Studying law in the U.S. is expensive. Even after receiving financial aid and scholarships, the price can be prohibitively high for many aspirants who want to build a legal career; a large percentage of them struggle with the burden of student loan debt for years.
Despite this steep cost, with tuition fees, housing, and other expenses adding up quickly, many American students choose to pursue their dreams and enroll in prestigious law schools.
The average total cost of tuition for law schools in the U.S. is $137,970, which translates to $45,990 a year. Similar to other fields of higher education, public law schools tend to be cheaper than private ones.
Here we list the 11 most expensive law schools in the U.S. The annual tuition costs mentioned here refer to the Juris Doctor (J.D.) program. The expenses include mandatory health insurance fees, books, supplies, housing, food, transportation, etc. The respective schools estimate the cost.
9. Harvard Law School
Other Expenses: $36,920 (per year)
Parent School: Harvard University
USNWR Ranking: 4th
photo source: hls.harvard.edu
Harvard Law School is the law school of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This private law school, founded in 1817, is the country’s oldest continuously operated law school.
This private law school is known for its large class sizes and exceptionally high success rate. The size of the student body is around 1990. Among them, 1680 students are enrolled in the J.D. program.
The institution also awards Masters of Law (LLM) and Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) degrees. The acceptance rate for the J.D. Class of 2025 was 10%. In addition, the first-time bar passage rate for 2021 was 99.4%, the highest in the country.
Did you know?
Harvard Law school houses the largest academic law library in the world.
8. Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
Other Expenses: $33,132 (per year)
Parent School: Northwestern University
USNWR Ranking: 13th
photo source: lh3.googleusercontent.com
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law is a prestigious private law school on Northwestern University’s Chicago campus. The law school was founded in 1859. Besides the regular law degree programs, Northwestern Law also offers a variety of interdisciplinary programs and centers, such as the Center for International Human Rights, the Center on Wrongful Convictions, and the Bluhm Legal Clinic.
The school is renowned for its rigorous academic programs and commitment to experiential learning, which allows students to gain practical experience in law.
Students with at least two years of work experience get preference in the admission process of Northwestern Law. The acceptance rate was 19.3% for the last batch that enrolled.
Did you know?
Northwestern Law is a leading interdisciplinary and social justice research and teaching institute. It has the most interdisciplinary research faculty in the country.
7. USC Gould School of Law
Other Expenses: $31,086 (per year)
Parent School: University of Southern California
USNWR Ranking: 20th
photo source: wikipedia.org
Established in 1900, the USC Gould School of Law has a long history of academic excellence. The school is in Los Angeles, California, and operates under the University of Southern California.
The J.D. program has about 600 students enrolled, and LLM and MCL have about 200 students. In addition to these degree programs, the school offers three certificate programs business law, entertainment law, and alternative dispute resolution.
The school runs six client clinics to offer students first-hand experience in legal cases. The school also has several centers and institutes, including the Center for Law and Social Science, the Center for Intellectual Property Law and Technology, and the Center for Law, History, and Culture.
Did you know?
USC Gould School of Law enrolls the highest number of international students among all the law schools in the U.S.
6. Duke University School of Law
Other Expenses: $28,579 (per year)
Parent School: Duke University
USNWR Ranking: 11th
photo source: law.duke.edu
Duke Law School was established in 1868 as The Trinity College School of Law. The name was changed to the Duke University School of Law in 1924.
It is a private law school with a high bar passage rate.
Duke Law boasts a diverse student body and faculty. The school commits to providing a well-rounded legal education that prepares graduates to succeed in various legal careers.
The school offers many programs and clinics, including opportunities for experiential learning, international study, and public interest work.
The acceptance rate in Duke Law for the J.D. Class of 2025 was only 3.6%, one of the lowest in the country. The class has 225 students enrolled.
Did you know?
Duke Law is one of the three top-tier law schools where a President of the United States studied. President Richard Nixon graduated from Duke Law in 1937.
5. Penn Carey Law
Other Expenses: $29,562 (per year)
Parent School: University of Pennsylvania
USNWR Ranking: 6th
photo source: lh3.googleusercontent.com
Penn Carey Law is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest law schools in the country, with a long and rich history.
