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Cost of attendance

In-depth analysis on law school costs including tuition, grants, debt, cost of living and more.

Tuition Net Tuition Debt Investments Debt-to-income Scholarships Cost of living
Overview Investment vs job outcomes Investment vs bar results Investment per law school

Total Federal Investment by Law School for 2013 Graduates

2013

Law schools have far less financial support from the federal government in recent years because enrollment fell dramatically.

School Type 2013 Grads Average Graduate
Loan Disbursement		 % Borrowing Federal Government
Investment
Albany Law School Private 196 $130,644 70% $17,898,228
American University Private 507 $158,636 88% $70,751,656
Arizona State University Public 204 $107,809 75% $16,494,777
Ave Maria School of Law Private 159 $131,184 85% $17,709,840
Barry University Private 201 $143,397 88% $25,381,269
Baylor University Private 176 $89,252 84% $13,209,296
Boston College Private 253 $102,865 80% $20,778,730
Boston University Private 278 $110,309 78% $23,937,053
Brigham Young University Private 147 $56,053 84% $6,894,519
Brooklyn Law School Private 478 $109,914 76% $39,898,782
California Western School of Law Private 281 $157,748 90% $39,910,244
Capital University Private 185 $110,603 88% $18,028,289
Cardozo-Yeshiva University Private 398 $118,677 72% $34,060,299
Case Western Reserve University Private 232 $113,416 77% $20,301,464
Catholic University of America Private 238 $144,801 86% $29,684,205
Chapman University Private 186 $134,073 85% $21,183,534
Charleston School of Law For-Profit 225 $146,765 89% $29,353,000
Charlotte School of Law For-Profit 350 $135,466 95% $45,110,178
Chicago-Kent College of Law Private 282 $112,500 81% $25,650,000
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Public 159 $81,357 73% $9,437,412
Columbia University Private 437 $141,566 75% $46,433,648
Creighton University Private 125 $132,869 88% $14,615,590
CUNY Public 138 $74,503 86% $8,865,857
DePaul University Private 284 $130,672 86% $31,883,968
Drake University Private 138 $108,188 88% $13,090,748
Drexel University Private 138 $101,328 91% $12,767,328
Duke University Private 241 $124,549 60% $18,059,605
Duquesne University Private 205 $98,922 84% $17,014,584
Elon Law School Private 122 $108,290 89% $11,803,610
Emory University Private 292 $113,656 90% $29,891,528
Faulkner University Private 101 $122,187 90% $11,119,017
Florida Coastal School of Law For-Profit 562 $150,360 91% $76,833,960
Florida International University Public 166 $97,862 88% $14,287,852
Florida State University Public 237 $79,426 90% $16,917,738
Fordham University Private 481 $142,435 72% $49,282,510
George Mason University Public 255 $118,791 85% $25,777,647
George Washington University Private 603 $123,693 76% $56,651,394
Georgetown University Private 645 $145,631 81% $76,019,382
Georgia State University Public 195 $70,491 84% $11,560,524
Golden Gate University Private 228 $144,269 96% $31,594,911
Gonzaga University Private 161 $111,297 89% $15,915,471
Hamline University Private 185 $117,746 82% $17,897,392
Harvard University Private 578 $123,673 79% $56,518,561
Hofstra University Private 319 $133,861 80% $34,134,555
Howard University Private 138 $123,485 88% $14,941,685
Indiana University - Bloomington Public 226 $107,947 87% $21,265,559
Indiana University - Indianapolis Public 257 $97,784 87% $21,903,616
Lewis and Clark College Private 250 $119,048 89% $26,547,704
Liberty University Private 93 $81,045 89% $6,726,735
Louisiana State University Public 218 $81,161 81% $14,365,497
Loyola Marymount University Private 389 $141,765 82% $45,223,035
Loyola University Chicago Private 286 $121,167 83% $28,716,579
Marquette University Private 235 $129,669 82% $25,026,117
Mercer University Private 157 $124,268 90% $17,521,788
Michigan State University Public 301 $105,184 70% $22,193,824
Mississippi College Private 187 $118,000 82% $18,054,000
New England School of Law Private 342 $132,246 89% $40,202,784
New York Law School Private 562 $164,739 84% $77,756,808
New York University Private 537 $147,685 80% $63,504,550
North Carolina Central University Public 169 $81,944 96% $13,274,928
Northeastern University Private 218 $136,071 83% $24,628,851
Northern Illinois University Public 117 $76,575 89% $7,963,800
Northern Kentucky University Public 160 $83,546 67% $8,939,422
Northwestern University Private 284 $155,777 78% $34,582,494
Nova Southeastern University Private 304 $133,643 84% $34,078,965
Ohio Northern University Private 96 $103,031 94% $9,272,790
Ohio State University Public 225 $97,624 87% $19,134,304
Oklahoma City University Private 170 $121,667 76% $15,695,043
Pace University Private 294 $100,439 82% $24,205,799
Penn State University Public 200 $120,338 89% $21,420,164
Pepperdine University Private 213 $145,893 80% $24,801,810
Quinnipiac University Private 148 $102,135 86% $12,971,145
Regent University Private 138 $119,200 93% $15,257,600
Roger Williams University Private 175 $130,154 89% $20,304,024
Rutgers State University - Newark Public 270 $89,417 85% $20,565,910
Samford University Private 154 $129,515 94% $18,779,675
Seattle University Private 311 $129,548 89% $35,884,796
Seton Hall University Private 309 $127,075 83% $32,531,200
South Texas College of Law Houston Private 397 $115,852 85% $39,042,124
Southern Illinois University Public 129 $67,966 82% $7,204,396
Southern Methodist University Private 247 $128,381 63% $20,027,436
Southern University Law Center Public 206 $80,542 95% $15,786,232
St. John's University Private 309 $112,117 83% $28,701,952
St. Louis University Private 301 $125,581 82% $31,018,507
St. Mary's University Private 286 $112,040 89% $28,570,200
St. Thomas University - Florida Private 230 $150,166 91% $31,384,694
