Find law schools that offset student loan debt with high salaries
Many law students depend on student loans to . Those who graduated in 2024-2025 from the 127 ranked law schools that reported debt and salary figures to U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ incurred an average debt of $107,329. But law school grads, in some cases, can offset high debt loads with higher-paying salaries. Across the 127 ranked law schools, 2024 graduates reported a median full-time starting salary of $112,802 in the private sector, more than $1,500 higher than the prior year. Here are the top 25 ranked where full-time grads who borrowed and entered the private sector had the highest salary-to-debt ratio, per U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ data.
University of Akron (OH)
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 131 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $90,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $61,597
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.46-to-1
Learn more about the .
University of California, Davis
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 52 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $180,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $122,908
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.46-to-1
Learn more about the .
Emory University (GA)
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 40 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $200,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $135,677
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.47-to-1
Learn more about .
University of Minnesota
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 22 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $165,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $111,050
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.49-to-1
Learn more about the .
Wayne State University (MI)
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 62 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $95,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $62,462
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.52-to-1
Learn more about .
Georgia State University
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 77 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $115,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $74,893
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.54-to-1
Learn more about .
University of Arizona
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 70 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $115,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $72,013
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.60-to-1
Learn more about the University of Arizona .
University of Louisville (KY)
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 124 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $90,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $55,717
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.62-to-1
Learn more about the University of Louisville .
University of Notre Dame (IN)
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 20 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $215,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $133,060
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.62-to-1
Learn more about .
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 18 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $160,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $98,260
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.63-to-1
Learn more about the .
Rutgers University (NJ)
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 100 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $134,500
Average debt (2024-2025): $80,413
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.67-to-1
Learn more about .
University of Southern California
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 26 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $225,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $134,089
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.68-to-1
Learn more about the University of Southern California .
University of Alabama
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 40 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $125,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $71,753
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.74-to-1
Learn more about the .
University of Georgia
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 26 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $126,500
Average debt (2024-2025): $72,883
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.74-to-1
Learn more about the .
Boston University (MA)
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 24 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $225,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $121,164
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.86-to-1
Learn more about .
Temple University (PA)
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 49 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $155,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $81,232
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.91-to-1
Learn more about Temple University .
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 46 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $181,800
Average debt (2024-2025): $91,856
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.98-to-1
Learn more about the .
University of Utah
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 44 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $150,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $75,614
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.98-to-1
Learn more about the University of Utah .
University of Texas at Austin
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 16 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $225,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $113,209
Salary-to-debt ratio: 1.99-to-1
Learn more about the .
Syracuse University (NY)
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 100 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $91,800
Average debt (2024-2025): $42,142
Salary-to-debt ratio: 2.18-to-1
Learn more about .
Washington University in St. Louis (MO)
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 13 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $225,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $95,465
Salary-to-debt ratio: 2.36-to-1
Learn more about .
University of Florida
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 34 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $166,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $67,964
Salary-to-debt ratio: 2.44-to-1
Learn more about the University of Florida .
Howard University (DC)
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 117 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $215,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $67,616
Salary-to-debt ratio: 3.18-to-1
Learn more about .
Brigham Young University (UT)
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 24 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $156,250
Average debt (2024-2025): $45,852
Salary-to-debt ratio: 3.41-to-1
Learn more about Brigham Young University .
Cleveland State University (OH)
U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ law school rank: 136 (tie)
Starting median private salary (2024): $100,000
Average debt (2024-2025): $16,406
Salary-to-debt ratio: 6.10-to-1
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See the 25 law schools with highest salary-to-debt ratios
— Cleveland State University College of Law (OH): 6.10-to-1
— Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School (UT): 3.41-to-1
— Howard University School of Law (DC): 3.18-to-1
— University of Florida’s Levin College of Law: 2.44-to-1
— Washington University School of Law (MO): 2.36-to-1
— Syracuse University College of Law (NY): 2.18-to-1
— University of Texas School of Law: 1.99-to-1
— University of Illinois College of Law: 1.98-to-1
— University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law: 1.98-to-1
— Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law (PA): 1.91-to-1
— Boston University School of Law (MA): 1.86-to-1
— University of Alabama School of Law: 1.74-to-1
— University of Georgia School of Law: 1.74-to-1
— University of Southern California Gould School of Law: 1.68-to-1
— Rutgers Law School (NJ): 1.67-to-1
— University of North Carolina School of Law: 1.63-to-1
— University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law (KY): 1.62-to-1
— University of Notre Dame Law School (IN): 1.62-to-1
— University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law: 1.60-to-1
— Georgia State University College of Law: 1.54-to-1
— Wayne State University Law School (MI): 1.52-to-1
— University of Minnesota Law School: 1.49-to-1
— Emory University School of Law (GA): 1.47-to-1
— University of Akron School of Law (OH): 1.46-to-1
— University of California, Davis School of Law: 1.46-to-1
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Update 07/21/26: This article was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.