10 Law Schools Where You Can Pay Off Your Debt

Farran Powell , Ilana Kowarski
·3 min read

Most law school grads have a high debt load.

Many law students depend on student loans to fund their legal education. According to data that 180 ranked law schools reported to U.S. News, law students at those schools from the class of 2019 incurred an average debt of about $110,070. But law school grads can offset these high debt loads with a high salary. Here are the top 10 law schools where full-time 2019 grads who borrowed for law school and entered the private sector had the highest salary-to-debt ratio, per U.S. News data.

University of California--Los Angeles

U.S. News law school rank: 14

Starting median private salary (2019): $190,000

Average debt (2019): $126,164

Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.51-to-1

Learn more about the UCLA School of Law.

Boston College

U.S. News law school rank: 29 (tie)

Starting median private salary (2019): $190,000

Average debt (2019): $117,291

Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.62-to-1

Learn more about Boston College Law School.

Rutgers University (NJ)

U.S. News law school rank: 91 (tie)

Starting median private salary (2019): $90,000

Average debt (2019): $55,186

Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.63-to-1

Learn more about Rutgers Law School.

Boston University

U.S. News law school rank: 20

Starting median private salary (2019): $190,000

Average debt (2019): $110,365

Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.72-to-1

Learn more about the BU School of Law.

University of Texas--Austin

U.S. News law school rank: 16 (tie)

Starting median private salary (2019): $190,000

Average debt (2019): $109,189

Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.74-to-1

Learn more about the UT--Austin School of Law.

Brigham Young University (Clark) (UT)

U.S. News law school rank: 29 (tie)

Starting median private salary (2019): $105,000

Average debt (2019): $56,395

Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.86-to-1

Learn more about the J. Reuben Clark Law School.

Washington University in St. Louis

U.S. News law school rank: 16 (tie)

Starting median private salary (2019): $190,000

Average debt (2019): $101,283

Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.88-to-1

Learn more about the WUSTL School of Law.

George Mason University (VA)

U.S. News law school rank: 41 (tie)

Starting median private salary (2019): $150,000

Average debt (2019): $74,106

Salary-to-debt ratio: 2.02-to-1

Learn more about Antonin Scalia Law School.

Wayne State University (MI)

U.S. News law school rank: 72 (tie)

Starting median private salary (2019): $112,500

Average debt (2019): $55,545

Salary-to-debt ratio: 2.03-to-1

Learn more about Wayne State University Law School.

Northeastern University (MA)

U.S. News law school rank: 67 (tie)

Starting median private salary (2019): $190,000

Average debt (2019): $59,369

Salary-to-debt ratio: 3.2-to-1

Learn more about Northeastern University School of Law.

Learn more about paying for law school.

Find out how to attend law school for free by winning a full scholarship, and discover how the price of law school compares to the payoff. Explore the U.S. News Best Law Schools rankings, and figure out which law school is the best fit for you.

See the 10 law schools where salary-to-debt ratios are highest.

-- Northeastern University (MA): 3.2-to-1

-- Wayne State University (MI): 2.03-to-1

-- George Mason University (VA): 2.02-to-1

-- Washington University in St. Louis: 1.88-to-1

-- Brigham Young University (Clark) (UT): 1.86-to-1

-- University of Texas--Austin: 1.74-to-1

-- Boston University: 1.72-to-1

-- Rutgers University (NJ): 1.63-to-1

-- Boston College: 1.62-to-1

-- University of California--Los Angeles: 1.51-to-1