"We all know that a legal education can land the average law school graduate in up to six figures of debt (to be specific, on average, 2025 graduates racked up more than $112,500 in student debt), and we all know that egregiously high tuition costs are to blame. But which schools had the most costly tuition and fees for out-of-state students for the 2024-2025 academic year? The Short List blog of U.S. News has compiled a ranking for that, and it's not at all shocking that almost all 15 schools that made the list are private."
"At each and every one of these law schools, tuition and fees for three years of education ranges from more than $227,000 to more than $254,000. That's more than what a first-year associate makes at most elite law firms. That being said, it's worth noting that the law schools that made this list are among the best in the country."
"At highly ranked schools like these, you get what you pay for, and in the law school world, that usually means a high-paying paid job as an attorney that will allow you to service your enormous debt obligations in a timely fashion - and to be quite frank, with up to six figures of debt to pay off, that's priceless."
Out-of-state tuition and fees at the most expensive 2024–2025 law schools averaged at least $79,546. The top 15 list is dominated by private institutions, with three public schools also appearing. Specific annual charges include Columbia ($84,820), NYU ($83,152), USC ($81,940), and others through Michigan ($75,974). Three-year tuition and fees at those schools range from over $227,000 to more than $254,000, often exceeding early associate salaries at elite firms. Many graduates face substantial debt burdens (average 2025 graduate debt above $112,500), though top-ranked programs often lead to high-paying attorney roles that enable repayment.
Read at Above the Law
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