2027 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in Ohio

[Legal Professions](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 14 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for legal professions students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in Ohio
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the legal professions degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Legal Professions Schools
Leading the list is Cuyahoga Community College District, our #1 best value for legal professions in Ohio. Located in the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga Community College District is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,249, with out-of-state students paying around $7,249. Typical student debt for legal professions graduates is $14,636. Legal Professions graduates of Cuyahoga Community College District earn a median of $39,394 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Columbus State Community College one of the best values for legal professions. Set in the city of Columbus, Columbus State Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,488, with out-of-state students paying around $11,224. Typical student debt for legal professions graduates is $9,041. Median earnings reach $39,435 ten years out. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Cincinnati Clermont College earned it the #3 place for legal professions. University Of Cincinnati Clermont College is a large public school located in the suburb of Batavia. In-state tuition and fees average $6,639, with out-of-state students paying around $13,871. Legal Professions graduates carry a median of $20,017 in student loans. Soon after graduation, legal professions degree recipients from University Of Cincinnati Clermont College generally make around $39,221. That is a strong return on a $20,017 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Akron Main Campus one of the best values for legal professions. University Of Akron Main Campus is a large public school located in the city of Akron. Students from in state pay about $13,135 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $20,815. Students borrow a median of $25,347 to complete the legal professions program here. Soon after graduation, legal professions degree recipients from University Of Akron Main Campus generally make around $57,386. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Akron Main Campus admits about 60% of applicants.
Cleveland State University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value legal professions schools. Cleveland State University is a large public school located in the city of Cleveland. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,982, while out-of-state students pay about $18,502. Legal Professions graduates carry a median of $26,336 in student loans. Early-career legal professions graduates make about $64,805. That is a strong return on a $26,336 median debt. Cleveland State University admits about 91% of applicants.
Ohio State University Main Campus landed the #6 spot for legal professions value this year. Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Columbus. In-state tuition and fees average $13,244, while out-of-state students pay about $40,022. Legal Professions graduates carry a median of $22,938 in student loans. Early-career legal professions graduates make about $77,868. Set against $22,938 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Ohio State University Main Campus admits about 61% of applicants.
Kent State University At Kent placed #7 among the best values for legal professions. Kent State University At Kent is a very large public school located in the suburb of Kent. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,220, while out-of-state students pay about $21,575. Typical student debt for legal professions graduates is $25,000. Early-career legal professions graduates make about $38,981. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Toledo placed #8 among the best values for legal professions. Located in the city of Toledo, University Of Toledo is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,157, with out-of-state students paying around $21,517. Legal Professions graduates carry a median of $27,605 in student loans. Early-career legal professions graduates make about $38,636. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Toledo admits about 92% of applicants.
Ohio University Main Campus landed the #9 spot for legal professions value this year. Set in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,158, compared with $24,838 for out-of-state students. Legal Professions graduates carry a median of $24,546 in student loans. Legal Professions graduates of Ohio University Main Campus earn a median of $49,736 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,546 median debt. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Capital University placed #10 among the best values for legal professions. Set in the suburb of Columbus, Capital University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $43,234. Students borrow a median of $28,269 to complete the legal professions program here. Soon after graduation, legal professions degree recipients from Capital University generally make around $62,010. That is a strong return on a $28,269 median debt. The acceptance rate is 70%.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus landed the #11 spot for legal professions value this year. Set in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,363, compared with $28,697 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for legal professions graduates is $25,258. Legal Professions graduates of University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earn a median of $46,132 early in their careers. Set against $25,258 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Ohio Northern University placed #12 among the best values for legal professions. Located in the town of Ada, Ohio Northern University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $39,600 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for legal professions graduates is $26,661. Early-career legal professions graduates make about $55,402. That is a strong return on a $26,661 median debt. The acceptance rate is 74%.
University Of Dayton earned the #13 position for value in legal professions this year. Located in the city of Dayton, University Of Dayton is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,140. Typical student debt for legal professions graduates is $25,033. Early-career legal professions graduates make about $82,071. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Dayton admits about 65% of applicants.
Case Western Reserve University earned the #14 position for value in legal professions this year. Set in the city of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $66,608. Students borrow a median of $25,106 to complete the legal professions program here. Legal Professions graduates of Case Western Reserve University earn a median of $70,183 early in their careers. Set against $25,106 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 36% of applicants are accepted.
More Legal Professions Rankings
View All Legal Professions Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 14 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.