Stanford University Private 194 $108,391 84% $17,667,733
Stetson University Private 321 $136,738 87% $38,149,902
Suffolk University Private 479 $123,000 81% $47,724,000
SUNY Buffalo Public 233 $73,446 80% $13,660,956
Syracuse University Private 204 $131,185 86% $22,957,375
Temple University Public 295 $89,798 84% $22,269,904
Texas A&M Public 176 $101,544 92% $16,450,128
Texas Tech University Public 238 $75,399 80% $14,325,810
Thomas Jefferson School of Law Private 293 $180,665 92% $48,779,550
Tulane University Private 244 $123,713 82% $24,742,600
University of Akron Public 166 $81,278 87% $11,704,032
University of Alabama Public 166 $71,098 69% $8,176,270
University of Arizona Public 147 $90,898 82% $10,998,658
University of Arkansas - Fayetteville Public 132 $62,185 79% $6,467,240
University of Arkansas - Little Rock Public 143 $52,205 80% $5,951,370
University of Baltimore Public 311 $109,584 87% $29,697,264
University of California - Berkeley Public 301 $141,358 82% $34,915,426
University of California - Davis Public 196 $103,605 75% $15,229,935
University of California - Hastings Public 373 $119,038 88% $39,044,464
University of California - Irvine Public 84 $102,583 92% $7,898,891
University of California - Los Angeles Public 332 $114,963 84% $32,074,677
University of Chicago Private 215 $153,753 85% $28,136,799
University of Cincinnati Public 149 $75,656 77% $8,700,440
University of Colorado Public 176 $115,866 77% $15,757,776
University of Connecticut Public 187 $69,124 83% $10,714,220
University of Dayton Private 146 $113,366 90% $14,850,946
University of Denver Private 268 $130,981 81% $28,422,877
University of Detroit Mercy Private 211 $134,286 75% $21,217,188
University of Florida Public 354 $81,479 81% $23,384,473
University of Georgia Public 234 $81,370 79% $15,053,450
University of Hawaii Public 104 $70,263 80% $5,831,829
University of Houston Public 266 $89,530 79% $18,801,300
University of Idaho Public 117 $98,008 78% $8,918,728
University of Illinois Public 231 $84,665 86% $16,848,335
University of Illinois Chicago School of Law Public 446 $121,700 73% $39,674,200
University of Iowa Public 190 $99,827 85% $16,171,974
University of Kansas Public 173 $79,670 80% $10,994,460
University of Kentucky Public 133 $74,785 77% $7,628,070
University of Louisville Public 128 $88,451 84% $9,552,708
University of Maine Public 96 $92,603 84% $7,500,843
University of Maryland Public 291 $114,909 70% $23,441,436
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Public 103 $115,056 93% $11,045,376
University of Memphis Public 124 $73,315 82% $7,478,130
University of Miami Private 430 $148,513 79% $50,494,420
University of Michigan Public 399 $117,675 79% $37,067,625
University of Minnesota Public 274 $98,410 90% $24,307,270
University of Mississippi Public 190 $71,516 75% $10,226,788
University of Missouri - Columbia Public 131 $79,428 92% $9,610,788
University of Missouri - Kansas City Public 153 $103,038 84% $13,291,902
University of Montana Public 81 $74,614 91% $5,521,436
University of Nebraska Public 124 $63,435 90% $7,104,720
University of Nevada - Las Vegas Public 132 $94,843 92% $11,476,003
University of New Hampshire Public 107 $125,815 89% $11,952,425
University of New Mexico Public 114 $73,292 71% $5,936,652
University of North Carolina Public 248 $92,726 81% $18,637,926
University of North Dakota Public 74 $66,763 84% $4,139,306
University of Notre Dame Private 184 $99,090 81% $14,764,410
University of Oklahoma Public 184 $84,410 70% $10,888,890
University of Oregon Public 151 $104,775 87% $13,725,525
University of Pennsylvania Private 259 $130,855 75% $25,385,870
University of Pittsburgh Public 242 $102,993 89% $22,143,495
University of Richmond Private 142 $108,157 89% $13,627,782
University of San Diego Private 318 $128,731 87% $35,658,487
University of San Francisco Private 200 $146,919 89% $26,151,582
University of South Carolina Public 217 $81,199 84% $14,778,218
University of South Dakota Public 71 $54,352 95% $3,641,584
University of Southern California Private 238 $147,395 80% $28,005,050
University of St. Thomas - Minneapolis Private 158 $109,445 89% $15,431,745
University of Tennessee Public 167 $72,887 74% $9,037,988
University of Texas Public 378 $92,180 71% $24,704,240
University of the Pacific - McGeorge Private 318 $142,784 91% $41,264,576
University of Toledo Public 118 $99,889 88% $10,388,456
University of Tulsa Private 112 $103,873 68% $7,894,348
University of Utah Public 145 $85,473 87% $10,769,598
University of Virginia Public 364 $132,601 82% $39,515,098
University of Washington Public 183 $100,867 79% $14,625,715
University of Wisconsin Public 252 $84,679 77% $16,427,726
University of Wyoming Public 76 $67,733 91% $4,673,577
Valparaiso University Private 164 $130,364 90% $19,293,872
Vanderbilt University Private 206 $114,411 72% $16,932,828
Vermont Law School Private 200 $139,000 87% $24,186,000
Villanova University Private 240 $113,696 80% $21,829,632
Wake Forest University Private 159 $112,457 90% $16,081,351
Washburn University Public 151 $80,889 85% $10,353,792
Washington and Lee University Private 143 $120,642 83% $14,356,398
Washington University in St Louis Private 300 $109,978 75% $24,745,050
Wayne State University Public 174 $85,925 80% $11,943,575
West Virginia University Public 130 $75,187 80% $7,819,448
Western New England University School of Law Private 133 $120,677 97% $15,567,333
Western State College of Law at Westcliff University For-Profit 123 $115,118 90% $12,778,098
Whittier Law School Private 210 $154,267 92% $29,773,531
Willamette University Private 123 $120,531 91% $13,499,472
William and Mary Public 217 $102,832 83% $18,509,760
William Mitchell College of Law Private 325 $110,177 89% $31,841,153
Yale University Private 203 $111,961 80% $18,137,682

