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25 Law Schools Where You Can Pay Off Your Debt

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

Learn more about .

Learn more about paying for law school.

Find out which law schools provide the . Explore the U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ and follow U.S. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ Education on and to figure out which law school is the best fit for you.

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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originally appeared on

Update 07/21/26: This article was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.

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