How Much Does Law School Cost?

Whether you dream of counseling a well-recognized client or defending the underdog, attending law school is among the first steps to a successful career as a lawyer.

Law school is notoriously rigorous — and expensive. While affordable law degrees exist, prospective students should always examine the short- and long-term costs associated with an educational pathway before committing.

This report dives into the costs of law school, from tuition and living expenses to student debt and scholarships.

According to the AccessLex Institute, the average cost of tuition and fees for full-time, American Bar Association (ABA) member law schools in fall 2023 was as follows:^{Note Reference [1]}

Many factors can affect the price of attending law school. Below are a few of the major aspects of law school costs.

As listed above, tuition at private law schools can cost substantially more than public universities. This difference can also impact how students borrow to fund their education. According to the AccessLex Institute, in 2020, 83% of law graduates from private universities reported using student loans for their graduate education versus 71% of law school graduates from public universities.

Ivy League universities are home to some of the country’s most prestigious — and most expensive — law schools. Other prestigious law schools at the “New Ivies” may cost less than Ivy League law schools, but they’re still priced far above the average private law school tuition.

The tuition rates for these programs are in the tables below. Remember, these figures do not include additional costs, such as room and board or student activity fees.

Contrary to popular belief, earning your degree online is not necessarily cheaper than going to school in person. However, online learning may offer other cost savings. For example, you might avoid costs associated with moving to attend your program, commuting to class, or living in on-campus housing.

There are several ABA-approved distance learning law programs. Many of these programs are hybrid — meaning students attend some courses in person and others online — and most are part time only.^[2]

Find tuition rates and more information for these distance learning programs in the table below.

Some law schools offer graduate student housing. Whether it’s more affordable to live on or off campus depends on your school, its location, and other factors unique to you.

On average, it may be less costly for law students to live on campus, if their program offers the option. According to data collected by the ABA from roughly 200 law schools, the average cost of student living expenses was about $20,410 for students living on campus and $26,630 for students living off campus.^[3]

The cost of law school involves more than just tuition and fees or even living expenses. The costs can begin before students even enroll — including testing and application fees — and may persist long after graduating in the form of law student loan debt.

It can cost students over $500 to apply to law school when you consider all the application and testing fees.

Most ABA-approved law schools require that JD applicants use the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) to process their application, which comes with a fee. Students also pay a fee for each school they send their application to.^[4]

Additionally, many law schools require applicants to complete the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and submit their scores, which includes another fee. Some law schools have changed their LSAT requirements. They may accept Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores instead. Some schools require neither test.

In 2024-2025, the basic fees for applying to law school were:^{Note Reference [4]}

It’s important to understand your costs when considering any career, especially in fields like law, where there’s a high likelihood of accruing student debt.

In 2020, about 71% of students at public law schools and 83% of students at private, nonprofit law schools borrowed student loans to pay for their graduate education.^{Note Reference [4]}

The average student loan amount borrowed was $114,600 for public law school students and $180,800 for private law school students.1 For reference, that’s less than medical school debt but more than most other graduate debt.

Annual law school tuition tends to be less expensive than tuition for medical school but more expensive than for other master’s or doctoral degree programs.

Consider that in 2020 the average tuition and fees paid by law students were around $36,700. Meanwhile, the tuition for a master’s degree was roughly $13,500. In addition, law school programs typically take three years to complete, whereas master’s programs generally take 1-2 years.

To answer if law school is worth it for you, consider the cost of law school, realistic salary expectations, and your life and career goals.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for lawyers in 2023 was $145,760. But, lawyers in the top quartile of income made over $217,360 per year, and those in the bottom quartile made less than $98,030.^[7]

Lawyers’ salaries tend to be much higher than the average income for all occupations. But does that make paying for law school worth it? According to a study by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, the return on investment for law school — what you can expect to earn net of what you pay for school — varies drastically across institutions.

Ivy League and New Ivy law schools pay off in median earnings for graduates surpassing $200,000 four years after graduation. However, graduates of the lowest-ranked law schools end up making median salaries between $22,000 and $55,000.

ROI is just one factor to consider when deciding on the next steps in your law education. Also consider that lawyers’ careers can be demanding and may take time away from other interests, such as leisure, self-care, and even time spent with family.

In 2024, the ABA surveyed JD recipients about student loan debt, stress, and their careers. Below are a few key findings from that survey:^[8]

Even so, JD recipients more often than not say their degree is worth it: About 3 in 4 survey respondents (74%) said they would still earn a JD if they could go back.

You don’t need to go to law school to work in the legal field. Here are some law careers that don’t require a JD.

Grants and scholarships may reduce the costs of education. And they’re quite popular among law students.

Prospective students should explore scholarships listed by the Law School Admissions Council to tap into free financial aid for law school.