• A U.S. News ranking of the most expensive law schools is topped by Columbia University
• Five of the 15 most expensive law schools are at Ivy League universities, and 11 are private schools.

Average tuition and fees for out-of-state students were over $75,000 for the 2023-2024 academic year at 10 of the nation’s top 15 most expensive a school, a U.S. News ranking shows. For comparison, the median tuition and fees among the 188 law schools that provide data to U.S. News were around $50,960. 

Five of the 15 most expensive law schools are at Ivy League universities, and 14 schools on this list placed within the top 20 in the U.S. News Best Law Schools rankings. Eleven of the 15 are private schools.

The U.S. News report did not include unranked schools, which do not meet certain criteria required by the publication to be numerically ranked.

Most Expensive vs. Most Affordable 

Two New York City-based law schools, Columbia University and New York University, ranked as most expensive. Columbia charged $81,292 in tuition and fees while New York University charged $80,014.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Inter-American University in Puerto Rico had the lowest out-of-state tuition, at $15,635.

Full Ranking 

1. Columbia University (ranked 8): $81,292
2. New York University (ranked 5): $80,014
3. University of Southern California (ranked 16): $78,046
4. University of Chicago (ranked 3): $77,952
5. Cornell University (ranked 13): $77,593
6. University of Pennsylvania (ranked 4): $76,934
7. Georgetown University (ranked 15): $75,950
8. Duke University (ranked 5): $75,738
9. University of California Berkeley (ranked 10): $75,031
10. Harvard University (ranked 5): $75,008
11. Northwestern University (ranked 10): $74,552
12. University of Virginia (ranked 8): $74,200
13. Yale University (ranked 1): $73,865
14. University of Michigan (ranked 10): $72,584

Why this matters 

The law schools that made this list are among the best in the country, which means that graduates from these institutions have higher chances of landing a high-paying paid job. However, the U.S. News report underlines that it remains crucial for prospective law students to realistically evaluate their future earning potential, since a legal education does not automatically lead to a six-figure starting salary.