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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Legal Professions (Income $30-$48k)

106 Ranked Colleges
4,637 Degrees Awarded
$8,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Legal Professions is the 17th most popular major in the country with 61,993 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,637 legal professions graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 106 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 106 schools in the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $3,995 for bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Northwestern University Legal Professions Report

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $6,017 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Professions at Vanderbilt

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 106 schools in the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 97 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $6,860 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Professions at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York City College of Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal professions degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

City Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for City Tech is $4,390 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full New York City College of Technology Legal Professions Report

#25 in overall quality

Out of the 106 schools in the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 157 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

John Jay also took the #25 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for John Jay is $3,108 for bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Legal Professions at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

#9 in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal professions degrees to 121 students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also took the #9 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,467 for bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

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 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 full report on Legal Professions at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 184 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,130 for bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Professions at University of California - Berkeley

#8

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of West Florida is a fairly large school located in Pensacola, Florida that handed out 43 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of West Florida is $3,912 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Legal Professions at The University of West Florida

University of Central Florida ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school awarded 214 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $7,847 for bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Legal Professions at University of Central Florida

#10

Peirce College

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#16 in overall quality

Peirce College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Peirce is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k list, Peirce has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Peirce College is $8,350 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Peirce Legal Professions Report

#11

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, Florida

St Petersburg College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. St Petersburg College is located in Clearwater, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,182 for bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend St Petersburg College.

Read full report on Legal Professions at St Petersburg College

#12

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Florida Gulf Coast University is located in Fort Myers, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 77 bachelors’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Florida Gulf Coast University is $8,748 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full FGCU Legal Professions Report

#13

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#21 in overall quality

University of Richmond landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution located in University of Richmond, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

URichmond also took the #21 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,131 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Richmond.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Legal Professions at University of Richmond

#7 in overall quality

University of Houston - Clear Lake did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Clear Lake also took the #7 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston - Clear Lake is $7,941 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Legal Professions at University of Houston - Clear Lake

#15

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $12,459 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Grand Valley State University

Top 25% in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. ASU - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 96 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,921 for bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Arizona State University - Tempe

#17

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst also made our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst is $14,474 for bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Legal Professions at University of Massachusetts Amherst

#18

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 155 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $11,793 for bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 students.

Read more about Legal Professions at UC Santa Cruz

#19

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia

With a ranking of #19, American Public University System did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Charles Town, West Virginia, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend American Public University System is $10,917 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Legal Professions at American Military University

#20

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,323 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIS.

Read full report on Legal Professions at University of Illinois at Springfield

#21

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $7,751 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Oakland University Legal Professions Report

#22

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

With a ranking of #22, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 152 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $11,466 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Legal Professions at University of Arizona

#23

Clayton State University

Morrow, Georgia

Clayton State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Clayton State University is a public institution located in Morrow, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Clayton State University is $10,373 for bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Clayton State University Legal Professions Report

With a ranking of #24, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $6,315 for bachelor’s degree legal professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Legal Professions Report

#25

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in University, Mississippi, this large public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Mississippi is $11,566 for Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 University of Mississippi

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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