FIRST PROFESSIONAL DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 2201

Law: is this first professional degree worth it?

National picture across 176 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$97,854 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$97,854Median year-4 earnings

$23,248Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$97,854Median reported earnings · year 4

$110,327Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

60thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

176Reporting programs

176With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $156,311
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $77,881
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 6

6 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $100,383
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 26

26 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $97,854
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 176

176 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$85,086National median$97,85475th percentile$119,002

176 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Columbia University in the City of New York$308,943 2University of Pennsylvania$302,120 3Harvard University$291,490 4Northwestern University$291,132 5University of Virginia-Main Campus$284,309 6University of Chicago$279,203 7Stanford University$259,944 8New York University$255,401 9Fordham University$232,595 10University of California, Berkeley$226,996

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing OfficersSOC 23-1021 · 1 crosswalk linksArbitrators, Mediators, and ConciliatorsSOC 23-1022 · 1 crosswalk linksJudges, Magistrate Judges, and MagistratesSOC 23-1023 · 1 crosswalk linksJudicial Law ClerksSOC 23-1012 · 1 crosswalk linksLaw Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1112 · 1 crosswalk linksLawyersSOC 23-1011 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR LAW

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Columbia University in the City of New YorkFirst Professional Degree	New York, NY	$308,943	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,590
2	University of PennsylvaniaFirst Professional Degree	Philadelphia, PA	$302,120	Not available	Baseline needed	$28,699
3	Harvard UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Cambridge, MA	$291,490	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,066
4	Northwestern UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Evanston, IL	$291,132	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,167
5	University of Virginia-Main CampusFirst Professional Degree	Charlottesville, VA	$284,309	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,565
6	University of ChicagoFirst Professional Degree	Chicago, IL	$279,203	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,860
7	Stanford UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Stanford, CA	$259,944	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,807
8	New York UniversityFirst Professional Degree	New York, NY	$255,401	Not available	Baseline needed	$37,050
9	Fordham UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Bronx, NY	$232,595	Not available	Baseline needed	$44,338
10	University of California, BerkeleyFirst Professional Degree	Berkeley, CA	$226,996	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,481
11	Georgetown UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Washington, DC	$226,624	Not available	Baseline needed	$40,815
12	University of Michigan-Ann ArborFirst Professional Degree	Ann Arbor, MI	$224,391	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,138
13	University of Southern CaliforniaFirst Professional Degree	Los Angeles, CA	$203,028	Not available	Baseline needed	$32,740
14	Vanderbilt UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Nashville, TN	$196,797	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,846
15	Boston UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Boston, MA	$194,750	Not available	Baseline needed	$24,402
16	Boston CollegeFirst Professional Degree	Chestnut Hill, MA	$190,940	Not available	Baseline needed	$41,704
17	University of California, Los AngelesFirst Professional Degree	Los Angeles, CA	$177,968	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,548
18	Southern Methodist UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Dallas, TX	$153,614	Not available	Baseline needed	$40,892
19	University of California, IrvineFirst Professional Degree	Irvine, CA	$153,307	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,251
20	Emory UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Atlanta, GA	$152,126	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,585
21	Santa Clara UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Santa Clara, CA	$148,599	Not available	Baseline needed	$50,062
22	Loyola Marymount UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Los Angeles, CA	$143,361	Not available	Baseline needed	$48,381
23	University of North Carolina at Chapel HillFirst Professional Degree	Chapel Hill, NC	$142,928	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,655
24	University of Notre DameFirst Professional Degree	Notre Dame, IN	$142,699	Not available	Baseline needed	$26,780
25	Washington University in St LouisFirst Professional Degree	St. Louis, MO	$141,243	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,786
26	George Washington UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Washington, DC	$140,848	Not available	Baseline needed	$36,586
27	University of California, DavisFirst Professional Degree	Davis, CA	$136,814	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,741
28	Seton Hall UniversityFirst Professional Degree	South Orange, NJ	$136,424	Not available	Baseline needed	$31,446
29	University of California College of the Law-San FranciscoFirst Professional Degree	San Francisco, CA	$136,001	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
30	University of HoustonFirst Professional Degree	Houston, TX	$135,984	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,276
31	George Mason UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Fairfax, VA	$135,661	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,915
32	University of San DiegoFirst Professional Degree	San Diego, CA	$134,065	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,365
33	Villanova UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Villanova, PA	$129,021	Not available	Baseline needed	$43,756
34	Yeshiva UniversityFirst Professional Degree	New York, NY	$124,597	Not available	Baseline needed	$49,965
35	Ohio State University-Main CampusFirst Professional Degree	Columbus, OH	$122,732	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,339
36	Loyola University ChicagoFirst Professional Degree	Chicago, IL	$122,384	Not available	Baseline needed	$36,079
37	Brooklyn Law SchoolFirst Professional Degree	Brooklyn, NY	$121,254	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
38	Indiana University-BloomingtonFirst Professional Degree	Bloomington, IN	$120,301	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,264
39	University of ConnecticutFirst Professional Degree	Storrs, CT	$120,178	Not available	Baseline needed	$25,097
40	University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusFirst Professional Degree	Waterbury, CT	$120,178	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,875
41	University of Connecticut-Avery PointFirst Professional Degree	Groton, CT	$120,178	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,807
42	University of Connecticut-StamfordFirst Professional Degree	Stamford, CT	$120,178	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,798
43	University of Connecticut-Hartford CampusFirst Professional Degree	Hartford, CT	$120,178	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,403
