Best degree programs for Lawyers, ranked by enrollment
21 college programs and 233 schools train Lawyers. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $159,670 median wage, 754,500 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
21 college programs at 233 schools train lawyers, graduating 49,071 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Law. The job pays a median of $159,670 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About lawyers
Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.
A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters.
Read more on Wikipedia →Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
21 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawmain feeder CIP 22.0101 | 36,920 | 75.2% | 210 | — | — |
| 2 | Advanced Legal Research/Studies, Generalmain feeder CIP 22.0201 | 5,052 | 10.3% | 77 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 3 | CIP 22.0299 | 1,551 | 3.2% | 42 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 4 | Programs for Foreign Lawyersmain feeder CIP 22.0202 | 1,380 | 2.8% | 34 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 5 | CIP 22.0203 | 949 | 1.9% | 40 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 6 | Tax Law/Taxationmain feeder CIP 22.0211 | 749 | 1.5% | 24 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 7 | Health Lawmain feeder CIP 22.0208 | 448 | 0.9% | 21 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 8 | International Law and Legal Studiesmain feeder CIP 22.0209 | 388 | 0.8% | 24 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 9 | CIP 22.0205 | 353 | 0.7% | 25 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 10 | International Business, Trade, and Tax Lawmain feeder CIP 22.0210 | 316 | 0.6% | 16 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 11 | CIP 22.0207 | 255 | 0.5% | 21 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 12 | Human Resources Lawmain feeder CIP 22.0220 | 235 | 0.5% | 5 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 13 | Intellectual Property Lawmain feeder CIP 22.0212 | 110 | 0.2% | 13 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 14 | Arts and Entertainment Lawmain feeder CIP 22.0215 | 98 | 0.2% | 1 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 15 | Comparative Lawmain feeder CIP 22.0206 | 84 | 0.2% | 6 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 16 | Real Estate and Land Development Lawmain feeder CIP 22.0222 | 56 | 0.1% | 2 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 17 | Tribal/Indigenous Lawmain feeder CIP 22.0224 | 56 | 0.1% | 7 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 18 | Compliance Lawmain feeder CIP 22.0216 | 38 | 0.1% | 3 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 19 | Criminal Law and Proceduremain feeder CIP 22.0217 | 30 | 0.1% | 3 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 20 | Entrepreneurship Lawmain feeder CIP 22.0218 | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
| 21 | Patent Lawmain feeder CIP 22.0213 | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $61,570 | $24,936 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgetown University Washington, DC Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 1,447 | Law | 95% | $22,242 | 13% |
| 2 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 8 feeder programs | 1,341 | Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General | 84% | — | 57% |
| 3 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 936 | Programs for Foreign Lawyers | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 4 | New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 931 | Law | 88% | $29,023 | 9% |
| 5 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 817 | Law | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 6 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 782 | Law | 98% | $15,013 | 4% |
| 7 | George Washington University Washington, DC Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 732 | Law | 84% | $29,789 | 47% |
| 8 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 596 | Programs for Foreign Lawyers | 93% | — | 11% |
| 9 | Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 588 | Law | 94% | $14,126 | 12% |
| 10 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 551 | Law | 95% | $14,799 | 8% |
| 11 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 545 | Law | 93% | — | 9% |
| 12 | University of Miami Coral Gables, FL Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 536 | Law | 84% | $26,589 | 19% |
| 13 | American University Washington, DC Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 528 | Law | 75% | $30,225 | 62% |
| 14 | Suffolk University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 523 | Law | 61% | $28,895 | 82% |
| 15 | Fordham University Bronx, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 507 | Law | 82% | $38,931 | 59% |
| 16 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 459 | Law | 73% | $33,454 | 82% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · 3 feeder programs | 437 | Law | 86% | — | 61% |
| 18 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 436 | Law | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 19 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 434 | Law | 97% | $22,055 | 5% |
