College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major

212 Ranked Colleges
36,426 Degrees Awarded
$65,077 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major

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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major” 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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 36,426 legal professions graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major” ranking analyzed 212 colleges that offered a degree in legal professions. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in legal professions.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Legal Professions Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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 following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major”.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Texas College of Law. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. South Texas College of Law is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 277 doctorate’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 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 South Texas College of Law

1
San Joaquin College of Law crest
San Joaquin College of Law
Clovis, California

Out of the 212 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major that were part of this year’s ranking, San Joaquin College of Law landed the #1 spot on the list. San Joaquin College of Law is a small school located in Clovis, California that handed out 33 doctorate’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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.

Read full report on Legal Professions at San Joaquin College of Law

1
Appalachian School of Law crest
Appalachian School of Law
Grundy, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Appalachian School of Law. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. Appalachian School of Law is a private not-for-profit institution located in Grundy, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 57 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Read more about Legal Professions at Appalachian School of Law

1
Mitchell Hamline crest
Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Saint Paul, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mitchell Hamline School of Law. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 322 degrees to qualified doctorate’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Mitchell Hamline Legal Professions Report

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law at Santa Barbara. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major. This small school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

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 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Professions at The Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law at Santa Barbara

1
Massachusetts School of Law crest
Massachusetts School of Law
Andover, Massachusetts

Out of the 212 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts School of Law landed the #1 spot on the list. Massachusetts School of Law is a private not-for-profit institution located in Andover, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 more about Legal Professions at Massachusetts School of Law

1
CUNY Law crest
CUNY School of Law
Long Island City, New York

Out of the 212 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major that were part of this year’s ranking, CUNY School of Law landed the #1 spot on the list. CUNY Law is a public institution located in Long Island City, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 188 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Full CUNY School of Law Legal Professions Report

1
New England Law crest
New England Law - Boston
Boston, Massachusetts

Out of the 212 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major that were part of this year’s ranking, New England Law - Boston landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 154 doctorate’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Legal Professions at New England Law

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School is a small school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 76 doctorate’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

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 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School Legal Professions Report

1
Ave Maria Law crest
Ave Maria School of Law
Naples, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ave Maria School of Law. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major. Ave Maria School of Law is located in Naples, Florida and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 doctorate’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

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 2.3% 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%.

Read more about Legal Professions at Ave Maria School of Law

1
Charleston Law crest
Charleston School of Law
Charleston, South Carolina

Out of the 212 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Charleston School of Law landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, this small private for-profit school handed out 189 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Full Charleston School of Law Legal Professions Report

1
Florida Coastal School of Law crest
Florida Coastal School of Law
Jacksonville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida Coastal School of Law. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major. Florida Coastal School of Law is a small private for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Florida. It awarded 47 doctorate’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Florida Coastal School of Law

13
Southwestern Law School crest
Southwestern Law School
Los Angeles, California

Southwestern Law School landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. Southwestern Law School is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 227 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Southwestern Law School

14
New York Law School crest
New York Law School
New York, New York

With a ranking of #14, New York Law School did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s legal professions degrees to 308 students in 2020-2021.

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 more about Legal Professions at New York Law School

15

Roger Williams University School of Law did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Bristol, Rhode Island, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 150 degrees to qualified doctorate’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 full report on Legal Professions at Roger Williams University School of Law

16
Brooklyn Law crest
Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Law School landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 357 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.

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 1.1% 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%.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Brooklyn Law School

17

Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s legal professions degrees to 411 students in 2020-2021.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School Legal Professions Report

18

Inter American University of Puerto Rico - School of Law landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. San Juan, is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s legal professions degrees to 172 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. 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.

Full UIPR School of Law Legal Professions Report

19

University of California - Hastings College of Law did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking, coming in at #19. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s legal professions degrees to 284 students in 2020-2021.

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. 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%.

Read more about Legal Professions at UC Hastings

20
University of West Los Angeles crest
University of West Los Angeles
Inglewood, California

University of West Los Angeles ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. University of West Los Angeles is located in Inglewood, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 doctorate’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Legal Professions at University of West Los Angeles

21
Albany Law crest
Albany Law School
Albany, New York

With a ranking of #21, Albany Law School did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. Albany Law is a small school located in Albany, New York that handed out 164 doctorate’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Albany Law School

22
Thomas Jefferson School of Law crest
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
San Diego, California

Thomas Jefferson School of Law came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s legal professions degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Thomas Jefferson School of Law Legal Professions Report

23

With a ranking of #23, University of New Hampshire - Franklin Pierce School of Law did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. University of New Hampshire - Franklin Pierce School of Law is a public institution located in Concord, New Hampshire. The school has a small population, and it awarded 86 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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.

Full UNH Franklin Pierce Legal Professions Report

24
California Western crest
California Western School of Law
San Diego, California

California Western School of Law landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s legal professions degrees to 207 students in 2020-2021.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%.

Read full report on Legal Professions at California Western

25

The Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law at Ventura landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. This small school is located in Ventura, California, and it awarded 24 doctorate’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Ventura College of Law

Not only did these schools make the top 32 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
VLS crest
Vermont Law School
South Royalton, Vermont
27
Taft Law School crest
Taft University System
Denver, Colorado
28
Trinity Law School crest
Trinity Law School
Santa Ana, California
29
Abraham Lincoln University crest
Abraham Lincoln University
Los Angeles, California
30
Stetson crest
Stetson University
DeLand, Florida
31
St. Mary's crest
St. Mary's University
San Antonio, Texas
32
Lewis and Clark College crest
Lewis & Clark College
Portland, Oregon

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options