Excluded schools: Appalachian School of Law (Private, 88 grads), Arizona Summit Law School (For-Profit, 279 grads), Campbell University (Private, 135 grads), Cornell University (Private, 193 grads), Florida A&M University (Public, 221 grads), Inter American University (Private, 223 grads), John Marshall Law School - Atlanta (For-Profit, 234 grads), Loyola University New Orleans (Private, 256 grads), Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (Private, 240 grads), Rutgers State University - Camden (Public, 276 grads), Santa Clara University (Private, 322 grads), Southwestern Law School (Private, 300 grads), Texas Southern University (Public, 159 grads), Touro College (Private, 230 grads), University of La Verne (Private, 86 grads), University of Puerto Rico (Public, 197 grads), University of The District of Columbia (Public, 80 grads), Western Michigan University - Cooley Law School (Private, 1143 grads), Widener University - Delaware (Private, 279 grads), Widener University - Pennsylvania (Private, 121 grads)

About the data

School-specific borrowing data come from U.S. News & World Report, which relies on data reported to U.S. News by law schools. In some cases, law schools do not report the percentage borrowing properly. When that occurs, the previous year's rate is used unless a school reports the correct rate to LST or a better estimate can be generated. Graduate data come from the American Bar Association.

To calculate the amount cumulatively borrowed by law school graduates from a law school, LST took the number of graduates and multiplied it times the percentage of those graduates borrowing loans processed by the school. LST rounded that number to the nearest whole graduate and multiplied it times the average amount borrowed for that school. The known federal government investment figures do not include students who never graduated and those enrolled in non-J.D. programs.

Note: The "amount borrowed" does not include interest that accumulates during law school, thus is different than the "amount owed" or "debt."
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