Expensive Law Schools with the Highest Tuition & Fees

The tuition & fees at law schools is usually higher than the costs for regular undergraduate and graduate programs. Students may be supported by federal, state, and/or institutional scholarship program, but still the tuition and other costs are important consideration when choosing law schools to apply and enroll.
In 2022, the average tuition fees at public law schools is $29,458 for state residents and $42,305 for out-of-state. In private law schools, the average tuition & fees is $53,662. The average living costs including room & boards, books, and other personal expenses is $21,881. With the living expenses, the law school cost of attendance (COA) is $75,543 based on private school rate.
Among law schools in United States, Columbia Law School has the highest tuition & fees of $78,278. New York University School of Law and Cornell Law School follow it with $76,290 and $74,184 respectively. It is based on out-of-state rate and exclude law schools in Puerto Rico.
The following table lists the top 25 law schools having the highest tuition & fees. You can sort the table by a column by clicking/touching the column title.
RankSchoolTuition & FeesLiving CostsAcceptance RateLSAT ScoreGPAEnrollmentBar Exam Pass Rate
1 Columbia Law SchoolPrivateNew York, NY$78,278$27,87811.42%1743.841,52096.36%
2 New York University School of LawPrivateNew York, NY$76,290$28,70314.52%1723.862,43098.00%
3 Cornell Law SchoolPrivateIthaca, NY$74,184$22,86615.41%1713.8673795.72%
4 Gould School of LawPrivateLos Angeles, CA$74,173$26,78012.96%1683.821,41492.13%
5 University of Chicago Law SchoolPrivateChicago, IL$73,185$24,87011.91%1723.9166997.86%
6 University of Pennsylvania Law SchoolPrivatePhiladelphia, PA$73,008$23,7349.39%1713.901,02395.30%
7 Duke University School of LawPrivateDurham, NC$72,632$22,14414.45%1703.8284897.46%
8 Northwestern Pritzker School of LawPrivateChicago, IL$72,212$25,32013.91%1713.861,18196.03%
9 Georgetown University Law CenterPrivateWashington, DC$71,996$31,40412.88%1713.852,71294.61%
10 Harvard Law SchoolPrivateCambridge, MA$71,734$31,1866.90%1743.921,90798.91%
11 University of Virginia School of LawPublicCharlottesville, VA$71,500$21,2209.66%1713.9193698.35%
12 Yale Law SchoolPrivateNew Haven, CT$71,425$22,5004.12%1743.9473498.91%
13 University of Michigan Law SchoolPublicAnn Arbor, MI$69,808$22,60010.65%1713.841,01293.65%
14 Stanford Law SchoolPrivateStanford, CA$68,997$35,9886.28%1723.9161398.22%
15 St. John's University School of LawPrivateQueens, NY$68,992$28,47535.63%1623.6282790.72%
16 Benjamin N. Cardozo School of LawPrivateNew York, NY$68,462$25,74330.84%1643.7499690.83%
17 Brooklyn Law SchoolPrivateBrooklyn, NY$68,321$26,95039.63%1593.501,18481.70%
18 Berkeley School of LawPublicBerkeley, CA$67,781$34,19613.66%1693.831,23596.67%
19 Vanderbilt University Law SchoolPrivateNashville, TN$67,396$28,31214.25%1693.8955292.55%
20 The George Washington University Law SchoolPrivateWashington, DC$67,380$29,60021.57%1673.831,89893.00%
21 Fordham University School of LawPrivateNew York, NY$66,750$29,51217.69%1663.701,75490.02%
22 Notre Dame Law SchoolPrivateNotre Dame, IL$65,936$21,51017.51%1683.7757389.01%
23 Hofstra University School of LawPrivateHempstead, NY$65,838$30,07942.28%1563.4884075.66%
24 Washington University School of LawPrivateSt. Louis, MO$65,204$21,36815.88%1703.931,51194.12%
25 Davis School of Law PublicDavis, CA$65,094$22,28828.26%1653.7073188.15%