Best colleges for Law in California
Ranked by graduates a year
University of California-Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University and University of California-Berkeley award the most Law degrees and certificates in California: 330, 305 and 283 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 29 California colleges offer Law and award 4,084 degrees and certificates a year in all.
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…
29 institutions offering Law in California
Graduate earnings are not yet reported for these institutions; ordered by graduates a year.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California College of the Law-San Francisco San Francisco Public Graduate only | — | 355 | — | — | — |
| 2 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles Public | — | 330 | 93% | — | — |
| 3 | Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles Private not-for-profit | — | 305 | 79% | $36,488 | — |
| 4 | Southwestern Law School Los Angeles Private not-for-profit Graduate only | — | 289 | — | — | — |
| 5 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley Public | — | 283 | 93% | — | — |
| 6 | University of San Diego San Diego Private not-for-profit | — | 234 | 84% | $26,035 | — |
| 7 | University of Southern California Los Angeles Private not-for-profit | — | 229 | 92% | $26,873 | — |
| 8 | California Western School of Law San Diego Private not-for-profit Graduate only | — | 205 | — | — | — |
| 9 | University of California-Davis Davis Public | — | 204 | 86% | — | — |
| 10 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara Private not-for-profit | — | 200 | 88% | $44,094 | — |
| 11 | Stanford University Stanford Private not-for-profit | — | 188 | 92% | $12,032 | — |
| 12 | Pepperdine University Malibu Private not-for-profit | — | 183 | 83% | $41,986 | — |
| 13 | University of California-Irvine Irvine Public | — | 155 | 87% | — | — |
| 14 | University of the Pacific Stockton Private not-for-profit | — | 146 | 69% | $23,964 | — |
| 15 | Chapman University Orange Private not-for-profit | — | 130 | 82% | $42,965 | — |
| 16 | University of San Francisco San Francisco Private not-for-profit | — | 115 | 70% | $37,121 | — |
| 17 | Westcliff University Irvine Private for-profit | — | 92 | 62% | $26,754 | — |
| 18 | University of La Verne La Verne Private not-for-profit | — | 88 | 63% | $45,461 | — |
| 19 | University of West Los Angeles Inglewood Private for-profit | — | 68 | — | — | — |
| 20 | Thomas Jefferson School of Law San Diego Private not-for-profit Graduate only | — | 64 | — | — | — |
| 21 | Golden Gate University San Francisco Private not-for-profit Degree completion | — | 43 | — | — | — |
| 22 | Trinity Law School Santa Ana Private not-for-profit Graduate only | — | 43 | — | — | — |
| 23 | The Colleges of Law at Ventura Ventura Private not-for-profit Graduate only | — | 40 | — | — | — |
| 24 | San Joaquin College of Law Clovis Private not-for-profit Graduate only | — | 36 | — | — | — |
| 25 | The Colleges of Law at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Private not-for-profit Graduate only | — | 14 | — | — | — |
| 26 | Abraham Lincoln University Glendale Private for-profit Online | — | 14 | 0% | $24,825 | — |
| 27 | Northcentral University San Diego Private not-for-profit Online | — | 13 | — | — | — |
| 28 | Humphreys University Stockton Private not-for-profit Online | — | 10 | 62% | $11,410 | — |
| 29 | Cal Northern School of Law Chico Private for-profit Graduate only | — | 8 | — | — | — |
Colleges awarding the most Law degrees in California
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles Public | 330 | Not reported |
| 2 | Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles Private not-for-profit | 305 | Not reported |
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley Public | 283 | Not reported |
| 4 | University of San Diego San Diego Private not-for-profit | 234 | Not reported |
| 5 | University of Southern California Los Angeles Private not-for-profit | 229 | Not reported |
| 6 | University of California-Davis Davis Public | 204 | Not reported |
| 7 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara Private not-for-profit | 200 | Not reported |
| 8 | Stanford University Stanford Private not-for-profit | 188 | Not reported |
| 9 | Pepperdine University Malibu Private not-for-profit | 183 | Not reported |
| 10 | University of California-Irvine Irvine Public | 155 | Not reported |
ShowHide the other 19 California colleges offering Law
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California College of the Law-San Francisco (Graduate only) | San Francisco | Public | 355 |
| Southwestern Law School (Graduate only) | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 289 |
| California Western School of Law (Graduate only) | San Diego | Private not-for-profit | 205 |
| University of the Pacific | Stockton | Private not-for-profit | 146 |
| Chapman University | Orange | Private not-for-profit | 130 |
| University of San Francisco | San Francisco | Private not-for-profit | 115 |
| Westcliff University | Irvine | Private for-profit | 92 |
| University of La Verne | La Verne | Private not-for-profit | 88 |
| University of West Los Angeles | Inglewood | Private for-profit | 68 |
| Thomas Jefferson School of Law (Graduate only) | San Diego | Private not-for-profit | 64 |
| Golden Gate University (Degree completion) | San Francisco | Private not-for-profit | 43 |
| Trinity Law School (Graduate only) | Santa Ana | Private not-for-profit | 43 |
| The Colleges of Law at Ventura (Graduate only) | Ventura | Private not-for-profit | 40 |
| San Joaquin College of Law (Graduate only) | Clovis | Private not-for-profit | 36 |
| The Colleges of Law at Santa Barbara (Graduate only) | Santa Barbara | Private not-for-profit | 14 |
| Abraham Lincoln University (Online) | Glendale | Private for-profit | 14 |
| Northcentral University (Online) | San Diego | Private not-for-profit | 13 |
| Humphreys University (Online) | Stockton | Private not-for-profit | 10 |
| Cal Northern School of Law (Graduate only) | Chico | Private for-profit | 8 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Lawyers (SOC 23-1011).
Top skills
What Lawyers earn in California
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Law programs in California.
Which California colleges award the most Law degrees?+
University of California-Los Angeles (330 graduates a year), Loyola Marymount University (305 graduates a year) and University of California-Berkeley (283 graduates a year) award the most Law degrees and certificates in California, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 29 California colleges offer Law.
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.
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