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2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

311 Colleges
$7,671 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$47,649 Avg Salary

Legal Professions is the #16 most popular major in the country with 61,055 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Legal Professions Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 311 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best value experiences for legal professions students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Legal Professions Colleges.

Our analysis found Thomas Jefferson School of Law to be the best value school for legal professions students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Thomas Jefferson School of Law is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Diego.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Thomas Jefferson School of Law

#2

El Centro College

Dallas, TX

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend El Centro College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools list. El Centro College is a very large public school located in the large city of Dallas.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at El Centro College are $6,000 per year. The average amount in student loans that legal professions majors at El Centro College take out is $15,501.

In addition to its great value ranking, El Centro College is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Legal Professions Schools list.

Full Legal Professions at El Centro College Report

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Anoka Technical College is a great value for legal professions students. Located in the large suburb of Anoka, Anoka Technical College is a public school with a small student population.

Anoka Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,075 in tuition and fees each year.

Anoka Technical College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Legal Professions Schools list.

Read More…

#4

Inver Hills Community College

Inver Grove Heights, MN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Inver Hills Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools list. IHCC is a small public school located in the large suburb of Inver Grove Heights.

IHCC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,809 in tuition and fees each year. On average, legal professions graduates from IHCC take out $22,750 in student loans while working on their degree.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, IHCC also did well on our Best Legal Professions Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Full Legal Professions at Inver Hills Community College Report

#5

North Hennepin Community College

Brooklyn Park, MN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend North Hennepin Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools list. Located in the large suburb of Brooklyn Park, North Hennepin Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

North Hennepin Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,882 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, legal professions graduates from North Hennepin Community College carry an average student debtload of $27,804.

North Hennepin Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Legal Professions Schools list.

Read full report on Legal Professions at North Hennepin Community College

#6

Oakland Community College

Bloomfield Hills, MI
$5,200 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Oakland Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for legal professions students. Oakland Community College is a large public school located in the large suburb of Bloomfield Hills.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Oakland Community College are $5,200 a year. After completing their degree, legal professions graduates from Oakland Community College carry an average student debtload of $19,492.

Full Legal Professions at Oakland Community College Report

American Public University System landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value legal professions programs. American Military University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the town of Charles Town.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at American Military University are $7,360 per year. After completing their degree, legal professions graduates from American Military University carry an average student debtload of $30,648.

In addition to its great value ranking, American Military University is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Legal Professions Schools list.

Read full report on Legal Professions at American Public University System

#8

Bellevue University

Bellevue, NE

Bellevue University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools list. Bellevue University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Bellevue.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Bellevue University are $8,310 a year. After completing their degree, legal professions graduates from Bellevue University carry an average student debtload of $33,682.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Bellevue University also is in the top 10% of our Best Legal Professions Schools ranking.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Bellevue University

$5,040 Average Tuition & Fees

San Jacinto Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools list. San Jacinto College is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Pasadena.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at San Jacinto College are $5,040 a year.

Read full report on Legal Professions at San Jacinto Community College

#10

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA
$7,072 Average Tuition & Fees

Kirkwood Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value legal professions programs. Kirkwood Community College is a large public school located in the midsize city of Cedar Rapids.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Kirkwood Community College are $7,072 per year. While working on their degree, legal professions majors at Kirkwood Community College accumulate an average of around $25,083 in student debt.

Full Legal Professions at Kirkwood Community College Report

#11

Baton Rouge Community College

Baton Rouge, LA
$4,221 Average Tuition & Fees

Baton Rouge Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for legal professions students. It came in at #11 on the list. BRCC is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Baton Rouge.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BRCC are $4,221 a year.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Baton Rouge Community College

#12

Southwestern Illinois College

Belleville, IL
$5,940 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #12, Southwestern Illinois College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for legal professions students. Located in the suburb of Belleville, SWIC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SWIC are $5,940 a year. After completing their degree, legal professions graduates from SWIC carry an average student debtload of $8,956.

Full Legal Professions at Southwestern Illinois College Report

#13

Phoenix College

Phoenix, AZ
$7,854 Average Tuition & Fees

Phoenix College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for legal professions students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the city of Phoenix, Phoenix College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Phoenix College are $7,854 per year. After completing their degree, legal professions graduates from Phoenix College carry an average student debtload of $15,813.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Phoenix College

#14

Portland Community College

Portland, OR
$9,670 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #14, Portland Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for legal professions students. Located in the large city of Portland, Portland Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Portland Community College are $9,670 a year. After completing their degree, legal professions graduates from Portland Community College carry an average student debtload of $23,666.

