Law: doctoral degree earnings by college
Median earnings of law graduates (doctoral degree) one year after graduation, at 27 colleges. National median: $72,623, rising to $100,168 after four years.
| # | College | State | Earnings after 1 yr | After 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornell University | NY | $221,831 | $259,851 | $163,440 |
| 2 | Duke University | NC | $215,478 | $261,230 | $166,757 |
| 3 | Yale University | CT | $126,228 | $188,189 | $157,082 |
| 4 | Baylor University | TX | $96,639 | $121,715 | $119,916 |
| 5 | Pepperdine University | CA | $93,519 | $126,561 | $139,618 |
| 6 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | $92,516 | $130,428 | $68,819 |
| 7 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | $84,081 | $111,668 | $114,553 |
| 8 | Loyola University New Orleans | LA | $83,917 | $81,071 | — |
| 9 | Florida International University | FL | $82,256 | $105,414 | $80,618 |
| 10 | Suffolk University | MA | $80,681 | $103,969 | $100,516 |
| 11 | Belmont University | TN | $76,814 | $100,168 | $112,600 |
| 12 | Albany Law School | NY | $73,907 | $89,212 | $91,893 |
| 13 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | NH | $73,556 | $100,597 | $87,568 |
| 14 | Lewis & Clark College | OR | $72,623 | $97,491 | $137,681 |
| 15 | Mercer University | GA | $72,508 | $90,359 | $121,056 |
| 16 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | $72,491 | $86,893 | $64,628 |
| 17 | University of Illinois Chicago | IL | $72,337 | $95,603 | $137,738 |
| 18 | Samford University | AL | $70,843 | $91,687 | $144,096 |
| 19 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | $70,552 | $106,575 | $67,458 |
| 20 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus | NM | $68,372 | $85,706 | $87,810 |
| 21 | Humphreys University | CA | $67,578 | — | — |
| 22 | Massachusetts School of Law | MA | $67,503 | $76,572 | — |
| 23 | Western New England University | MA | $65,483 | $79,692 | $68,500 |
| 24 | St. Thomas University | FL | $64,322 | $99,412 | $158,207 |
| 25 | University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth | MA | $63,417 | $78,991 | $122,144 |
| 26 | Appalachian School of Law | VA | $54,097 | — | — |
| 27 | University of West Los Angeles | CA | $47,355 | — | $82,000 |
Earnings are median annual earnings of graduates who received federal financial aid, measured by the U.S. Department of Education. Colleges with too few graduates are not shown.
Frequently asked questions
How much do law graduates earn?
The median college reports $72,623 in earnings one year after a doctoral degree in law and $100,168 four years after. The highest is $221,831 at Cornell University.
How much student debt do law graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for this degree is about $112,600 at the typical college.