44	University of Washington-Seattle CampusFirst Professional Degree	Seattle, WA	$120,015	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,091
45	Chapman UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Orange, CA	$119,002	Not available	Baseline needed	$46,555
46	University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesFirst Professional Degree	Minneapolis, MN	$117,872	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,778
47	University of MiamiFirst Professional Degree	Coral Gables, FL	$117,811	Not available	Baseline needed	$37,244
48	Temple UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Philadelphia, PA	$117,775	Not available	Baseline needed	$28,198
49	Northeastern UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Boston, MA	$116,706	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,915
50	Georgia State UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Atlanta, GA	$116,613	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,931
51	Howard UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Washington, DC	$116,413	Not available	Baseline needed	$50,539
52	University of GeorgiaFirst Professional Degree	Athens, GA	$116,044	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,936
53	William & MaryFirst Professional Degree	Williamsburg, VA	$115,663	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,096
54	University of FloridaFirst Professional Degree	Gainesville, FL	$114,496	Not available	Baseline needed	$6,541
55	University of the PacificFirst Professional Degree	Stockton, CA	$114,281	Not available	Baseline needed	$25,447
56	University of UtahFirst Professional Degree	Salt Lake City, UT	$113,168	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,200
57	The Catholic University of AmericaFirst Professional Degree	Washington, DC	$112,809	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,561
58	Wake Forest UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Winston-Salem, NC	$112,646	Not available	Baseline needed	$28,719
59	University of Maryland BaltimoreFirst Professional Degree	Baltimore, MD	$112,580	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
60	St. John's University-New YorkFirst Professional Degree	Queens, NY	$112,325	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,999
61	Illinois Institute of TechnologyFirst Professional Degree	Chicago, IL	$111,515	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,425
62	The University of AlabamaFirst Professional Degree	Tuscaloosa, AL	$110,931	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,420
63	Washington and Lee UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Lexington, VA	$110,606	Not available	Baseline needed	$23,781
64	American UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Washington, DC	$109,523	Not available	Baseline needed	$41,943
65	University of Colorado BoulderFirst Professional Degree	Boulder, CO	$109,411	Not available	Baseline needed	$25,346
66	New York Law SchoolFirst Professional Degree	New York, NY	$109,122	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
67	Southwestern Law SchoolFirst Professional Degree	Los Angeles, CA	$108,350	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
68	South Texas College of Law HoustonFirst Professional Degree	Houston, TX	$108,296	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
69	University of Nevada-Las VegasFirst Professional Degree	Las Vegas, NV	$108,006	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,359
70	University of IowaFirst Professional Degree	Iowa City, IA	$107,273	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,531
71	DePaul UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Chicago, IL	$107,264	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,902
72	Case Western Reserve UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Cleveland, OH	$105,964	Not available	Baseline needed	$41,190
73	Texas A&M University-College StationFirst Professional Degree	College Station, TX	$105,673	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,315
74	Seattle UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Seattle, WA	$105,471	Not available	Baseline needed	$34,662
75	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeFirst Professional Degree	Baton Rouge, LA	$103,602	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,151
76	The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleFirst Professional Degree	Knoxville, TN	$103,272	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,976
77	University of DenverFirst Professional Degree	Denver, CO	$103,145	Not available	Baseline needed	$36,131
78	Hofstra UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Hempstead, NY	$102,901	Not available	Baseline needed	$34,176
79	Indiana University-IndianapolisFirst Professional Degree	Indianapolis, IN	$101,372	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,668
80	University of North Texas at DallasFirst Professional Degree	Dallas, TX	$101,120	Not available	Baseline needed	$6,420
81	University of RichmondFirst Professional Degree	University of Richmond, VA	$101,062	Not available	Baseline needed	$31,309
82	California Western School of LawFirst Professional Degree	San Diego, CA	$100,889	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
83	University of OregonFirst Professional Degree	Eugene, OR	$100,801	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,182
84	Texas Tech UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Lubbock, TX	$100,716	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,070
85	University of Wisconsin-MadisonFirst Professional Degree	Madison, WI	$100,715	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,354
86	Willamette UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Salem, OR	$100,524	Not available	Baseline needed	$25,121
87	Quinnipiac UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Hamden, CT	$100,096	Not available	Baseline needed	$40,675
88	Florida State UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Tallahassee, FL	$98,060	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,297
89	Syracuse UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Syracuse, NY	$97,648	Not available	Baseline needed	$38,793
90	Wayne State UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Detroit, MI	$96,763	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,766
91	Nova Southeastern UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Fort Lauderdale, FL	$96,470	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,371
92	Stetson UniversityFirst Professional Degree	DeLand, FL	$96,451	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,372
93	Michigan State UniversityFirst Professional Degree	East Lansing, MI	$96,342	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,680
94	Golden Gate UniversityFirst Professional Degree	San Francisco, CA	$96,079	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
95	Drexel UniversityFirst Professional Degree	Philadelphia, PA	$95,933	Not available	Baseline needed	$38,509
96	University of BaltimoreFirst Professional Degree	Baltimore, MD	$95,849	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,868
97	University of KansasFirst Professional Degree	Lawrence, KS	$94,898	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,059
98	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusFirst Professional Degree	Pittsburgh, PA	$94,797	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,434
99	New England Law-BostonFirst Professional Degree	Boston, MA	$94,232	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
100	University of South Carolina-ColumbiaFirst Professional Degree	Columbia, SC	$93,806	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,811

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.