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Most Popular Legal Professions Schools

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2023 Most Popular Legal Professions Schools

991 Colleges
$47,649 Avg Salary
$28,699 Avg Student Debt

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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Most Popular Legal Professions Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 991 schools in the United States to see which programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Legal Professions program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for legal professions majors pursuing a .

#1

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

Our analysis found Georgetown University to be the most popular school for legal professions students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington.

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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Southern California is a great place for legal professions students. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

Read full report on Legal Professions at University of Southern California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend George Washington University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Legal Professions Schools list. GWU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington.

Read full report on Legal Professions at George Washington University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Legal Professions Schools list. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a very large student population.

Legal Professions majors at UC Berkeley take out an average of $15,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $278, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Legal Professions at University of California - Berkeley Report

#5

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Harvard University is a great place for legal professions students. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

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#6

New York University

New York, NY

New York University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for legal professions students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

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Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Legal Professions Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, legal professions graduates from ASU - Tempe carry an average student debt load of $23,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $397.

Full Legal Professions at Arizona State University - Tempe Report

Washington University in St Louis ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Legal Professions Schools list. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis.

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Loyola University Chicago came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Legal Professions Schools ranking. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that legal professions majors at Loyola Chicago take out is $32,545.

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Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for legal professions students. It came in at #10 on the list. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.

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#11

Fordham University

Bronx, NY

Fordham University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Legal Professions Schools ranking. Located in the city of Bronx, Fordham U is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

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#12

American University

Washington, DC

American University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular legal professions programs. Located in the city of Washington, The American University is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, legal professions majors at The American University accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.

Read full report on Legal Professions at American University

#13

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular legal professions programs. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Lynchburg.

Legal Professions majors at Liberty University take out an average of $35,590 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#14

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Northwestern University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Legal Professions Schools ranking. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Northwestern University

#15

University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL

University of Miami did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for legal professions students. It came in at #15 on the list. U Miami is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Coral Gables.

The average amount in student loans that legal professions majors at U Miami take out is $14,880.

Read full report on Legal Professions at University of Miami

#16

Suffolk University

Boston, MA

Suffolk University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Popular Legal Professions Schools list. Located in the city of Boston, Suffolk is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

After completing their degree, legal professions graduates from Suffolk carry an average student debt load of $27,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $494, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Legal Professions at Suffolk University Report

Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School ranked #17 on this year’s Most Popular Legal Professions Schools list. WMU-Cooley Law School is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Lansing.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School

#18

University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ

University of Arizona did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for legal professions students. It came in at #18 on the list. University of Arizona is a very large public school located in the city of Tucson.

After completing their degree, legal professions graduates from University of Arizona carry an average student debt load of $22,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $358.

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#19

University of Georgia

Athens, GA

University of Georgia did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for legal professions students. It came in at #19 on the list. UGA is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Athens.

After completing their degree, legal professions graduates from UGA carry an average student debt load of $18,611.

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#20

Boston University

Boston, MA

With a ranking of #20, Boston University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for legal professions students. Located in the large city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

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#21

Purdue University Global

Indianapolis, IN

Purdue University Global did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for legal professions students. It came in at #21 on the list. Purdue University Global is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis.

The average amount in student loans that legal professions majors at Purdue University Global take out is $36,876.

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University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Legal Professions Schools ranking. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, legal professions majors at UW - Madison accumulate an average of around $23,000 in student debt.

Read full report on Legal Professions at University of Wisconsin - Madison

St John’s University - New York landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular legal professions programs. STJ is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Queens.

While working on their degree, legal professions majors at STJ accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $589, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Legal Professions at St John’s University - New York Report

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular legal professions programs. UW Seattle is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Seattle.

Legal Professions majors at UW Seattle take out an average of $19,047 in student loans while working on their egree.

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Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Legal Professions Schools ranking. Located in the large city of Indianapolis, IUPUI is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, legal professions graduates from IUPUI carry an average student debt load of $26,500.

