Average Cost of Law School [2024]: Tuition + Expenses

Report Highlights. The price of law school is on the rise, with the average total tuition increasing by $1,488 between 2022 and 2023.

The average total cost of law school is $230,163.
The average total cost of tuition alone for law school is $151,072, or $50,357 per year.
Living expenses on average total out at $79,391, or $24,464 per year.

Cost by Year

Since 2011 the cost of tuition has risen on average by $4,867 every 5 years. Historical data since the 1970s shows tuition has increased at all ABA-accredited law schools. Some experts attribute the rise in tuition to declines in student-faculty ratios, raises in faculty salaries, the development of legal clinics for practical education, the growth of administrative staff rosters, and expansive school construction projects.

On its current trend, the average yearly cost of tuition will be $51,193 for the 2024 to 2023 school year.
From 2025 to 2026, the average yearly cost of tuition is projected to be $53,230.
From 1997 to 2015, the rate of tuition at Minnesota Law School rose from $8,923 to $41,222.
From 1997 to 2015, the rate of tuition at Ohio State Law School rose from $6,412 to $28,577.

Average cost of law school 11132022 2 on Education Data Initiative

Cost by School

Similarly to other fields of study, public schools on average end up being cheaper for tuition than private schools by roughly $25,139 for in-state residents. Within the traditional 3 year study, the tuition gap between public and private schools increases to $75,417.

The most expensive law school tuition wise is Columbia University at $81,292 a year.
The least expensive law school tuition wise is the University of Puerto Rico at $9,750 a year.
The most expensive law school due to annual living expenses is Stanford University at $47,832 a year.
The least expensive law school due to annual living expenses is Oklahoma City University at $12,600 a year.
The table below does not take into account the cost differences of out-of-state or in-state expenses.

