What is the Cost of a Law School Education?

Law school can be an expensive proposition.

Law school tends to be very expensive. There is some variation from school to school, especially between public and private schools, but no matter what, the costs are significant.

Typical Law School Costs

Tuition at public law schools ranged from $4711 to $35,502 in 2007, and costs continually rise. Private law schools tend to run about $10,000 per year more expensive than public schools, with a three-year education costing almost $150,000. This does not include additional costs of textbooks and room and board..

Highest and Lowest Priced Law Schools

As of 2010, according to U.S. News and World Report, the most expensive law schools in the U.S. are Cornell University, whose annual tuition runs $48,950; and Yale University at $48,340. The least expensive law schools were Brigham Young University at $8700 per year and Howard University at $18,870.

Why Law School Costs So Much

Law school is increasingly expensive because of changes in technology and teaching practices. The focus on situational teaching, rather than case law, is professor-intensive and therefore more expensive. Law school libraries now hold an average of 450,000 books, compared to 5000 a century ago. In addition, many law school host programs focus on global law, raising costs because of the need to bring in international scholars.

References

• U.S. News and World Report: Best Graduate Schools
• Cost Helper: Cost of Law School
• HG: Law Schools Directory
• Columbia Law School: Why Does Law School Cost So Much?