Read More…

#30

Temple University

Philadelphia, PA
#31

Yeshiva University

New York, NY
#31

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA
#33

Brooklyn Law School

Brooklyn, NY
#34

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL
#35

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA
#36

Emory University

Atlanta, GA
#37

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL
#38

Tulane University of Louisiana

New Orleans, LA
#39

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI
#40

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA
#41

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA
#42

Hofstra University

Hempstead, NY
#42

Widener University

Chester, PA
#45

Vermont Law School

South Royalton, VT
#46

New York Law School

New York, NY
#47

Seton Hall University

South Orange, NJ

Remaining Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Most Popular Legal Professions Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 991 different United States legal professions schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 University of Denver Denver, CO
52 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
53 Duke University Durham, NC
54 Regent University Virginia Beach, VA
55 Pepperdine University Malibu, CA
56 Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL
57 University of Houston Houston, TX
57 Stetson University DeLand, FL
59 South Texas College of Law Houston, TX
60 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
61 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
62 Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL
63 University of Baltimore Baltimore, MD
64 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
65 St. Thomas University Miami Gardens, FL
66 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
66 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
68 University of Maryland - Baltimore Baltimore, MD
69 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
69 St. Mary’s University San Antonio, TX
71 University of Chicago Chicago, IL
72 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
73 Pace University - New York New York, NY
74 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ
75 Yale University New Haven, CT
76 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
76 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
78 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
79 Villanova University Villanova, PA
79 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
81 Southwestern Law School Los Angeles, CA
81 DePaul University Chicago, IL
83 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
84 Cornell University Ithaca, NY
85 Northeastern University Boston, MA
86 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
86 Eastern Gateway Community College Steubenville, OH
88 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
89 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
90 National Paralegal College Phoenix, AZ
91 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
92 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
93 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
94 Seattle University Seattle, WA
95 Stanford University Stanford, CA
96 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
97 Center for Advanced Legal Studies Houston, TX
98 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
98 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
100 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
101 Barry University Miami, FL
102 Albany Law School Albany, NY
102 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
104 Lewis & Clark College Portland, OR
105 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
105 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
107 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN
108 University of the Pacific Stockton, CA
108 Charleston School of Law Charleston, SC
108 Golden Gate University - San Francisco San Francisco, CA
111 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
111 CUNY School of Law Long Island City, NY
113 University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI
114 Inter American University of Puerto Rico - School of Law San Juan, PR
115 American Public University System Charles Town, WV
116 Baylor University Waco, TX
117 Southern University and A & M College Baton Rouge, LA
118 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
118 Florida International University Miami, FL
120 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
120 Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, LA
122 Drake University Des Moines, IA
123 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
123 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
123 Texas Southern University Houston, TX
126 University of Mississippi University, MS
127 Campbell University Buies Creek, NC
128 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH
128 Samford University Birmingham, AL
130 Chapman University Orange, CA
131 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
131 University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras San Juan, PR
133 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
133 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA
135 New England Law - Boston Boston, MA
136 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Tallahassee, FL
136 Roger Williams University School of Law Bristol, RI
136 Rutgers University - Camden Camden, NJ
136 Post University Waterbury, CT
136 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
136 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
142 John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY
142 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
142 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
145 Howard University Washington, DC
146 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
147 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
148 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA

Additional Noteworthy Schools

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

Rank College Location
149 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
150 Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH
151 Touro College New York, NY
152 University of Idaho Moscow, ID
153 Mercer University Macon, GA
154 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR
154 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
156 Capital University Columbus, OH
156 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
158 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
158 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
160 Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City, OK
161 Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT
161 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
161 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
164 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
165 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
166 Washburn University Topeka, KS
167 Elon University Elon, NC
168 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
168 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
170 Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA
171 University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK
171 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
173 Hamline University Saint Paul, MN
173 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
175 Bryant & Stratton College - Online Orchard Park, NY
176 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
177 Willamette University Salem, OR
178 University of Toledo Toledo, OH
179 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
179 University of New Mexico - Main Campus Albuquerque, NM
179 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
182 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
183 Creighton University Omaha, NE
183 Trinity Law School Santa Ana, CA
185 Mississippi College Clinton, MS
185 Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL
185 University of New Hampshire - Franklin Pierce School of Law Concord, NH
188 University of North Texas at Dallas Dallas, TX
188 Bellevue University Bellevue, NE
190 University of La Verne La Verne, CA
191 Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX
191 Belmont University Nashville, TN
191 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
194 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
195 University of Southern Maine Portland, ME
196 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
197 Roger Williams University Bristol, RI
198 Bryan University Tempe, AZ
198 Western New England University Springfield, MA
198 Houston Community College Houston, TX

View the Most Popular 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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