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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Law doctoral degree at Cornell University

Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are notably above similar programs.

$154,333 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
Not available
Highest price with a positive payoff
$492,128 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff
Withheld by data safeguards
Available price data
College-wide context only
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+28%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$213,356 → $273,248
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
103Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
242Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
Not availableBorrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
197Recent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

361Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
Not reportedFederal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
Not reportedPell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
322Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
252Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$54,534Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$259,851$205,317 above the preliminary benchmark

Additional borrowing reported for this category: Parent PLUS not reported · 283 Grad PLUS borrowers.

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

THIS LAW SCHOOL · ABA 2025

Price, employment and first-year attrition

These are Cornell University’s school-level J.D. disclosures, not a national estimate. Tuition is the published annual charge plus required annual fees before grants.

$85,412Annual tuition and feesResident rate where applicable
99.5%Employed about 10 months later196 of 197 graduates
99.5%Full-time, long-term legal workBar-required or J.D.-advantage positions
0.0%First-year academic attritionReported as percentage points by the ABA
Living-cost budget$32,952Off campus
Tuition guaranteeNot reportedDoes not describe scholarships or individual aid.

Source: ABA Required Disclosures, reporting year 2025. These figures remain separate from College Scorecard earnings, debt and DegreeVerdict ROI.

GRADUATE-DEGREE BASELINE

$259,851 vs. $142,745

$117,106 above the national bachelor’s median in the same field.

Comparison basis1 bachelor’s program records

This is a cross-cohort benchmark, not the salary increase caused by earning this graduate credential. Your current earnings remain the correct baseline for personal ROI.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$28,690

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWINGNot available

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$259,851

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENTNot available

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

Enter my price →
AVERAGE NET PRICE$28,690Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$88,140Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE8.8%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE95.4%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$213,356Year 1
$259,851Year 4
$273,248Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

Repayment pressure is not available

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$21,654
Estimated loan paymentNot available
Not availableborrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$259,851 vs. $105,518

$154,333 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$216,390 median wageNY estimate · 2,270 jobs · 23-1023$174,250–$232,590 middle 50% of NY wages+2.8% projected U.S. growth · 800 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeLawyers$207,860 median wageNY estimate · 91,870 jobs · 23-1011$127,580–$322,120 middle 50% of NY wages+4.7% projected U.S. growth · 28,700 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeJudicial Law Clerks$133,320 median wageNY estimate · 850 jobs · 23-1012$86,730–$163,650 middle 50% of NY wages+2.8% projected U.S. growth · 1,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeLaw Teachers, Postsecondary$132,180 median wageNY estimate · 2,190 jobs · 25-1112$92,310–$214,900 middle 50% of NY wages+2.6% projected U.S. growth · 1,800 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeAdministrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$123,170 median wageNY estimate · 1,400 jobs · 23-1021$101,190–$132,480 middle 50% of NY wages+0.0% projected U.S. growth · 500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeArbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$70,800 median wageNY estimate · 1,050 jobs · 23-1022$48,450–$102,170 middle 50% of NY wages+4.7% projected U.S. growth · 300 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degree
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Durham, NC

Duke University

$1,379 higher earnings

Earnings
$261,230
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$29,612
View outcomes →
New Haven, CT

Yale University

$4,913 lower annual net price

Earnings
$188,189
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$23,777
View outcomes →
Austin, TX

The University of Texas at Austin

$8,833 lower annual net price

Earnings
$173,114
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$19,857
View outcomes →
Champaign, IL

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

$14,335 lower annual net price

Earnings
$130,428
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$14,355
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

242 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →