Average Cost of Law School [2026]: Tuition + Expenses

Report Highlights. The average^* total cost of law school for the Class of 2026 was $198,788.

Law schools charged the average student $50,720 in tuition and fees for academic year (AY) 2025-26.
Several elite law schools charged over $80,000 for tuition and fees in AY2025-26.
Average law school tuition exceeds current annual federal student loan caps by $720 (1.44%).
The average cost of law school tuition and fees increased 5.47% in AY2025-26.
If trends continue, an average law degree would cost the Class of 2030 $243,400.

^*This report uses sticker prices (as opposed to the average cost to students) of law schools accredited by the American Bar Association; state-accredited schools are excluded.

Line graph: Average Cost of Law School</a> “Average Law School Tuition for Full-Time Students by Year from AY2013-14 ($37.3K) to AY2025-26 ($50.7K) according to the American Bar Association”></p>
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Cost of Law School by Year

Tuition at law schools accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) has steadily increased since 1994. Experts cite lower student-faculty ratios, higher faculty salaries, expanded legal clinics, and a decrease in state funding as key factors for the increase in tuition.

If trends continue, the average yearly cost of law school tuition will be $52,411 for AY2026-27.
Since 2012, ABA-accredited law schools have increased tuition by an average of $1,339 every year.
Living expenses averaged $27,242 for law students living on campus in AY2025-26 while off-campus living expenses averaged $28,791.

Most Affordable U.S. Law Schools Tuition & Fees for 2025-26
Law School	Tuition	Fees
Southern University	$11,338	$7,494
University of South Dakota	$12,076	$5,037
University of District of Columbia	$12,438	$1,000
North Carolina Central University	$13,444	$5,746
University of Arkansas at Little Rock	$13,770	$3,704
City University of New York	$15,450	$563
Brigham Young University	$15,992	$0
Georgia State University	$16,162	$1,434
Inter American University of Puerto Rico	$16,585	$1,175
University of Tennessee	$16,696	$3,866
University of Georgia	$18,044	$1,458
University of Oklahoma	$18,379	$6,274

Law School Tuition Growth

For decades, rising costs of law school outpaced currency inflation. This growth appears to have slowed in recent years.

For in-state residents, the price of law school tuition and fees at public institutions increased $1,294 (4.23%)for AY2025-26.
Between AY1985-86 and AY2025-26, the average tuition at private, nonprofit law schools increased 694% ($7,526 to $59,759).
At public law schools, average in-state tuition increased 1,500% from AY1985-86 ($2,006) to AY2025-26 ($32,051).
Adjusted for inflation, law school tuition growth from AY1985-86 to AY2025-26 averaged 165% for private schools and 895% for public institutions.
7.17% is the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of public law school in-state tuition from AY1985-86 to AY2025-26.
From AY2019-20 to AY2025-26, public law school in-state tuition had a CAGR of 2.16%.
Between AY2019-20 and AY2025-26, the overall average cost of law school tuition increased 21.3% (from $41,816 to $50,720).
Adjusted for inflation, the average law school tuition declined 3.68% from AY2019-20 ($52,658 in 2025 dollars) to AY2025-26.

Bar graph: Average Public, Private Law School Tuition for Full-Time Students according to the American Bar Association

Cost of Public Law Schools

While state-funded law schools are generally more affordable than private institutions, a law degree from a public university can cost upwards of $100,000.

State-funded law schools charged residents an average of $32,051 in AY2025-26 while tuition for out-of-state students averaged $45,673.
On-campus room and board, as well as other costs of attendance, are the same regardless of state residency; the average cost was $25,002 for AY2025-26.
Public law schools reported off-campus living costs that averaged $26,467 in AY2025-26.
In-state graduates of the Class of 2026 paid an average of $165,854 for a law degree ($94,147 for tuition alone).
Out-of-state graduates of the Class of 2026 paid an average of $134,122 for tuition to obtain their law degree.

Line graph: Inflation-Adjusted Average Law School Tuition for Full-Time Students according to the American Bar Association

Cost of Private Law School

The ABA has accredited over 100 private nonprofit law schools and three (3) for-profit law schools. These schools do not charge more tuition to nonresidents.

