California · Law

Best institutions to study Law in California

The Law program focuses on legal professions and studies, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of legal principles and practices. It is designed for individuals who hold a bachelor's degree in a non-law field and are…

Institutions
29
offering CIP 22.01
States offered
50
with a program page
Degrees / yr
4,084
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median grad earnings
1 year after graduation
With earnings data
0
College Scorecard
Median net price
$26,873
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
76%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Lawyers
$230,040
BLS OEWS May 2025

29 institutions offering Law in California

Graduate earnings are not yet reported for these institutions; ordered by completions.

#InstitutionGrad earnings (1 yr)CompletionsGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1University of California College of the Law - San Francisco
San Francisco Public
355
2University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles Public
33093%
3Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles Private not-for-profit
30579%$36,488
4Southwestern Law School
Los Angeles Private not-for-profit
289
5University of California - Berkeley
Berkeley Public
28393%
6University of San Diego
San Diego Private not-for-profit
23484%$26,035
7University of Southern California
Los Angeles Private not-for-profit
22992%$26,873
8California Western School of Law
San Diego Private not-for-profit
205
9University of California - Davis
Davis Public
20486%
10Santa Clara University
Santa Clara Private not-for-profit
20088%$44,094
11Stanford University
Stanford Private not-for-profit
18892%$12,032
12Pepperdine University
Malibu Private not-for-profit
18383%$41,986
13University of California - Irvine
Irvine Public
15587%
14University of the Pacific
Stockton Private not-for-profit
14669%$23,964
15Chapman University
Orange Private not-for-profit
13082%$42,965
16University of San Francisco
San Francisco Private not-for-profit
11570%$37,121
17Westcliff University
Irvine Private for-profit
9262%$26,754
18University of La Verne
La Verne Private not-for-profit
8863%$45,461
19University of West Los Angeles
Inglewood Private for-profit
68
20Thomas Jefferson School of Law
San Diego Private not-for-profit
64
21Golden Gate University
San Francisco Private not-for-profit
43
22Trinity Law School
Santa Ana Private not-for-profit
43
23The Colleges of Law at Ventura
Ventura Private not-for-profit
40
24San Joaquin College of Law
Clovis Private not-for-profit
36
25The Colleges of Law at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Private not-for-profit
14
26Abraham Lincoln University
Glendale Private for-profit
140%$24,825
27Northcentral University
San Diego Private not-for-profit
13
28Humphreys University
Stockton Private not-for-profit
1062%$11,410
29Cal Northern School of Law
Chico Private for-profit
8

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Lawyers (SOC 23-1011).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+4.1%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~31,500
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$151,160
typically Doctoral or professional degree

Top skills

SpeakingCritical ThinkingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionWritingActive Learning

What Lawyers earn in California

Jobs in California
95,770
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$230,040
median $195,080
Best-paying metro
$288,980
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Related careers

Lawyers
$230,040 avg · 95,770 jobs
Law Teachers, Postsecondary
$139,140 avg · 7,800 jobs
Judicial Law Clerks
$76,070 avg · 1,800 jobs
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
$118,080

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Law programs in California.

How much do Lawyers earn in California?+

The average annual wage for Lawyers in California is $230,040 (median $195,080), across about 95,770 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Law program?+

The Law program focuses on legal professions and studies, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of legal principles and practices. It is designed for individuals who hold a bachelor's degree in a non-law field and are…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop speaking, critical thinking, active listening, reading comprehension, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Lawyers?+

The national job outlook is about +4.1% growth with around 31,500 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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