2023 Best Value Colleges for Legal Professions (Income $0-$30k) in California
16
Ranked Colleges
7,816
Degrees Awarded
$16,300
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 61,055 people earned their degree in legal professions, making the major the 16th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, legal professions graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $47,649 and had an average of $28,699 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 7,816 legal professions graduates with average earnings and debt of $61,809 and $19,221 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 16 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in legal professions. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality legal professions programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the legal professions program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. 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.
Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 16 Best Value Colleges for Legal Professions (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 204 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,233 for California Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. 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 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Stanford University Legal Professions Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 672 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,450 for california legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Legal Professions at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cerritos College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cerritos College is a public institution located in Norwalk, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cerritos College, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cerritos College is $1,419 for california legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Legal Professions at Cerritos College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 393 degrees to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,037 for California Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UCLA Legal Professions Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Cruz. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 148 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #5 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $11,038 for california legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Read more about Legal Professions at University of California - Santa Cruz
University of Southern California came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 750 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for california legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 91%, 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.
Full University of Southern California Legal Professions Report
University of California - Irvine ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 232 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
UC Irvine also made our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for california legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Legal Professions at UC Irvine
University of California - Davis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 235 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Davis has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $10,006 for california legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Legal Professions at UC Davis
MTI College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this small private for-profit school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
MTI College also took the # spot in our "" ranking. It costs about $18,473 for California Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MTI College.
Read more about Legal Professions at MTI College
With a ranking of #10, Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses is a small school located in Stockton, California that handed out 59 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
Humphreys University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Humphreys University is $10,111 for California Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses Legal Professions Report
Santa Clara University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 234 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SCU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Santa Clara University is $26,428 for California Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 Professions at SCU
University of San Diego ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s legal professions degrees to 371 students in 2020-2021.
USD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,951 for California Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USD.
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 more about Legal Professions at University of San Diego
University of the Pacific landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pacific is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stockton, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 189 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pacific has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,792 for california legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of the Pacific.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of the Pacific Legal Professions Report
University of La Verne landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. ULV is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Verne, California. It awarded 101 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ULV, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $28,256 for California Legal Professions students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of La Verne.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Legal Professions at University of La Verne
With a ranking of #15, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 357 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
Loyola Marymount also made our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount University is $32,730 for california legal professions students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.
Full Loyola Marymount University Legal Professions Report
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