The Price for Law School in The Golden State
A common expectation among aspiring attorneys is that graduating from law school is going to be expensive. This leads many students to consider factors such as financial aid opportunities and in-state tuition. Though these are important considerations to make, there are a few financial factors families can look out for when planning for student expenses.
Tuition varies from school to school, but on average, law school in California costs about $650 per credit unit. Most programs are 85 units, which comes out to about $55,000 in total tuition. Private universities and out-of-state tuition usually cost much more , though. If you are a California resident, tuition may be less than half of that.
Tuition is one of the greatest concerns for students in California. The state’s cost of living is relatively high compared to the rest of the country. Because of this, many Californians struggle to work their way through university, and many others simply don’t have the income to afford anything but public college. Most law school enrollment happens in the fall, but it’s not uncommon for some students to begin in the spring or summer.
A new understanding of law school tuition in California can help any family save money on legal education.
Least Expensive Law Schools in The Golden State
To aid in the selection process, we compiled a list of affordable law school tuition in California for in-state and out-of-state students.
UC Davis School of Law
The King Hall School of Law offers in-state tuition at $45,286 per year while out-of-state students pay $50,586 annually. Scholarships and financial aid are offered at UC Davis to help ease the payment burden on students. This public law school is known for its top-notch legal research and writing program as well as the Center for Public Dispute Resolution, the Small Claims Mediation Service, and the Business Law Journal.
UC Hastings College of the Law
Tuition for California residents at UC Hastings College of the Law is $54,450 as of October 2023 while out-of-state students pay $63,732. Half of the students enrolled at Hastings receive financial aid to help cover the cost of tuition. Established in 1878, Hastings is the oldest law school in California and it is one of 21 in the state. Hastings college is home to 700 students and offers several law degrees and programs including dual degrees in combination with various disciplines. Highly regarded by legal professionals, this law school is located on the historic Civic Center campus in San Francisco.
University of California Los Angeles
UCLA School of Law has a current tuition rate of $62,636 for in-state and out-of-state students. UCLA offers graduate and undergraduate financial aid that allows students to request loans to finance their education. For students with demonstrable financial need, Yale’s law office provides need-based financial aid. UCLA Law is one of the most prestigious law schools in the nation offering broad legal training to students in law through research and legal scholarships.
Stanford University
Stanford offers both in-state and out-of-state tuition to law students at $74,001 per year. Very few students (1.4%) do not receive some level of financial aid and the law school offers many funding opportunities to students including grants, loans, and scholarships. Founded in 1885, Stanford University is one of the most prominent private universities in the state and in the country. Stanford offers the following programs to students:
- Juris Doctor (JD)
- Juris Master (JM)
- Master of Laws (LLM)
- Master of Legal Studies (MLS)
- Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD)
University of Southern California
USC Gould School of Law tuition for the 2023 academic year is $76,881 for both in-state and out-of-state students. Financial aid at USC is available to cover both law school tuition and expenses as well as medical and student health insurance associated with schedules of classes. USC begin offering legal instruction in 1904 and is the oldest private law school in California.
Scholarships and Grants
A variety of scholarships and financial aid packages are available to law students in California, helping to offset the cost of tuition. Can be a very important component when it comes to making the school tuition more manageable. Many schools, such as Stanford Law School, offer scholarships to top prospective students who have skills that can help campus diversity. Some, like UC Irvine Law School, actively seek out underrepresented minorities and provide full-ride scholarships to help them afford law school.
California Western School of Law, for instance, reviews every applicant for merit-based scholarships. Amounts vary but can be as much as $20,000 for the first year of law school, so applicants should certainly apply for these opportunities if they are eligible. Since law school tuition is largely but not entirely tuition, California Western is also active in providing financial aid counseling to keep costs down. A personalized budget can be a vital tool when crafting the framework of a financial plan.
The University of San Francisco School of Law offers many scholarships that cover 50% of tuition for students who demonstrate a commitment to social justice and public interest work. It also provides grants of $10,000 for academic year summer public interest internships. To be considered, applicants need to write about their commitment to this cause, and provide an expected budget.
Other schools like Loyola Law School provide funds for those facing crisis-level financial emergencies. This grant can be used for legal fees in emergencies to help continue their education, or housing and food costs. A brief application is required and only those with a minimum 2.0 GPA are eligible.
The Cost of Living in California
When considering the cost of living that accompanies law school tuition, things can get interesting. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco can cost as much as $2,700 a month, but in Sacramento, that same apartment costs a mere $1,200. It’s clear that housing will be your biggest expense, but it’s also vital to think about transportation costs, food, and other daily expenditures in the area you will be living. Some law schools have several programs to help you plan for this, and could even potentially alleviate some of those costs.
Let’s start with San Francisco. Starting with a fairly blank slate, law students at USF can see to a few things to help their situation. First and foremost, one can live in the lovely North Beach area of the city, which would allow you to walk to school in 13 minutes or less, saving a ton of money in both transportation and out-of-area rents. If you have to drive to school, the car will get you to campus in thirty minutes or less, and not only do you live in a much more laid-back part of the city, but you’re also a stone’s throw away from the bay, with a great nightlife and a few very scenic parks nearby. You’re right by Fisherman’s Wharf, so between walking to and from school and getting around the local area, you’re set.
