal Research at St. Thomas University

22
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #22, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified doctorate’s legal research students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at Georgetown University

22

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s legal research degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full UCLA Legal Research Report

22
Tulane crest
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana

Tulane University of Louisiana ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. This fairly large school is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Research at Tulane University of Louisiana

25

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 1 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Pitt Legal Research Report

25
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s legal research degrees to 1 students 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 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Research at Iowa

25

With a ranking of #25, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Legal Research at Columbia

25
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Research at UChicago

25

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified doctorate’s legal research students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Legal Research at U-M

25
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

University of Connecticut did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #25. University of Connecticut is a public institution located in Storrs, Connecticut. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Research at University of Connecticut

25
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia

American University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #25. The American University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Legal Research at American University

25

Southern Methodist University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Legal Research Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s legal research degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Read more about Legal Research at Southern Methodist University

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options