Does a law degree from a prestigious university automatically mean a six figure salary? Does starting salary correlate strongly with tuition, or is rank a more important factor?
Law school is expensive, no doubt about it, with tuition ranging from $27,000 to almost $69,000. Given that starting salaries in the private law practice sector range from $62,000 to a whopping $190,000, it can certainly be a smart investment in the long run though. As you’re putting together your list of dream schools, it’s not a bad idea to compare all of the data, and to that end, we’ve put together a chart with starting salary, out-of-state tuition, percent employed at graduation, and median LSAT and GMAT scores from the top 100 law schools.
T100 Law School Data
| 2021 Rank | Law School | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Out-of-State, Full-Time Tuition | Median Private Sector Starting Salary | Acceptance Rate | % of Graduates Employed at Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yale University | 173 | 3.93 | $66,128 | $180,000 | 8.2% | 82.8% |
| 2 | Stanford University | 171 | 3.91 | $64,554 | $190,000 | 9.7% | 90.2% |
| 3 | Harvard University | 173 | 3.89 | $67,081 | $190,000 | 12.5% | 88.8% |
| 4 | Columbia University | 172 | 3.8 | $72,465 | $190,000 | 15.9% | 94.2% |
| 4 | University of Chicago | 170 | 3.9 | $66,651 | $190,000 | 18.6% | 90.3% |
| 6 | New York University | 170 | 3.8 | $68,934 | $190,000 | 21.6% | 89.5% |
| 7 | University of Pennsylvania | 170 | 3.89 | $67,998 | $190,000 | 14.5% | 90.9% |
| 8 | University of Virginia | 170 | 3.9 | $66,200 | $190,000 | 14.7% | 92.3% |
| 9 | Northwestern University | 169 | 3.85 | $66,806 | $190,000 | 18.0% | 90.0% |
| 9 | University of California - Berkeley | 168 | 3.81 | $55,346 | $180,000 | 20.0% | 83.8% |
| 9 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | 169 | 3.81 | $64,944 | $190,000 | 16.6% | 84.2% |
| 12 | Duke University | 169 | 3.78 | $67,358 | $190,000 | 18.9% | 88.2% |
| 13 | Cornell University | 168 | 3.81 | $67,833 | $190,000 | 21.3% | 91.3% |
| 14 | Georgetown University | 168 | 3.78 | $64,548 | $180,000 | 19.5% | 78.5% |
| 15 | University of California, Los Angeles | 168 | 3.79 | $54,052 | $180,000 | 22.4% | 70.3% |
| 16 | University of Texas Austin | 168 | 3.72 | $54,096 | $190,000 | 17.5% | 73.1% |
| 17 | Washington University, St. Louis | 169 | 3.83 | $59,460 | $170,000 | 24.8% | 76.1% |
| 18 | University of Southern California | 166 | 3.8 | $67,191 | $180,000 | 17.7% | 69.8% |
| 18 | Vanderbilt University | 167 | 3.8 | $59,550 | $160,000 | 21.9% | 81.0% |
| 20 | Boston University | 166 | 3.78 | $56,982 | $180,000 | 23.1% | 68.1% |
| 21 | University of Minnesota | 165 | 3.75 | $54,868 | $102,300 | 39.1% | 79.7% |
| 22 | University of Notre Dame | 165 | 3.74 | $60,730 | $150,000 | 24.0% | 65.9% |
| 23 | George Washington University | 166 | 3.73 | $63,205 | $180,000 | 31.0% | 69.8% |
| 24 | Arizona State University | 164 | 3.81 | $47,302 | $75,000 | 29.4% | 77.9% |
| 24 | Emory University | 165 | 3.8 | $58,842 | $150,000 | 31.0% | 59.9% |
| 24 | University of Florida | 164 | 3.8 | $38,039 | $75,000 | 20.7% | 64.4% |
| 27 | Fordham University | 164 | 3.64 | $62,652 | $190,000 | 27.2% | 74.4% |
| 27 | University of California - Irvine | 165 | 3.59 | $53,628 | $130,000 | 20.8% | 61.4% |
| 27 | University of Iowa | 161 | 3.64 | $47,766 | $90,000 | 59.5% | 73.0% |