The school has its root in a series of Lectures on Law delivered by James Wilson, one of the two primary authors who drafted the U.S. constitution. Wilson lectured President George Washington, Vice President John Adams, and other cabinet members. The lectures were delivered from 1790 to 1792.
In 1792, Wilson was appointed the first full law professor at the University of Pennsylvania. The school began its full-time program in law in 1850.
The law school has a strong reputation for producing well-prepared graduates for careers in various fields, including private practice, government service, and public interest law. As a result, graduates of Penn Carey Law are highly sought after by top law firms and legal employers. In addition, the school’s robust alumni body includes renowned leaders in law, business, and public service.
Did you know?
Penn Carey Law was the first law school in the U.S. to publish a law journal. The American Law Register (now called the University of Pennsylvania Law Review) was published in 1852.
4. University of Chicago Law School
Other Expenses: $32,465 (per year)
Parent School: University of Chicago
USNWR Ranking: 3rd
photo source: lh3.googleusercontent.com
The University of Chicago Law School is one of the top three law schools in the country. It is located on the residential campus of the University of Chicago in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.
The University of Chicago Law School is known for its strong commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship. The law school has many research centers and institutes that focus on topics ranging from law and economics to human rights and social justice. These centers bring together scholars from various disciplines to collaborate on research and policy initiatives.
Did you know?
Former U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Supreme court justices Antonin Scalia, John Paul Stevens, and Elena Kagan are some of the many renowned alumni of Chicago Law School.
3. New York University School of Law
Other Expenses: $36,074 (per year)
Parent School: New York University
USNWR Ranking: 7th
photo source: www.law.nyu.edu
New York University School of Law was founded in 1835 by U.S. Attorney General Benjamin Franklin Butler. It is the oldest law in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in New York.
NYU Law is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the country and is known for its focus on public interest law, international law, and tax law. It has a robust public interest law program, including the Public Interest Law Center, the Brennan Center for Justice, and the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice.
It also has a strong international law program, including the Institute for International Law and Justice and the Hauser Global Law School Program. In terms of admissions, NYU Law is highly selective. The median LSAT score for the incoming class of 2023 was 170, and the median undergraduate GPA was 3.89.
Did you know?
NYU Law opened its doors to women students as early as 1890. More than 300 women received their law degree from this school before 1920, when all American women got voting rights.
2. Cornell Law School
Other Expenses: $23,605 (per year)
Parent School: Cornell University
USNWR Ranking: 12th
photo source: lh3.googleusercontent.com
Cornell Law School is part of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Established in 1887 as the law department of Cornell, it is now one of the five Ivy League law schools in the U.S.
In addition to J.D., LLM, and SJD, the school also offers joint degree programs in partnership with other schools within Cornell University, such as the JD/MBA program with the Johnson Graduate School of Management and the J.D./Master of Public Health program with the College of Veterinary Medicine.
The school is recognized for its efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. The school has established initiatives to increase the representation of underrepresented groups in the legal profession, including the First Generation Professionals program and the Diversity Fellowship program.
Did you know?
Cornell Law is known for its small class size. The intake for the J.D. program is around 200 students per year.
1. Columbia Law School
Other Expenses: $34,878 (per year)
Parent School: Columbia University
USNWR Ranking: 4th
photo source: www.law.columbia.edu
Columbia Law is the most expensive law school in the U.S. Established in 1858, this school has consistently secured its position as one of the leading law schools in the U.S.
Columbia Law School has an extensive faculty of more than 100 full-time professors and many leading experts in their respective fields. Besides the J.D., LLM, and SJD programs, Columbia Law offers many joint degree programs, including JD/MBA, JD/MS in Journalism, and JD/MPA.
The law school is known for its focus on international law. It has several centers and programs devoted to studying the laws of various countries, including the Center for Chinese Legal Studies, the Center for Korean Legal Studies, the Center for Japanese Legal Studies, and the European Legal Studies Center.
Did you know?
Before law schools were established in the U.S., young men received legal education in law offices where they worked as apprentices or clerks.
