There are many reasons to choose a career path that involves going to law school. It can be for noble intentions, the love of winning a legal argument, financial security, or some combination of the three. Whatever the motivation, there’s one overriding truth for those without grants or scholarships — it’s an expensive endeavor.
Most law students enter their chosen field shouldering a significant debt burden accumulated from the total cost of attendance at their chosen institution. With the average cost of a law degree north of $200,000, recent grads starting their legal careers are seeking the type of first-time employment that can help them whittle away their student debt as quickly as possible. Their success is often affected by which school of law they attended.
The release of Law Crossing’s 2026 Law School Return on Investment (ROI) rankings attempts to measure which schools provided the best value for a legal education, what sort of employment rate there was for legal jobs, and whether or not graduating from one of the top law schools had an effect on employment outcomes and starting salaries (spoiler: it does). With an overall employment rate of over 85% for recent graduates and a first-time bar passage rate of just under 80%, the metrics suggest that law schools are meeting their end of the bargain.
They Take It Easy on First-Year Associates, Right?
Graduating with a degree from an accredited JD program is no guarantee for success, but it definitely doesn’t hurt. The ROI rankings, based on data gathered in 2024, indicate that 87.1% of law school graduates found full-time employment in their chosen field. As for passing the bar exam and becoming eligible to practice law, 78% succeeded on their first attempt, with an overall passing rate of 92% within two years.
There’s a tremendous variance in starting salaries, as might be expected by the different types of job placements available in the legal world. The high end of the scale, which ranks well above $200,000, is achieved by those entering into BigLaw firms, federal judicial clerkships, in-house investment banking counsel positions, and other prestigious roles. In some instances, their first-year salary may be enough to pay off their student loans or other financial aid debts.
At the other end of the spectrum, a fair number of entry-level positions start below $60,000. These are often jobs in nonprofits, low-level government roles, or associates with small firms. Depending on where they’re located and what their cost of living expenses are, paying off their law school degree might be measured in decades rather than years.
Which Law School ROI Is the Best?
While law school rankings (and costs) play a major factor in what opportunities might await law school graduates, prospective students should consider their ultimate legal goals before choosing where to pursue their degree. The yearly U.S. News and World Report list of top-ranking law schools carries a great deal of weight, but it might not make sense for someone planning on a legal career focused on public interests to attend one of the best (and most expensive) programs.
As might be expected, the “top 14” (T14) law schools have the highest employment rates, starting salaries, bar passing rates, and median debt. While carrying significant clout and invaluable alumni networks, the pool of law schools that make up the unofficial list, which includes Columbia University, Stanford, and Yale, was outshone by several other programs that offered better ROI based on a formula calculating cost analysis, job placements, and bar passage rates.
Eight of the report’s top 10 ROI law school programs are state universities, with the University of Georgia coming in as the leader of the pack. The next four, in order, are Brigham Young University, the University of Iowa, Cornell (a sometime T14 inclusion), and the University of Alabama. The rest of the top 10 is rounded out by the University of Florida, Texas A&M, the University of Utah, the University of Houston, and Arizona State University.
An overall employment rate of 85% for recent graduates hints that the nation’s need for new attorneys continues to grow. For those getting the best ROI from their law school of choice, so much the better.
Related Resources
- California Offers Bar Exam Retakes for Free After Troublesome Rollout of New System (Findlaw’s Practice of Law)
- What To Do if You Don’t Pass the Bar Exam (FindLaw’s Practice of Law)
- Paying for Law School (FindLaw’s Law Students)
