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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Legal Professions (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

32 Ranked Colleges
1,139 Degrees Awarded
$13,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 61,993 people earned their degree in legal professions, making the major the 17th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, legal professions graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,199 and had an average of $58,026 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 13,566 legal professions graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,956 and $58,569 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,139 legal professions graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 32 colleges that offer a degree in legal professions. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent legal professions programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the legal professions program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The legal professions 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 “Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 21 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $3,156 for southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. The 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Legal Professions at Vanderbilt University

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Central Florida is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 214 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

UCF also made our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UCF is $6,211 for southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCF Legal Professions Report

#3

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, Florida
#23 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend St Petersburg College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. St Petersburg College is a public institution located in Clearwater, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SPC also took the #23 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SPC is $1,454 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Legal Professions at St Petersburg College

#4

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of West Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UWF is a fairly large public school situated in Pensacola, Florida. It awarded 43 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UWF, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,140 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UWF.

Read full report on Legal Professions at UWF

#5

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida Gulf Coast University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Fort Myers, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 77 degrees to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

FGCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for FGCU is $7,824 for southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Legal Professions at FGCU

#6

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

University of Richmond did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in University of Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

URichmond not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $9,112 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend URichmond.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, 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%.

Full URichmond Legal Professions Report

#7

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#6 in overall quality

American Public University System ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. American Public University System is a private for-profit institution located in Charles Town, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

American Military University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for American Public University System is $10,013 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Legal Professions at American Public University System

#13 in overall quality

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is a public institution located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Chattanooga also took the #13 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $8,108 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Chattanooga.

Read full report on Legal Professions at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

#9

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
#14 in overall quality

University of Mississippi landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Mississippi is located in University, Mississippi and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

Ole Miss also made our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mississippi is $9,455 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Ole Miss Legal Professions Report

#10

Clayton State University

Morrow, Georgia
#9 in overall quality

Clayton State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Clayton State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Morrow, Georgia. It awarded 16 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k list, Clayton State University has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Clayton State University is $9,227 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Clayton State University Legal Professions Report

#11

Tulane University of Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana
#7 in overall quality

Tulane University of Louisiana came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tulane University of Louisiana is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Orleans, Louisiana. It awarded 13 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

Tulane also took the #7 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tulane University of Louisiana is $23,968 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Legal Professions at Tulane University of Louisiana

#12

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#5 in overall quality

James Madison University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. JMU is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 74 bachelors’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

JMU also made our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $14,196 for southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend James Madison University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 89%.

Read more about Legal Professions at JMU

#13

Mississippi University for Women

Columbus, Mississippi

Mississippi University for Women landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbus, Mississippi is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal professions degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,312 for southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mississippi University for Women.

Read more about Legal Professions at MUW

#14

Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond, Kentucky
#25 in overall quality

Eastern Kentucky University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Eastern is a fairly large public school situated in Richmond, Kentucky. It awarded 13 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

Eastern also made our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Eastern is $12,397 for southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Eastern Kentucky University

#15

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia
#21 in overall quality

Georgia Southern University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GaSou is a large public school situated in Statesboro, Georgia. It awarded 12 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

GaSou also took the #21 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Southern University is $12,378 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Legal Professions at Georgia Southern University

#16

Morehead State University

Morehead, Kentucky

Morehead State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. This medium-sized school is located in Morehead, Kentucky, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,029 for southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Morehead State University.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Morehead State University

#17

Mississippi College

Clinton, Mississippi
#17 in overall quality

Mississippi College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Clinton, Mississippi, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

MC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mississippi College is $14,491 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Mississippi College Legal Professions Report

#18

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Little Rock, Arkansas

University of Arkansas at Little Rock landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a public institution located in Little Rock, Arkansas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Arkansas at Little Rock is $13,936 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Legal Professions at University of Arkansas at Little Rock

#19

Sullivan University

Louisville, Kentucky
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Sullivan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, this small private for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

Sullivan University also took the #11 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sullivan University is $22,102 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Legal Professions at Sullivan University

#20

South University, Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#16 in overall quality

South University, Columbia ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Columbia, South Carolina, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k list, South University, Columbia has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South University, Columbia is $23,326 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Legal Professions at South University, Columbia

#21

Herzing University - Kenner

Kenner, Louisiana
#10 in overall quality

Herzing University - Kenner came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Herzing University - Kenner is a small school located in Kenner, Louisiana that handed out 3 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k list, Herzing University - Kenner has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $24,853 for southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Herzing University - Kenner.

Full Herzing University - Kenner Legal Professions Report

#22

Barry University

Miami, Florida

Barry University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Miami, Florida is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s legal professions degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Barry University is $15,405 for southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Barry University Legal Professions Report

#23

Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, Florida
#24 in overall quality

Nova Southeastern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. NUS Florida is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k list, NUS Florida has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Nova Southeastern University is $19,544 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Legal Professions at NUS Florida

#24

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Regent University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Regent is $15,584 for southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Legal Professions at Regent

#25

South University, West Palm Beach

Royal Palm Beach, Florida
#20 in overall quality

South University, West Palm Beach ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, this small private for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

South University, West Palm Beach not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $23,964 for southeast region bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend South University, West Palm Beach.

Full South University, West Palm Beach Legal Professions Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to The wub.

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