| 20 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 7 feeder programs | 428 | Law | 68% | — | 90% |
| 21 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 425 | Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General | 86% | — | 24% |
| 22 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 398 | Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General | 0% | — | 67% |
| 23 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 398 | American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence | 95% | $17,613 | 9% |
| 24 | University of California College of the Law - San Francisco San Francisco, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 391 | Law | — | — | — |
| 25 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 383 | Law | 75% | $19,899 | 55% |
| 26 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 369 | Law | 93% | — | 16% |
| 27 | Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 366 | Law | 79% | $36,488 | 45% |
| 28 | Mitchell Hamline School of Law Saint Paul, MN Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 363 | Law | — | — | — |
| 29 | Brooklyn Law School Brooklyn, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 361 | Law | — | — | — |
| 30 | University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 360 | Law | 96% | — | 17% |
| 31 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 354 | Law | 97% | $16,260 | 6% |
| 32 | Widener University Chester, PA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 339 | Law | 68% | $29,049 | 71% |
| 33 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 333 | Law | 89% | — | 27% |
| 34 | New England Law - Boston Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 327 | Law | — | — | — |
| 35 | South Texas College of Law Houston Houston, TX Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 325 | Law | — | — | — |
| 36 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 7 feeder programs | 323 | Law | 85% | — | 39% |
| 37 | University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus Norman, OK Public · 6 feeder programs | 321 | Law | 75% | — | 77% |
| 38 | Yeshiva University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 319 | Law | 83% | $39,696 | 56% |
| 39 | New York Law School New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 317 | Law | — | — | — |
| 40 | Stetson University DeLand, FL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 310 | Law | 62% | $21,948 | 72% |
| 41 | University of San Diego San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 309 | Law | 84% | $26,035 | 52% |
| 42 | University of Denver Denver, CO Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 306 | Law | 76% | $29,726 | 78% |
| 43 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 300 | Law | 96% | $13,333 | 4% |
| 44 | St. John's University - New York Queens, NY Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 297 | Law | 66% | $27,359 | 83% |
| 45 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 297 | Law | 91% | — | 24% |
| 46 | University of Houston Houston, TX Public · 6 feeder programs | 295 | Law | 65% | — | 74% |
| 47 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 4 feeder programs | 294 | Law | 75% | — | 80% |
| 48 | Southwestern Law School Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 289 | Law | — | — | — |
| 49 | Hofstra University Hempstead, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 286 | Law | 69% | $34,539 | 68% |
| 50 | Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 286 | Law | 69% | $27,376 | 73% |
What lawyers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $195,080 | 95,770 | 1.08× | 29 | 5,893 |
| New York | $207,860 | 91,870 | 1.95× | 16 | 5,474 |
| Texas | $154,200 | 56,580 | 0.83× | 10 | 3,396 |
| District of Columbia | $195,190 | 33,070 | 9.71× | 6 | 3,100 |
| Massachusetts | $176,680 | 23,560 | 1.33× | 12 | 2,834 |
| Florida | $133,180 | 55,210 | 1.15× | 12 | 2,762 |
| Illinois | $160,800 | 33,590 | 1.14× | 9 | 2,690 |
| Pennsylvania | $157,180 | 27,170 | 0.92× | 9 | 2,262 |
| Virginia | $167,210 | 18,580 | 0.93× | 9 | 1,482 |
| Ohio | $131,020 | 19,950 | 0.74× | 12 | 1,413 |
| North Carolina | $127,710 | 17,000 | 0.71× | 6 | 1,203 |
| Michigan | $130,520 | 16,620 | 0.78× | 7 | 1,093 |
| Missouri | $133,450 | 11,560 | 0.81× | 5 | 1,069 |
| Arizonamoderate | $134,260 | 11,640 | 0.74× | 4 | 989 |
| Georgia | $134,830 | 23,930 | 1.01× | 6 | 936 |
| Louisianamoderate | $104,100 | 10,200 | 1.09× | 4 | 931 |
| Minnesota | $155,140 | 12,380 | 0.86× | 6 | 847 |
| Indianamoderate | $126,860 | 8,970 | 0.58× | 4 | 784 |
| Washingtonmoderate | $154,130 | 12,770 | 0.74× | 3 | 759 |
| New Jerseymoderate | $161,430 | 23,160 | 1.11× | 3 | 656 |
| Tennessee | $136,180 | 9,010 | 0.57× | 5 | 644 |
| Oklahomamoderate | $103,060 | 6,980 | 0.84× | 3 | 575 |
| Connecticutmoderate | $163,600 | 8,420 | 1.02× | 3 | 562 |
| Coloradomoderate | $168,520 | 16,720 | 1.20× | 3 | 502 |
| Marylandlimited | $139,110 | 13,810 | 1.03× | 2 | 458 |
| Oregonmoderate | $138,210 | 7,150 | 0.75× | 3 | 452 |
| Wisconsinlimited | $126,760 | 9,160 | 0.64× | 2 | 445 |
