How Much Does it Cost to Become a Lawyer | Tabular Costing Guide

Ruth Bader, Mahatma Gandhi, Thurgood Marshall, and Barack Obama are famous lawyers who chose different gateways, and boosted their vision through their passion and dedication to becoming a lawyer. People who choose law schools may have different aspirations, but they have a sense of determination and integrity to be successful lawyers. In this guide, we will discuss how much does it cost to become a lawyer.

We appreciate your decision to become a lawyer, as it is a profitable and valuable profession. We often provide you with financial calculators, tools, and articles to help you learn about the cost of law schools. You often find it difficult to search for updated information about the cost of law schools but not always.

The case is not always the same because this article will provide more information about how much it charges to become a lawyer. 

How Much Does it Cost to Become a Lawyer?

Cost to become a lawyer

If you plan to be a law student to become a lawyer, you know it is an expansive education. But it is the right path with many other opportunities beyond the courtroom. That is a good reason to become a lawyer and consider all possible costs associated with it. 

Joining law school and becoming a lawyer is the same as getting a golden ticket to financial success and a brilliant career. But few think it is not easy to complete if you look at the expenses and cost. 

In a Gallop poll of more than 40,000 Americans who get a post-graduate degree in the current ongoing years, just 23% of students said their degree was worth the cost. On the other hand, 20% of students said their law schools prepared them well for post-grad life. 

Law is one of the best degrees to achieve and one of those fields that promises a successful career path. It comes with awareness, knowledge, and guidelines in the complicated field. The cost to become a lawyer is somewhat on the greater side but is worth getting.

Public and private tuition fees

The cost of law schools and institutions greatly depends on many factors like which state you study, the institution you adopt, and the additional cost if you are not living in that particular state. Tuition fees are different at different institutions and colleges, and the price of food, books, housing, and supplies also matters and are huge variables. 

Average Cost Law School

Report highlights

The price of law school is growing on-trend these days, as with the increase in tuition fees by 1,605$ per year.

• The total average cost of law school is $205744.
• The total average cost of law school tuition fee is 205,744$or 45$844 per year.
• Living expenses, on average, are 68,211$ or 22$737 per year.

Cost by year of law school

The cost of law school is increasing on an average basis, by $5326 after every five years. According to historical data, the tuition fee increases at all accredited law schools. Some experts attribute the rise in law tuition fees to the rise in IB faculty salaries, student faculty ratios, legal clinics for practical education, comprehensive school construction processes, and the growth of administrative staff rosters. 

• At its current pace, the cost of law school per year will be 51,170$ for the academic year of 2020 and 2021 per school.
• The approximate cost of law school from 2021 to 2022 will be 456,496.

Cost by school

Name of school	Cost per year
Albany Law school	16,338$ to $49,814
American University	$26,032 to $57,836
Appalachian School of law	$22 714 to $47,302
Arizona State University	$22,714 to $47302
Ave Maria school of law	$23834 to $43206
Barry university	$37430 to $37430
Baylor University	$ 20334 to $64512
Belmont university	$26425 to $46220
Boston college	$22 488 to $57150
Boston university	$20 026 to $56982

Same as the other fields of education, the public schools of law are cheaper than private institutions and give education to middle-class students and high-rich families. The cost of education for law in the public sector is roughly 21,126$ for the regular tuition fees. Within three ongoing years, the gap between the cost of public and private institutions is increasing to 63,378$.

• The most expensive law school is Columbia University, where the cost of law school per year is $72,360 per year.
• The least affordable law school is American University, where the tuition fees lay up to $15,510 per year.
• Due to annual living expenses, the most expensive law school is Standard University, where the cost is 39$ 177 per year.
• The least expensive and affordable law school due to annual living expenses is the University of North Dakota, where the cost lives up to $9,444 per year.

The table below does not indicate the cost differences between different states but only shows the cost of law school at different law schools.

Financial Aid Programs and Trends

One form of financial assistance for law students is to offer conditional scholarships. These scholarships are for those students who secure good and extraordinary grades on point average or class standings. Nowadays, the trend for conditional scholarships is decreasing, and the students who do not have them are likely to lose them.

• From 2011 to 2012, 61.4% of law schools offer conditional scholarships.
• From 2019 to 2020, 42.6% of law schools offered conditional scholarships
• From 2011 to 2012, 36.1 students lost their opportunity for conditional scholarships
• From 2019 to 2020, 9, 8% of law students lost their conditional scholarships.
• From 2011 to 2012, the grant aid for law schools was up to $4760.
• Public law school students receive $3,350 grand aid each year.
• The private slaw school receives 5,340 as grant aid.
• In 2018, 6% of students of law schools received grants from institutions by paying the full cost of their tuition fees.
• In 2018, 29% of law school students got grants from institutions by paying half their tuition fees.

Additional Cost of Law Schools to Become a Lawyer

At the end of education at law school, a student gets the degree of Juris Doctorate. The graduate must clear the bar exam to receive the license and practice law. The supreme court of the stare generally administers and regulates students’ bar exams.

• The average bar exam cost at law schools ranges from $200 to $1500, depending on the state. 
• With laptop use in the bar exam, the cost ranges from $100 to $150.
• The out-of-state attorney seeks to practice law in a new state and pay over $1200 to take a new bar exam.
• The fee cost for a law school application is $80.
• The average law school candidate can apply to 6 to 7 law schools, and the application fee is $480 to 560$ in total.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is law school worth it?

The average cost and expenses at any law school are very expensive. If you want to study in law school, you should be at the top of your class level and competitive enough to get admission to the best law schools. Before planning to get admission to law schools, you should ensure that you can avail yourself of the time for your law study, and you can arrange the possible large financial debt you can carry on the way long.

Are law schools expansive?

The price of law school is rising at its pace, with a total increase in tuition fees of $1065 per year. The average total cost of law school is 205,744$. The average total cost for tuition fees alone is $137,533 or 45,844 per year. The living expenses for law schools are $68,211 or 22737$ per year. 

Can I go to law school for free?

The good news for dedicated and passionate law students is that free law school options also exist. Whether you find a school or institution free or whether it will be the cheapest school in the state. You can get a quality education without worrying about going into debt.

How many years do you have to study to become a lawyer?

To become a lawyer usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school and four years of undergraduate study followed by the 3 years of study at law school. Many jurisdictions and states need lawyers to complete a JD degree from an accredited law school by the American Bar Association.

Do law schools have dorms?

Some law school students live on campuses, but it varies depending on the school graduates’ student housing policy and how expansive compared to off-campus housing options. Most big universities have graduate students’ housing options, but it is graduate student housing, not law student housing.

Conclusion

Understanding the expenditure and cost of law school is just one step ahead of the long career path. But if you are dedicated and passionate to become a skilled and professional lawyer, the costs and expenses do not matter at all.

Because being a lawyer, you can also dive into the various career opportunities of the job. Make sure that you use the available research and the right tools to make smart and practical choices and prepare yourself as a future lawyer.

References

• https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/21/only-23-percent-of-law-school-grads-say-their-education-was-worth-the-cost.html
• https://www.theguardian.com/law/2012/oct/23/training-to-be-a-solicitor-studying-law
• https://dus.psu.edu/pre-law/how-much-does-law-school-cost
• https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/ib-teacher-salary-SRCH_KO0,10.htm