Read More…

#15

Valencia College

Orlando, FL
$9,383 Average Tuition & Fees

Valencia College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools ranking. Valencia College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Orlando.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Valencia College are $9,383 a year. The average amount in student loans that legal professions majors at Valencia College take out is $15,501.

Read More…

#16

Cerritos College

Norwalk, CA

With a ranking of #16, Cerritos College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for legal professions students. Cerritos College is a large public school located in the suburb of Norwalk.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cerritos College are $10,026 per year. The average amount in student loans that legal professions majors at Cerritos College take out is $16,650.

Read More…

With a ranking of #17, Austin Community College District did quite well on this year’s best value schools for legal professions students. Austin Community College District is a very large public school located in the city of Austin.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Austin Community College District are $10,590 a year. Legal Professions majors at Austin Community College District take out an average of $11,808 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Legal Professions at Austin Community College District Report

$7,540 Average Tuition & Fees

Central New Mexico Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for legal professions students. It came in at #18 on the list. CNM is a fairly large public school located in the city of Albuquerque.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CNM are $7,540 per year.

Full Legal Professions at Central New Mexico Community College Report

#19

Ivy Tech Community College

Indianapolis, IN

Ivy Tech Community College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value legal professions programs. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Ivy Tech Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,927 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, legal professions majors at Ivy Tech Community College accumulate an average of around $14,600 in student debt.

In addition to its great value ranking, Ivy Tech Community College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Legal Professions Schools list.

Full Legal Professions at Ivy Tech Community College Report

Sinclair Community College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Sinclair Community College are $8,076 a year.

Sinclair Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Legal Professions Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Read More…

$8,936 Average Tuition & Fees

Central Piedmont Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools ranking. Central Piedmont Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Charlotte.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Central Piedmont Community College are $8,936 a year.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Central Piedmont Community College

$7,995 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #22, National Paralegal College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for legal professions students. Located in the city of Phoenix, National Paralegal College is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at National Paralegal College are $7,995 per year. On average, legal professions graduates from National Paralegal College take out $40,868 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Legal Professions at National Paralegal College Report

Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value legal professions programs. Located in the city of Kansas City, MCC is a public school with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MCC are $9,210 a year.

In addition to its great value ranking, MCC is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Legal Professions Schools list.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City

$9,554 Average Tuition & Fees

Brookdale Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for legal professions students. It came in at #23 on the list. Located in the rural area of Lincroft, Brookdale Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Brookdale Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $9,554 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, legal professions majors at Brookdale Community College accumulate an average of around $14,750 in student debt.

Read More…

$10,440 Average Tuition & Fees

Des Moines Area Community College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools ranking. DMACC is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Ankeny.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at DMACC are $10,440 a year. On average, legal professions graduates from DMACC take out $14,243 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Legal Professions at Des Moines Area Community College Report

#28

LaGuardia Community College

Long Island City, NY
#29

Reynolds Community College

Richmond, VA
#31

Hamline University

Saint Paul, MN
#32

Broward College

Fort Lauderdale, FL
#34

Miami Dade College

Miami, FL
#36

Palm Beach State College

Lake Worth, FL
#42

Greenville Technical College

Greenville, SC

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Legal Professions Schools award.

Rank College Location
47 Hodges University Naples, FL
48 Herzing University - Madison Madison, WI
49 St Petersburg College Clearwater, FL
50 Nassau Community College Garden City, NY
51 University of Houston - Clear Lake Houston, TX
52 Rasmussen University - Minnesota St. Cloud, MN
53 Rasmussen University - Wisconsin Green Bay, WI
54 City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College Chicago, IL
55 Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City, UT
56 Anne Arundel Community College Arnold, MD
57 Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL
58 Rasmussen University - Illinois Rockford, IL
59 SUNY Canton Canton, NY
60 Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School Lansing, MI
61 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN
62 Drake University Des Moines, IA

View the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

Major Annual Graduates
Law 36,216
Legal Support Services 11,545
Legal Research 6,874
Non-Professional General Legal Studies 4,407
Legal Professions (Other) 2,013

Related Major Annual Graduates
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting 142,610
Public Administration & Social Service 98,583
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies 73,813
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 4,477

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to The wub.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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