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2024 Best Value Colleges for Legal Professions in California

21 Ranked Colleges
7,816 Degrees Awarded
$23,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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” ranking looked at 21 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in California” list to help you make the college decision.

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. 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 california legal professions students.

1
Cerritos College crest
Cerritos College
Norwalk, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cerritos College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California. This fairly large school is located in Norwalk, California, and it awarded 58 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california legal professions students list, Cerritos College has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cerritos College is $2,310 for california legal professions students.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Cerritos College

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 672 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $16,032 for California Legal Professions students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Read more about Legal Professions at UC Berkeley

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 393 degrees to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,023 for california legal professions students per year to attend UCLA.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Professions at University of California - Los Angeles

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Cruz. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 148 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $17,930 for California Legal Professions students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Professions at University of California - Santa Cruz

5

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. University of California - 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.

In addition to being on our california legal professions students list, UC Irvine has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for California Legal Professions students.

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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Professions at UC Irvine

6

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 235 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california legal professions students list, UC Davis has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for California Legal Professions students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full University of California - Davis Legal Professions Report

7
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Thomas Jefferson School of Law
San Diego, California

Thomas Jefferson School of Law ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California list. This small school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 56 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

Thomas Jefferson School of Law also took the #20 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Thomas Jefferson School of Law

8
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s legal professions degrees to 357 students in 2020-2021.

Loyola Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list. It costs about $44,467 for california legal professions students per year to attend Loyola Marymount.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Professions at Loyola Marymount

9
Trinity Law School crest
Trinity Law School
Santa Ana, California

With a ranking of #9, Trinity Law School did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California list. Trinity Law School is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Ana, California. It awarded 105 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

Trinity Law School did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Trinity Law School

10
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Golden Gate University - San Francisco
San Francisco, California

Golden Gate University - San Francisco landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s legal professions degrees to 189 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california legal professions students list, Golden Gate University - San Francisco has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Professions at Golden Gate University - San Francisco

11
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Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California list. Santa Clara, 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 234 students in 2020-2021.

SCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Santa Clara University is $42,614 for california legal professions students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Legal Professions at SCU

12
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University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California ranking. University of San Diego is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 371 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

USD also made our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend USD is $34,139 for California Legal Professions students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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 Professions at USD

13

Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Stockton, California, and it awarded 59 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california legal professions students list, Humphreys University has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,075 for California Legal Professions students per year to attend Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Humphreys University Legal Professions Report

14
ULV crest
University of La Verne
La Verne, California

University of La Verne ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California list. University of La Verne is a medium-sized school located in La Verne, California that handed out 101 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

ULV also made our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend ULV is $28,260 for california legal professions students.

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 full report on Legal Professions at ULV

15
California Western crest
California Western School of Law
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #15, California Western School of Law did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California list. California Western is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 310 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at California Western, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California Western Legal Professions Report

16
Southwestern Law School crest
Southwestern Law School
Los Angeles, California

Southwestern Law School did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California ranking, coming in at #16. Southwestern Law School is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 231 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Southwestern Law School did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad 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 Southwestern Law School

17
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California list. Chapman University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Orange, California. It awarded 160 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

Chapman also made our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $44,198 for California Legal Professions students per year to attend Chapman.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 92%.

Read more about Legal Professions at Chapman University

18

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Hastings College of Law did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California list. UC Hastings is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 306 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Hastings not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list.

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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 University of California - Hastings College of Law

19
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University of the Pacific
Stockton, California

With a ranking of #19, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Stockton, California, and it awarded 189 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of the Pacific is $28,380 for California Legal Professions 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%.

Read more about Legal Professions at University of the Pacific

20
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 204 ’s 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. It costs about $12,894 for California Legal Professions students per year to attend Stanford University.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. 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.

Full Stanford University Legal Professions Report

21
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in California list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 750 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $32,569 for california legal professions students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full University of Southern California Legal Professions Report

Notes and References

References

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