by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 7,113 legal professions graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major” ranking analyzed 181 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.
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 Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree legal professions students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Trinity Law School. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. This small school is located in Santa Ana, California, and it awarded 72 masters’s legal professions degrees 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vermont Law School. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. Vermont Law School is a small private not-for-profit school situated in South Royalton, Vermont. It awarded 120 masters’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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 181 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major that were part of this year’s ranking, The Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law at Ventura landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Ventura, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified masters’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
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%. 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Western School of Law. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. California Western School of Law is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 103 masters’s degrees 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 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Abraham Lincoln University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. Abraham Lincoln University is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 masters’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Legal Professions at Abraham Lincoln University
University of New Hampshire - Franklin Pierce School of Law did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Concord, New Hampshire, this small public school handed out 17 degrees to qualified masters’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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Legal Professions at University of New Hampshire - Franklin Pierce School of Law
Thomas Jefferson School of Law landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. Thomas Jefferson School of Law is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 9 masters’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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 more about Legal Professions at Thomas Jefferson School of Law
With a ranking of #8, Albany Law School did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. Albany Law is a private not-for-profit institution located in Albany, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #9, National Paralegal College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. Phoenix, Arizona is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s legal professions degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
Regent University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. Virginia Beach, Virginia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s legal professions degrees to 198 students in 2020-2021.
University of California - Hastings College of Law came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. University of California - Hastings College of Law is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 masters’s degrees 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%. 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 more about Legal Professions at University of California - Hastings College of Law
Empire College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. Located in Santa Rosa, California, this small private for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified masters’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate 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.
With a ranking of #13, Inter American University of Puerto Rico - School of Law did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. UIPR School of Law is a small school located in San Juan, that handed out 11 masters’s legal professions degrees 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%. 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.
Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. Located in Lansing, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified masters’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
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. 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%.
Full Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School Legal Professions Report
Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. Humphreys University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 12 masters’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking, coming in at #16. WUSTL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 279 masters’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full Washington University in St Louis Legal Professions Report
Georgetown University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking, coming in at #17. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s legal professions degrees to 323 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%. 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 full report on Legal Professions at Georgetown University
Pepperdine University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking, coming in at #18. Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Malibu, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 139 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
With a ranking of #19, St. Mary’s University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. St. Mary’s University is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 masters’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Legal Professions at St. Mary’s University
Brooklyn Law School landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified masters’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
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%. 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.
With a ranking of #21, Seton Hall University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. Seton Hall University is a medium-sized school located in South Orange, New Jersey that handed out 88 masters’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. University of Oklahoma is located in Norman, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 209 masters’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read more about Legal Professions at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
Hodges University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major ranking. Hodges University is located in Naples, Florida and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 masters’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
With a ranking of #24, Fordham University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. Fordham U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 149 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
University of Baltimore ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Legal Professions Major list. UB is a public institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Legal Professions at University of Baltimore
Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
