$51,002 Average Tuition & Fees
The tuition & fees at law schools is usually higher than the costs for regular undergraduate and graduate programs. Students may be supported by federal, state, and/or institutional scholarship program, but still the tuition and other costs are important consideration when choosing law schools to apply and enroll.
For the academic year 2023-2024, the average tuition fees at public law schools is $30,489 for state residents and $43,678 for out-of-state in public law schools. In private law schools, the average tuition & fees is $56,676. The average living costs including room & boards, books, and other personal expenses is $21,765. With the living expenses, the law school cost of attendance (COA) is $78,441 based on private school rate.
Highest Law School Tuition & Fees
Among law schools in United States, Columbia Law School has the highest tuition & fees of $81,292. New York University School of Law and Georgetown University Law Center follow it with $80,014 and $79,672 respectively. It is based on out-of-state rate and exclude law schools in Puerto Rico.
You might want to check law schools with the lowest tuition & fees.
Top 25 Most Expensive Law Schools
The following table compares the top 25 Most Expensive Law Schools with important academic indicators.
The rankings include 4 public and 21 law schools are included. Unlike tuition at typical public colleges, the some public law schools charge high amount of tuition & fees.
The average acceptance rate of the schools is 20.99% and the yield is 31.85%. The acceptance rate of Most Expensive Law Schools is low, compared to average rate of all law schools, 42.35%.
The average LSAT score submitted by enrolled students is 169 and the average GPA is 3.85 at Most Expensive Law Schools. Their LSAT scores are very high, compared to average LSAT score of all law schools, 159.
For the Most Expensive Law Schools, the average 2024 tuition & fees is $66,509 state residents and $74,177 for out-of-state students in public law schools. In private law schools in the rankings, the tuition & fees is $74,897. The average financial aid amount of them is $32,666 which is 43.68% of tuition & fees.
| Rank | School | Tuition & Fees | Living Costs | Acceptance Rate | LSAT Score | GPA | Enrollment | Bar Exam Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia Law SchoolPrivateNew York, NY | $81,292 | $32,419 | 12.23% | 173 | 3.90 | 1,748 | 93.72% |
| 2 | New York University School of LawPrivateNew York, NY | $80,014 | $29,444 | 16.76% | 172 | 3.90 | 2,094 | 96.58% |
| 3 | Georgetown University Law CenterPrivateWashington, DC | $79,672 | $33,778 | 19.57% | 171 | 3.91 | 3,030 | 90.51% |
| 4 | Harvard Law SchoolPrivateCambridge, MA | $78,692 | $33,106 | 9.58% | 174 | 3.93 | 2,031 | 96.10% |
| 5 | Gould School of LawPrivateLos Angeles, CA | $78,038 | $27,474 | 12.52% | 169 | 3.88 | 1,436 | 82.42% |
| 6 | University of Chicago Law SchoolPrivateChicago, IL | $77,877 | $28,348 | 12.78% | 173 | 3.94 | 686 | 97.10% |
| 7 | University of Virginia School of LawPublicCharlottesville, VA | $77,700 | $28,170 | 11.46% | 171 | 3.94 | 960 | 96.50% |
| 8 | Cornell Law SchoolPrivateIthaca, NY | $77,593 | $26,716 | 18.39% | 172 | 3.90 | 875 | 94.29% |
| 9 | University of Pennsylvania Law SchoolPrivatePhiladelphia, PA | $76,934 | $24,788 | 9.88% | 172 | 3.92 | 1,048 | 96.25% |
| 10 | Yale Law SchoolPrivateNew Haven, CT | $76,369 | $24,100 | 5.58% | 175 | 3.96 | 705 | 96.79% |
| 11 | Duke University School of LawPrivateDurham, NC | $75,618 | $24,608 | 10.51% | 170 | 3.87 | 868 | 94.44% |
| 12 | Vanderbilt University Law SchoolPrivateNashville, TN | $75,440 | $32,472 | 16.76% | 170 | 3.89 | 555 | 96.97% |
| 13 | Berkeley School of LawPublicBerkeley, CA | $74,995 | $36,834 | 14.92% | 170 | 3.87 | 1,302 | 88.24% |
| 14 | Northwestern Pritzker School of LawPrivateChicago, IL | $74,552 | $25,320 | 15.53% | 172 | 3.92 | 1,189 | 91.60% |
| 15 | Stanford Law SchoolPrivateStanford, CA | $73,713 | $31,841 | 7.26% | 173 | 3.95 | 682 | 96.70% |
| 16 | Benjamin N. Cardozo School of LawPrivateNew York, NY | $73,440 | $32,645 | 37.64% | 164 | 3.79 | 1,030 | 83.86% |
| 17 | St. John's University School of LawPrivateQueens, NY | $72,630 | $29,744 | 41.48% | 162 | 3.71 | 863 | 87.10% |
| 18 | University of Michigan Law SchoolPublicAnn Arbor, MI | $72,584 | $24,144 | 12.58% | 171 | 3.85 | 978 | 97.27% |
| 19 | Fordham University School of LawPrivateNew York, NY | $72,282 | $33,210 | 21.13% | 167 | 3.75 | 1,575 | 87.78% |
| 20 | Los Angeles School of LawPublicLos Angeles, CA | $71,430 | $31,587 | 16.80% | 170 | 3.92 | 1,376 | 88.82% |
| 21 | Tulane University School of LawPrivateNew Orleans, LA | $71,172 | $24,626 | 48.01% | 161 | 3.64 | 897 | 79.61% |
| 22 | Brooklyn Law SchoolPrivateBrooklyn, NY | $70,356 | $28,750 | 50.00% | 160 | 3.56 | 1,177 | 78.82% |
| 23 | The George Washington University Law SchoolPrivateWashington, DC | $69,740 | $30,260 | 28.72% | 168 | 3.85 | 1,870 | 86.09% |
| 24 | Hofstra University School of LawPrivateHempstead, NY | $68,860 | $33,118 | 50.38% | 156 | 3.59 | 857 | 76.34% |
| 25 | Notre Dame Law SchoolPrivateNotre Dame, IL | $68,554 | $24,190 | 24.39% | 169 | 3.83 | 565 | 91.46% |