| 27 | University of North Carolina Chapel Hill | 161 | 3.63 | $41,626 | $120,000 | 33.9% | 65.8% |
| 31 | Boston College | 164 | 3.64 | $56,940 | $190,000 | 31.3% | 63.7% |
| 31 | University of Alabama | 164 | 3.91 | $43,370 | $85,000 | 32.8% | 61.6% |
| 31 | University of Georgia | 164 | 3.73 | $38,652 | $91,000 | 20.8% | 64.6% |
| 31 | University of Illinios | 162 | 3.7 | $48,146 | $83,000 | 36.7% | 64.4% |
| 31 | Washington and Lee University | 163 | 3.64 | $51,390 | $115,000 | 33.5% | 87.6% |
| 31 | William and Mary Law School | 163 | 3.8 | $44,000 | $105,000 | 30.4% | 64.2% |
| 37 | Brigham Young University | 164 | 3.82 | $26,900 | $120,000 | 164.0% | 72.3% |
| 38 | Indiana University - Bloomington | 162 | 3.79 | $56,872 | $107,000 | 37.9% | 56.1% |
| 38 | Ohio State University | 161 | 3.76 | $46,402 | $100,000 | 40.5% | 64.3% |
| 38 | University of California - Davis | 162 | 3.61 | $58,558 | $95,000 | 31.0% | 66.1% |
| 38 | University of Wisconsin - Madison | 162 | 3.65 | $44,384 | $60,000 | 44.0% | 56.2% |
| 42 | George Mason University | 164 | 3.75 | $40,740 | $128,423 | 20.9% | 58.4% |
| 42 | University of Washington | 162 | 3.68 | $48,588 | $100,000 | 27.8% | 53.8% |
| 42 | Wake Forest University | 162 | 3.68 | $46,993 | $96,000 | 40.5% | 59.2% |
| 45 | University of Utah | 160 | 3.6 | $38,180 | $102,500 | 40.9% | 63.0% |
| 46 | University of Colorado - Boulder | 163 | 3.61 | $38,652 | $75,000 | 34.7% | 58.5% |
| 47 | Pepperdine University | 161 | 3.66 | $57,560 | $84,500 | 30.1% | 41.7% |
| 47 | University of Arizona | 162 | 3.65 | $30,334 | N/A | 26.3% | 56.6% |
| 47 | University of Maryland | 159 | 3.66 | $49,395 | $75,000 | 43.8% | 63.6% |
| 50 | Baylor University | 160 | 3.6 | $64,944 | $85,000 | 35.5% | 63.6% |
| 50 | Florida State University | 160 | 3.73 | $40,705 | $70,000 | 32.7% | 41.1% |
| 50 | University of Connecticut | 159 | 3.49 | $61,396 | $90,000 | 40.8% | 65.6% |
| 53 | Yeshiva University | 162 | 3.6 | $62,408 | $85,000 | 42.2% | 57.0% |
| 54 | Tulane University | 159 | 3.5 | $58,610 | $99,500 | 52.5% | 62.9% |
| 54 | University of Richmond | 161 | 3.6 | $48,600 | $80,000 | 42.1% | 59.7% |
| 56 | Southern Methodist University | 161 | 3.7 | $55,808 | $90,000 | 47.7% | 57.9% |
| 56 | Temple University | 161 | 3.56 | $42,488 | $90,000 | 35.7% | 59.8% |
| 56 | University of Houston | 160 | 3.61 | $48,433 | $96,750 | 35.0% | 53.5% |
| 59 | University of California, Hastings | 158 | 3.45 | $50,480 | $110,000 | 42.6% | 38.3% |
| 60 | Pennsylvania State University | 160 | 3.65 | $50,980 | $62,600 | 37.3% | 52.0% |
| 60 | Texas A&M | 159 | 3.62 | $39,250 | $75,000 | 28.7% | 39.9% |
| 62 | Loyola Marymount University | 160 | 3.57 | $59,340 | $80,000 | 33.0% | 45.0% |
| 62 | Pennsylvania State University | 161 | 3.4 | $52,526 | $65,000 | 41.1% | 66.7% |
| 62 | Seton Hall University | 158 | 3.5 | $55,788 | $170,000 | 43.3% | 84.2% |
| 62 | University of Nevada Las Vegas | 159 | 3.69 | $39,001 | $65,500 | 27.7% | 56.6% |
| 62 | Villanova University | 159 | 3.6 | $47,915 | $76,000 | 34.2% | 69.6% |
| 67 | Northeastern University | 162 | 3.63 | $52,800 | $105,000 | 43.3% | 44.1% |
| 67 | University of Miami | 158 | 3.44 | $54,132 | $80,000 | 54.7% | 48.5% |
| 67 | University of Missouri | 157 | 3.64 | $41,109 | $70,000 | 52.5% | 53.8% |
| 70 | Loyola University Chicago | 159 | 3.4 | $48,570 | $86,500 | 44.6% | 50.3% |