Law Schools and Tuition Costs
Name	Annual Tuition Cost	Annual Living Expenses
Albany Law School	$58,234	$20,282
American University	$63,088	$26,256
Appalachian School of Law	$41,000	$41,800
Arizona State University	$50,317	$28,237
Ave Maria School of Law	$49,656	$32,765
Barry University	$43,150	$28,300
Baylor University	$44,225	$27,465
Belmont University	$54,380	$29,320
Boston College	$67,113	$23,988
Boston University	$65,020	$21,528
Brigham Young University	$30,152	$23,408
Brooklyn Law School	$70,381	$26,950
California Western School of Law	$60,430	$30,490
Campbell University	$49,730	$33,714
Capital University	$42,875	$19,845
Cardozo-Yeshiva University	$70,646	$31,346
Case Western Reserve University	$61,124	$28,726
Catholic University of America	$58,916	$30,670
Chapman University	$61,354	$41,490
Charleston School of Law	$46,134	$27,752
Chicago-Kent College of Law	$53,270	$27,634
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law	$31,142	$20,972
Columbia University	$81,292	$32,419
Cornell University	$77,593	$27,216
Creighton University	$46,940	$27,810
CUNY	$26,203	$25,588
DePaul University	$52,145	$26,680
Drake University	$48,410	$20,792
Drexel University	$54,635	$27,341
Duke University	$75,738	$24,608
Duquesne University	$55,500	$24,904
Elon Law School	$41,667	$31,100
Emory University	$66,414	$27,448
Faulkner University	$40,400	$28,750
Florida A&M University	$33,115	$32,800
Florida International University	$34,899	$30,582
Florida State University	$40,715	$21,976
Fordham University	$72,282	$33,210
George Mason University	$42,798	$35,466
George Washington University	$69,740	$30,260
Georgetown University	$75,950	$32,250
Georgia State University	$36,810	$23,179
Gonzaga University	$53,359	$22,409
Harvard University	$75,008	$35,922
Hofstra University	$68,860	$34,838
Howard University	$38,612	$31,286
Indiana University – Bloomington	$59,478	$24,410
Indiana University – Indianapolis	$52,600	$21,900
Inter American University	$15,635	$25,479
John Marshall Law School – Atlanta	$52,006	$34,375
Lewis and Clark College	$56,346	$28,100
Liberty University	$42,891	$32,686
Lincoln Memorial University	$46,063	$25,950
Louisiana State University	$39,105	$26,022
Loyola Marymount University	$65,912	$41,748
Loyola University Chicago	$55,258	$31,902
Loyola University New Orleans	$52,350	$25,671
Marquette University	$49,710	$21,668
Mercer University	$43,132	$19,364
Michigan State University	$45,984	$22,130
Mississippi College	$38,202	$23,325
Mitchell Hamline School of Law	$52,620	$21,456
New England School of Law	$57,298	$35,581
New York Law School	$64,824	$25,805
New York University	$80,014	$34,010
North Carolina Central University	$39,042	$28,201
Northeastern University	$60,566	$22,900
Northern Illinois University	$23,553	$20,424
Northern Kentucky University	$39,333	$19,468
Northwestern University	$74,552	$27,528
Nova Southeastern University	$47,729	$38,800
Ohio Northern University	$34,650	$17,537
Ohio State University	$49,840	$19,984
Oklahoma City University	$36,445	$12,600
Pace University	$53,886	$30,694
Pennsylvania State University – Dickinson Law	$57,902	$27,400
Pennsylvania State University – Penn State Law	$56,436	$27,842
Pepperdine University	$68,046	$31,300
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico	$16,608	$25,817
Quinnipiac University	$54,880	$27,966
Regent University	$41,596	$30,518
Roger Williams University	$46,464	$21,366
Rutgers University	$46,695	$31,914
Samford University	$45,236	$29,314
Santa Clara University	$63,430	$37,150
Seattle University	$56,340	$31,151
Seton Hall University	$66,780	$25,774
South Texas College of Law Houston	$42,110	$31,654
Southern Illinois University	$21,555	$16,379
Southern Methodist University	$63,502	$29,132
Southern University Law Center	$33,782	$24,182
Southwestern Law School	$58,537	$36,235
St. John’s University	$71,664	$31,234
St. Louis University	$48,814	$22,100
St. Mary’s University	$43,324	$22,038
St. Thomas University – Florida	$46,200	$38,150
Stanford University	$73,713	$47,832
Stetson University	$51,708	$21,678
Suffolk University	$57,748	$30,811
SUNY Buffalo	$34,238	$22,762
Syracuse University	$62,050	$21,481
Temple University	$46,949	$25,514
Texas A&M	$49,002	$27,300
Texas Southern University	$28,633	$24,034
Texas Tech University	$39,232	$17,234
Thomas M. Cooley Law School	$46,240	$27,136
Touro College	$57,810	$32,390
Tulane University	$67,780	$27,660
University of Akron	$26,215	$17,050
University of Alabama	$46,407	$21,624
University of Arizona	$30,700	$22,250
University of Arkansas – Fayetteville	$39,718	$20,260
University of Arkansas – Little Rock	$32,677	$20,362
University of Baltimore	$51,014	$25,430
University of California – Berkeley	$75,031	$43,198
University of California – Davis	$67,163	$36,576
University of California – Hastings	$55,207	$29,662
University of California – Irvine	$68,270	$37,133
University of California – Los Angeles	$68,700	$36,923
University of Chicago	$77,952	$34,707
University of Cincinnati	$29,810	$25,662
University of Colorado	$42,279	$25,880
University of Connecticut	$62,550	$23,706
University of Dayton	$40,168	$18,500
University of Denver	$59,792	$27,684
University of Detroit Mercy	$46,724	$21,506
University of Florida	$38,430	$22,960
University of Georgia	$37,752	$23,106
University of Hawaii	$46,588	$24,032
University of Houston	$50,133	$22,006
University of Idaho	$45,168	$18,318
University of Illinois	$49,852	$19,234
University of Illinois Chicago School of Law	$49,572	$21,826
University of Iowa	$51,956	$22,776
University of Kansas	$30,744	$19,198
University of Kentucky	$51,380	$20,526
University of Louisville	$30,696	$24,920
University of Maine	$38,762	$21,104
University of Maryland	$53,655	$29,842
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth	$40,422	$32,204
University of Memphis	$25,262	$25,814
University of Miami	$63,506	$39,112
University of Michigan	$72,584	$24,364
University of Minnesota	$58,396	$22,900
University of Mississippi	$39,180	$22,300
University of Missouri – Columbia	$29,889	$19,184
University of Missouri – Kansas City	$29,774	$20,084
University of Montana	$47,794	$26,644
University of Nebraska	$37,442	$22,472
University of Nevada – Las Vegas	$42,578	$28,172
University of New Hampshire	$48,320	$17,582
University of New Mexico	$44,088	$19,860
University of North Carolina	$48,204	$28,466
University of North Dakota	$33,241	$18,266
University of North Texas Dallas College of Law	$31,650	$24,632
University of Notre Dame	$68,554	$24,190
University of Oklahoma	$36,759	$25,713
University of Oregon	$56,297	$20,810
University of Pennsylvania	$76,934	$28,998
University of Pittsburgh	$50,697	$22,326
University of Puerto Rico	$9,750	$22,806
University of Richmond	$53,440	$24,500
University of San Diego	$63,052	$27,901
University of San Francisco	$54,250	$32,196
University of South Carolina	$41,500	$23,824
University of South Dakota	$36,333	$18,432
University of Southern California	$78,046	$29,184
University of St. Thomas – Minneapolis	$48,379	$25,334
University of Tennessee	$39,152	$20,944
University of Texas	$54,096	$24,934
University of The District of Columbia	$25,873	$29,200
University of the Pacific – McGeorge	$57,788	$30,373
University of Toledo	$28,426	$20,165
University of Tulsa	$29,864	$27,796
University of Utah	$43,599	$28,136
University of Virginia	$74,200	$27,170
University of Washington	$55,617	$28,659
University of Wisconsin	$52,893	$25,085
University of Wyoming	$36,426	$18,020
Vanderbilt University	$72,184	$33,344
Vermont Law School	$52,775	$22,372
Villanova University	$56,225	$24,915
Wake Forest University	$54,192	$29,804
Washburn University	$40,824	$16,125
Washington and Lee University	$55,550	$20,620
Washington University in St Louis	$67,814	$26,076
Wayne State University	$41,588	$24,478
West Virginia University	$43,672	$16,470
Western New England University School of Law	$50,070	$19,930
Western State College of Law at Westcliff University	$49,848	$28,224
Widener University – Delaware	$55,620	$24,014
Widener University – Pennsylvania	$53,670	$27,972
Willamette University	$50,944	$24,296
William and Mary	$66,043	$22,978
Yale University	$73,865	$26,144

