Law Schools Where Grads Can Afford Student Loan Bills
A law degree can lead to a lucrative career with a high-paying salary at a big law firm. But only about 21 percent of 2014 law grads work at a large law firm with more than 500 employees, according to a 2015 study by the National Association for Law Placement. One way to evaluate a law school’s future return is to look at the salary-to-debt ratio of recent grads.
Here are the 10 best law schools where full-time 2014 grads who borrowed for law school and entered the private sector had the highest salary-to-debt ratio, according to data submitted to U.S. News by 172 schools in an annual survey.
10. University of California–Los Angeles
U.S. News law school rank: 17
Starting median private salary (2014): $160,000
Average debt (2014): $121,066
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.3-to-1
Learn more about UCLA Law.
9. Boston University
U.S. News law school rank: 20 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2014): $145,000
Average debt (2014): $107,850
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.3-to-1
Learn more about the School of Law at Boston University.
8. University of Connecticut
U.S. News law school rank: 65 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2014): $95,000
Average debt (2014): $70,139
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.4-to-1
Learn more about the University of Connecticut School of Law.
7. Yale University (CT)
U.S. News law school rank: 1
Starting median private salary (2014): $160,000
Average debt (2014): $117,093
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.4-to-1
Learn more about Yale Law School.
6. University of Hawaii–Manoa (Richardson)
U.S. News law school rank: 92 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2014): $77,500
Average debt (2014): $56,266
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.4-to-1
Learn more about the Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii–Manoa.
5. University of Wisconsin–Madison
U.S. News law school rank: 33 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2014): $115,000
Average debt (2014): $79,373
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.4-to-1
Learn more about the Law School at University of Wisconsin–Madison.
4. Brigham Young University (Clark) (UT)
U.S. News law school rank: 38 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2014): $79,813
Average debt (2014): $54,203
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.5-to-1
Learn more about the Clark Law School at Brigham Young University.
3. Boston College
U.S. News law school rank: 30 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2014): $145,000
Average debt (2014): $97,006
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.5-to-1
Learn more about Boston College Law School.
2. University of Alabama
U.S. News law school rank: 28 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2014): $105,000
Average debt (2014): $69,440
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.5-to-1
Learn more about the University of Alabama School of Law.
1. University of Texas–Austin
U.S. News law school rank: 15
Starting median private salary (2014): $160,000
Average debt (2014): $100,868
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.6-to-1
Learn more about the University of Texas–Austin School of Law.
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10 Law Schools That Pay Off originally appeared on usnews.com