| Alabamamoderate | $131,970 | 6,730 | 0.66× | 3 | 415 |
| South Carolinalimited | $120,310 | 7,890 | 0.71× | 2 | 404 |
| Kentuckymoderate | $101,550 | 5,770 | 0.59× | 3 | 332 |
| Mississippilimited | $91,690 | 3,100 | 0.55× | 2 | 294 |
| Utahlimited | $132,830 | 7,020 | 0.83× | 2 | 282 |
| Iowalimited | $123,550 | 3,550 | 0.47× | 2 | 277 |
| Nebraskamoderate | $109,170 | 3,490 | 0.70× | 3 | 265 |
| Arkansaslimited | $98,880 | 3,430 | 0.54× | 2 | 245 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $120,810 | 2,250 | 0.68× | 2 | 236 |
| Kansaslimited | $106,650 | 4,190 | 0.60× | 2 | 229 |
| Vermontlimited | $127,310 | 1,330 | 0.90× | 1 | 199 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $138,960 | 1,840 | 0.76× | 1 | 170 |
| Idaholimited | $103,400 | 2,490 | 0.60× | 1 | 135 |
| Nevadalimited | $150,510 | 6,490 | 0.86× | 1 | 125 |
| Mainelimited | $113,120 | 2,280 | 0.73× | 1 | 118 |
| Hawaiilimited | $124,990 | 2,270 | 0.75× | 1 | 108 |
| New Mexicolimited | $119,680 | 3,380 | 0.80× | 1 | 103 |
| Montanalimited | $103,720 | 2,380 | 0.96× | 1 | 93 |
| South Dakotalimited | $102,040 | 1,360 | 0.61× | 2 | 91 |
| West Virginialimited | $102,420 | 2,440 | 0.72× | 1 | 91 |
| North Dakotalimited | $106,880 | 1,050 | 0.50× | 1 | 79 |
| Wyominglimited | $100,130 | 900 | 0.66× | 1 | 64 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.
- Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents.
- Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case.
- Represent clients in court or before government agencies.
- Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.
- Advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, advisability of prosecuting or defending lawsuits, or legal rights and obligations.
- Examine legal data to determine advisability of defending or prosecuting lawsuit.
- Prepare, draft, and review legal documents, such as wills, deeds, patent applications, mortgages, leases, and contracts.
Skills
- Speaking4.6
- Reading Comprehension4.5
- Active Listening4.5
- Critical Thinking4.5
- Writing4.3
- Active Learning3.8
- Monitoring3.4
- Learning Strategies3.1
Knowledge areas
- Law and Government5.0
- English Language4.7
- Customer and Personal Service4.0
- Administrative3.2
- Computers and Electronics3.1
- Communications and Media3.0
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.9
- Written Comprehension4.6
- Oral Comprehension4.6
- Written Expression4.5
- Speech Clarity4.4
- Deductive Reasoning4.1
Core activities
- Getting Information4.6
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.6
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.6
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.5
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others4.5
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.4
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Lawyer
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Lawyers20 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 22.0101Law
- 22.0201Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General
- 22.0202Programs for Foreign Lawyers
- 22.0203American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence
- 22.0204Canadian Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence(no graduates reported)
- 22.0205Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities Law
- 22.0206Comparative Law
- 22.0207Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law
- 22.0208Health Law
- 22.0209International Law and Legal Studies
- 22.0210International Business, Trade, and Tax Law
- 22.0211Tax Law/Taxation
- 22.0212Intellectual Property Law
- 22.0213Patent Law
- 22.0214Agriculture Law(no graduates reported)
- 22.0215Arts and Entertainment Law
- 22.0216Compliance Law
- 22.0217Criminal Law and Procedure
- 22.0218Entrepreneurship Law
- 22.0219Family/Child/Elder Law(no graduates reported)
- 22.0220Human Resources Law
- 22.0221Insurance Law(no graduates reported)
- 22.0222Real Estate and Land Development Law
- 22.0223Transportation Law(no graduates reported)
- 22.0224Tribal/Indigenous Law
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Lawyer?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Law, which awarded 36,920 degrees in 2024-25, 75.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Lawyer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 21 programs to this occupation. The largest are Law, Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies. Together they graduate about 49,071 people a year.
How much do lawyers earn?+
The median is $159,670 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $78,360 at the 10th percentile to $351,600 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for lawyers growing?+
BLS projects a +4.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 31,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
233 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 21 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do lawyers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Lawyer, Counsel, Attorney, Attorney General among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 23-1011.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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