USF is unique in the sense that they have several housing options for students, including on-campus apartments. The largest of them is Gillson Hall, which is just outside of campus, with one-bedroom units at $2,224 a month. If you are relying on financial aid to pay for school and aren’t getting any scholarships, you may qualify for a four-thousand-dollar relocation scholarship that helps pay for housing, and even with the high rent, you won’t have to contend with expensive parking permits like at USF. Another option is to attend UC Hastings, the only public law school in downtown San Francisco. While there isn’t any subsidized housing, you can find affordable dorms in college-style buildings near the school. They also arrange transportation with public transit for a relatively low cost, at $195 a month.
Heading down south, we have Stanford Law School, in beautiful Stanford, California . Once again, their housing numbers are scattered all over the map, with private one-bedroom apartments breaking the bank at $2,895, but on-campus housing provides nearly the same quality for more than half the price. In addition, a free bus pass is given to students to help them traverse across California and the Bay, and a commuter’s service lets students travel to Stanford from the surrounding cities at little or no cost that could help you save on housing in Palo Alto, for instance.
San Diego is home to California Western, and the median cost of housing there is about 2,400 dollars a month. There doesn’t currently seem to be any help from the school to reduce housing costs, but the overall cost of living is far less than it is in San Francisco, which means they have a smaller problem with housing. You can even live in Mexico, and still commute to the school reasonably, reducing your rent to an average of 500 dollars a month.
Heading north, the University of San Francisco School of Law has a rental office on campus that can help you find housing. Bigger, better, and closer to Downtown than USF, housing in Oakland isn’t much better or worse than in San Francisco, but they will help you find a place to stay. In addition, they offer a shuttle service between San Francisco and Berkeley three days a week for an extra 50 bucks a semester, giving students the best of both worlds.
The University of Southern California has one of the highest costs of living statewide for law schools, at a whopping 3,500 dollars a month for an apartment. The school has three apartments available for students, although they cost upwards of 2,000 dollars a month. The school does have a free bus line between the school and Los Angeles, as well as access to discounted subway passes.
USC is another of the schools that offer partial relocation assistance for students that are relocating from another area at a discounted rate of 2,000 dollars a semester. If you can find a way to make that work, you could potentially live for free before tuition kicks in, and make a ton of additional income by renting the apartment out to friends and peers.
If you want to know which California law school is cheapest for your yearly expenses, start here.
Law School on a Budget
After you’ve identified affordable law schools in California, the task becomes clear: determining whether you can expect a quality legal education from them. Experienced law students will know that tuition is not always the best indication of how much value you can expect to get from your time in a law school. In particular, we focus on three factors: bar passage rates, faculty qualifications, and employment outcomes. When you are spending less money on a law school, are you giving up quality in any of those three areas? Or could you be getting an exceptional return on investment?
Bar passage rates are among the top indicators of how well a law school prepares its graduates to become future lawyers. If a school is well-respected and offers an education that is, at its core, identical to what you would expect at any major law school, then the bar passage rate should be around the same as other schools. If it’s substantially lower than the state average, it could be a sign that the school is not living up to its promise.
The faculty qualifications of a law school are also an important consideration. Even if the school is not high-ranked in the overall legal community, if it can find qualified and experienced law faculty to deliver its courses, it can indicate a commitment to delivering a quality education to its students. Compare faculty degrees for budget schools to what you would expect at a more expensive institution. In particular, look for faculty who themselves did not go to low-ranked (or no-ranked) law schools. If the faculty themselves attended such schools, you might expect lesser overall faculty execution. Surely, there will be exceptions to this rule.
Last but certainly not least, look at the employment placements of the school. This is important, because it really helps indicate overall efficacy. If you’re getting a high quality education, then you should be able to place into high quality jobs. That’s true even if the most expensive law schools in California happen to place students into the big firms. You’re more likely to end up in a small firm doing estate planning or some similar kind of work. So keep that in mind when you’re looking at placement data. Placement data trends are what you want to key in on, rather than snapshot stats.
Final Thoughts and Resources
In conclusion, this article has provided an overview of the top affordable law schools in California, emphasizing their commitment to offering cost-effective legal education without compromising quality. In a state known for its high standard of living and cost of education, these institutions have managed to strike a balance that makes legal education accessible to a broader audience. By exploring each of these schools, we have seen that seeking affordability does not necessarily mean sacrificing excellence. The right program can provide an exceptional legal foundation and professional network at an affordable price.
If you are considering a career in law, your next step should be extensive research into each school and its curriculum. Consider also reaching out to current students and alumni to get a better feel for the campus atmosphere and job placement after graduation . In addition, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the financial aid process, including application deadlines and available scholarships.
For those who want to learn more about financial strategies for law school, we recommend starting with the American Bar Association’s guide to financing a legal education, and Harvard Law Review, which offers in-depth insight into scholarships and federal student loans. Both sites provide a wealth of information on the specific financial opportunities available to law students. It is also important to stay up to date with news from the LSAC Law School Forum (Law School Admissions Council), which provides resources on the law school application process. Further, Campus Pride provides listings for LGBTQ+ scholarships and scholarships for LGBTQ+ students.