by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 17 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for legal professions students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 995 master's degrees in legal professions to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The legal professions master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality legal professions program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for legal professions students working on their master's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Legal Professions Master's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in legal professions.
University of Southern California is a good option for individuals interested in a master's degree in legal professions. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in legal professions from University of Southern California
Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in legal professions has to take a look at Stanford University. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in legal professions from Stanford University
It is difficult to beat University of California - Berkeley if you want to pursue a master's degree in legal professions. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in legal professions from University of California - Berkeley
University of California - Los Angeles is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in legal professions. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in legal professions from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the city of San Diego, USD is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in legal professions from University of San Diego
SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara.More information about a master’s in legal professions from Santa Clara University
Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of San Francisco.More information about a master’s in legal professions from Golden Gate University - San Francisco
Located in the city of Stockton, Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in legal professions from University of the Pacific
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in legal professions from Loyola Marymount University
Located in the large city of San Diego, California Western is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a master’s in legal professions from California Western School of Law
Explore all the Best Legal Professions Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 31 | 108 |
| Oregon | 29 | 26 |
| Hawaii | 27 | 7 |
| Nevada | 27 | 18 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Legal Research | 849 |
| Non-Professional General Legal Studies | 114 |
| Legal Professions (Other) | 32 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting | 682 |