Private nonprofit law schools charged an average of $60,352 for tuition and fees in AY2025-26.
The average cost of on-campus room and board plus other costs of attendance was $29,512 at private nonprofit law schools in AY2025-26.
Private nonprofit law schools reported off-campus living costs that averaged $30,554 in AY2025-26.
The total cost of attendance for private nonprofit law school students was $83,730 in AY2025-26.
A law degree from a private nonprofit law school cost $236,235 for 2026 graduates.
Private for-profit law schools charged an average of $52,973 for tuition and fees in AY2025-26; private for-profit law school students paid $84,745 for the total cost of attendance.
A law degree from a private for-profit law school cost $214,791 for 2026 graduates.

Most Expensive U.S. Law Schools Tuition & Fees for 2025-26
School	Tuition	Fees
Columbia University	$85,368	$3,022
Cornell University	$84,722	$690
Southern California, University of	$84,034	$1,914
New York University	$83,952	$3,262
Georgetown University	$83,576	$0
Chicago-Kent, Illinois Institute of Technology	$83,316	$1,590
Duke University	$80,100	$1,729
Northwestern University	$79,772	$861
Pennsylvania, University of	$78,348	$6,144
Fordham University	$78,078	$1,170
Stanford University	$77,454	$2,253
Harvard University	$77,100	$1,592
Yale University	$76,636	$2,325

Financial Aid for Law School

One form of financial aid for law students is conditional scholarships, which require students to maintain a certain GPA or class ranking. Though conditional scholarships have decreased in popularity.

In AY2024-25, 29.1% of law schools offered conditional scholarships, down 98.3% (28.6 percentage points) from AY2014-15 (57.7%).
Also in AY2024-25, 28.4% of law school students with conditional scholarships lost them; 27.5% of law students with scholarships lost them in AY2014-15.
20.1% of 2022 law school graduates paid the full price of attendance with no financial assistance.
80% of full-time law students received institutional grants in AY2024-25.
32% of full-time law students received institutional grants amounting to at least half of their tuition in AY2024-25.
In AY2024-25, the median grant awarded to full-time law students was $24,176.
Between AY2012-13 and AY2024-25, the median grant aid awarded to full-time students increased by $11,676 (93.4%).
After adjusting for inflation, the median grant aid awarded to full-time students increased 41.6% between AY2012-13 and AY2024-25.

Line graph: Median Grant Aid Awarded to Full-Time Law Students according to AccessLex Legal Education Data

Additional Costs to Law Students

Becoming a lawyer requires a significant financial investment beyond law school tuition. Some of these costs include application fees, exam expenses, and student loan debt.

71.2% of 2022 law school graduates borrowed to pay for law school.
$119,292 was the average amount borrowed among 2022 graduates who took out student loans to attend law school.
One year of interest payments exceeds $6,000 on an average loan balance for a 2022 law school graduate at the current annual percentage rate (APR) for federal PLUS loans (8.94%).
Over 10 years, interest alone would total $61,580 on a student loan with a starting balance of $119,292 and an 8.94% APR.
The average cost of the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) in 2026 is $185, up 23.3% from 2023 ($150).
A law school application fee costs roughly $80.
The average applicant applies to 5 to 15 law schools totaling $400 to $1,200 in application fees.

Cost of Other Law Degrees

Degrees exist for those who want to work in the legal field without becoming lawyers or attending law school. These programs are typically shorter and less expensive than a Juris Doctorate (JD) degree.

Other legal degrees include (but are not limited to) a Juris Master (JM), Master of Jurisprudence (MJ), or Master of Legal Studies (MLS).
A JM from Florida International University is a one year program; tuition is $24,726.
A JM from Liberty University School of Law costs full-time students $17,400 in tuition for the whole program; part-time students pay $19,350.
The University of Oklahoma’s advertises a 15-month MLS program with tuition $613 per credit hour for residents, $1,112 per credit hour for non-residents.
Seattle University School of Law charges MLS students $16,662 for AY2026-27 ($49,986 for the whole program).