| 70 | University of Kansas | 157 | 3.65 | $28,804 | $83,500 | 57.3% | 64.7% |
| 70 | University of Kentucky | 155 | 3.62 | $50,532 | $65,000 | 49.6% | 63.9% |
| 70 | University of Tennessee Knoxville | 159 | 3.65 | $38,842 | $70,000 | 34.4% | 61.4% |
| 74 | St. John's University | 159 | 3.62 | $61,550 | $75,000 | 48.1% | 64.6% |
| 74 | University of Denver | 159 | 3.49 | $52,922 | $78,000 | 50.3% | 48.1% |
| 76 | American University | 159 | 3.5 | $57,836 | $120,000 | 38.7% | 49.1% |
| 76 | Case Western Reserve University | 159 | 3.63 | $53,769 | $75,000 | 46.8% | 40.5% |
| 76 | Georgia State University | 158 | 3.51 | $37,618 | $85,000 | 29.3% | 48.6% |
| 76 | Rutgers University | 156 | 3.41 | $42,485 | $111,000 | 44.0% | 70.5% |
| 76 | University of Nebrasca | 157 | 3.75 | $38,170 | $61,000 | 53.2% | 59.6% |
| 76 | University of Oklahoma | 157 | 3.63 | $33,338 | $70,000 | 43.8% | 56.3% |
| 76 | University of Pittsburgh | 158 | 3.49 | $45,886 | $70,000 | 34.2% | 37.8% |
| 83 | Brooklyn Law School | 157 | 3.44 | $62,279 | $131,000 | 47.2% | 50.0% |
| 83 | Chicago-Kent Law School | 158 | 3.49 | $48,650 | $94,000 | 50.2% | 40.5% |
| 83 | University of Cincinnati | 157 | 3.64 | $29,010 | $62,500 | 50.5% | 47.8% |
| 83 | University of San Diego | 159 | 3.57 | $56,711 | $80,000 | 40.6% | 40.2% |
| 83 | Wayne State University | 159 | 3.56 | $37,008 | $105,000 | 44.3% | 51.8% |
| 88 | University of New Hampshire | 156 | 3.45 | $44,305 | N/A | 61.9% | 43.8% |
| 88 | University of Oregon | 157 | 3.51 | $47,102 | $67,500 | 58.9% | 39.5% |
| 90 | Florida International University | 157 | 3.61 | $36,285 | $70,000 | 28.6% | 45.2% |
| 90 | Saint Louis University | 155 | 3.45 | $43,194 | $65,000 | 59.8% | 66.0% |
| 90 | University of Arkansas | 156 | 3.5 | $37,239 | $50,000 | 54.1% | 44.2% |
| 93 | Drexel University | 157 | 3.47 | $45,500 | $85,000 | 40.6% | 41.1% |
| 93 | Lewis & Clark College (Northwestern) | 158 | 3.46 | $48,197 | $70,000 | 60.1% | 38.2% |
| 93 | Michigan State University | 155 | 3.59 | $45,638 | $63,250 | 53.8% | 43.5% |
| 96 | Louisiana State University | 155 | 3.48 | $39,113 | $75,000 | 56.0% | 53.7% |
| 96 | University of Hawaii | 157 | 3.45 | $46,588 | $86,000 | 38.2% | 45.3% |
| 96 | University of South Carolina | 155 | 3.43 | $55,480 | $67,500 | 51.7% | 53.4% |
| 99 | University at Buffalo - SUNY | 154 | 3.49 | $32,370 | $65,000 | 46.8% | 46.6% |
| 99 | University of Louisville (Brandeis) | 154 | 3.46 | $27,434 | $62,500 | 52.8% | 58.7% |
| 99 | University of New Mexico | 155 | 3.47 | $38,241 | $66,500 | 44.8% | 43.8% |
You’ll see that although it’s a given that top ranked law schools will get you into the upper six figures, there are anomalies as you move down the list. Did you notice the Boston College graduate salary, or the cost to tuition ratio at BYU?
Overall, alumni of higher ranked schools have a very high median starting salary. Not surprising. But there’s a balancing act between the prestige of a top school with its higher starting salary vs. a career that doesn’t start with a mountain of law school debt. Want some insight into that question? Check out this podcast: “To Debt or Not to Debt? That is the Law School Question.” And if you’re ready for some professional advice, consider speaking with one of our expert Admissions Consultants.
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