Alternative Degrees

The Juris Doctorate (J.D.) is the traditional 3 year degree. In order to be eligible to take the bar exam and become an attorney, a student needs a Juris Doctorate. Alternative degrees exist for those seeking to work in the legal field but not become lawyers themselves. These alternative degrees to a J.D. typically have shorter and cheaper programs.

Alternative degrees may include but are not limited to a J.M. Juris Master or an M.L.S. Master of Legal Studies.
A J.M. typically lasts 1 to 2 years.
A J.M. from Florida International University is a one-year program that costs $24,726.
A J.M. from Liberty University School of Law costs $16,950 in tuition for the whole program.
Many M.L.S. degrees are online and can be completed within one to two years.
The University of Oklahoma’s M.L.S. degrees typically cost $16,995 for residents and $30,840 for non-residents.
Seattle University School of Law M.L.S. degree costs $43,860 with no price differentiation between residents and non-residents.

Financial Aid Trends

One form of financial aid for law students is conditional scholarships. Conditional scholarships are awarded to students on the basis that they maintain a good grade point average or class standing. Conditional scholarships have decreased in popularity over the years and the students who do have them have become less likely to lose them.

From 2011 to 2012 roughly 61.4% of law schools had conditional scholarships.
From 2022 to 2023 roughly 36.7% of law schools had conditional scholarships.
36.1% of law students lost their conditional scholarships from 2011 to 2012.
26.5% of law students lost their conditional scholarships from 2022 to 2023.
From 2012 to 2013 the median grant aid for law school was $13,500.
Between 2013 and 2021, the median grant aid awarded to full-time students increased by $7500.
In 2018, 6% of law school students received institutional grants paying the full cost of their tuition.
In 2018, 28% of law school students received institutional grants paying off at least half the cost of their tuition

Average cost of law school Median Grant Aid Awarded on Education Data Initiative

Additional Costs

At the completion of law school, a student receives their Juris Doctorate. To be able to practice law, the graduates must take the bar exam to receive their practicing license. Each bar exam is generally administered and regulated by that state’s supreme court.

The average cost of a multi-state bar exam will be $160 in 2024, up from $150 in 2023.
A law school application fee costs roughly $80.
The average applicant applies to 5 or 15 law schools totaling $400 to $1200 in application fees.
69% of law school graduates took out loans in 2016 and acquired debt.
The average cumulative debt held by those who completed law degrees in 2016 was $145,500.

Cost by Year

Cost by School

Alternative Degrees

Financial Aid Trends

Additional Costs

Sources