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2026 Law School Rankings

Class of 2023 Post-Graduate Earnings

What law graduates actually earn 10 months after graduation. Self-reported salary data from 148 ABA-accredited law schools—see the full earnings spectrum from 25th to 75th percentile for private sector and median public sector salaries.

Private sector = law firms & business. Public = government, clerkships, public interest.

148
Law Schools
76% of 196 ABA-accredited schools
School-reported data Class of 2023
Self-reported salaries 10 months post-graduation Full percentile range View Methodology

Understanding Salary Data: Law graduate salaries often follow a "bimodal" pattern—many earn $60k–$90k at small firms while others earn $215k+ at large national firms. The median may not reflect what most graduates earn. Check the 25th–75th range for a clearer picture of earnings distribution.

Displaying 101 - 150 of 206 in total. [Read more.]

Tip: Click any header to sort by that column. Click again for a reverse sort.
Law School Graduate Salaries — sortable data table
No. Law School State Private 25th Private Median Private 75th Public Median
98 Michigan State University MI $75,000 $89,000 $142,700 $65,000
98 Stetson University FL $77,500 $85,000 $100,000 $65,000
98 U. of Nebraska-Lincoln NE $70,000 $85,000 $105,000 $65,000
98 Mercer University (GA) GA $65,000 $80,000 $99,200 $65,000
98 Charleston School of Law SC $60,000 $70,000 $90,000 $65,000
98 Mississippi College MS $60,000 $65,000 $80,000 $65,000
107 Catholic U. of America DC $95,000 $110,000 $215,000 $64,500
108 Villanova University PA $85,000 $110,000 $190,000 $64,431
109 Temple University (Beasley) PA $90,000 $150,000 $200,000 $64,000
109 U. of Maryland MD $73,507 $100,000 $198,375 $64,000
111 Case Western Reserve U. OH $81,350 $100,000 $175,000 $63,925
112 U. of Arkansas-Fayetteville AR $75,000 $85,000 $100,000 $63,751
113 U. of South Carolina SC $71,500 $90,000 $137,750 $63,000
114 Wake Forest University NC $90,000 $135,000 $190,000 $62,800
115 Indiana U.-Indianapolis IN $75,000 $100,000 $150,000 $62,500
115 Duquesne University PA $65,000 $80,000 $100,000 $62,500
115 Southern Illinois U. IL $58,500 $68,137 $80,750 $62,500
118 U. of Wisconsin-Madison WI $75,000 $100,000 $180,000 $62,400
119 Arizona State University AZ $100,000 $140,000 $175,000 $62,172
120 U. of Florida (Levin) FL $93,000 $140,000 $205,000 $61,711
121 Liberty University VA $66,250 $75,000 $82,000 $61,000
121 U. of Wyoming WY $66,000 $75,000 $87,000 $61,000
123 U. of Missouri-Columbia MO $70,000 $84,000 $170,000 $60,905
124 U. of Alabama AL $80,000 $150,000 $165,000 $60,500
124 Vermont Law School VT $85,000 $100,000 $125,000 $60,500
124 Widener (Commonwealth) PA $65,000 $73,000 $80,000 $60,500
127 U. of Iowa IA $80,000 $160,000 $200,000 $60,000
127 Florida State University FL $83,000 $90,000 $112,500 $60,000
127 U. of Mississippi MS $75,000 $90,000 $140,000 $60,000
127 Louisiana State-Baton Rouge LA $75,000 $88,000 $125,000 $60,000
127 Samford U. (Cumberland) AL $72,000 $81,000 $100,000 $60,000
127 U. of Missouri-Kansas City MO $72,000 $79,500 $120,000 $60,000
127 U. of Akron OH $65,000 $75,000 $104,000 $60,000
127 U. of Cincinnati OH $65,000 $71,000 $120,000 $60,000
135 U. of Baltimore MD $70,000 $85,000 $130,000 $59,379
136 U. of Tulsa OK $60,000 $75,000 $90,000 $59,107
137 Drake University IA $65,563 $77,500 $93,125 $58,656
138 Faulkner University (Jones) AL $60,000 $70,000 $95,000 $56,000
139 Drexel University (Kline) PA $90,000 $125,000 $185,000 $55,906
140 Widener (Delaware) DE $75,000 $85,000 $120,000 $55,811
141 Rutgers Law School (SUNJ) NJ $93,000 $152,500 $205,000 $55,267
141 Seton Hall University NJ $95,000 $140,000 $225,000 $55,267
143 Wayne State U. MI $85,000 $135,000 $150,000 $55,000
143 U. of Kentucky KY $60,000 $85,000 $125,000 $55,000
143 U. of Louisville (Brandeis) KY $56,250 $70,000 $116,250 $55,000
146 U. of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI $225,000 $225,000 $225,000 N/A
147 U. of Memphis TN $62,500 $94,000 $105,000 N/A
148 St. Thomas University FL $70,000 $80,000 $90,000 N/A
149 Appalachian School of Law VA N/A N/A N/A N/A
150 Arizona Summit Law School AZ N/A N/A N/A N/A
Tip: Click any header to sort by that column. Click again for a reverse sort.

About Class of 2023 Post-Graduate Earnings

Data Source & Timeline

This data represents self-reported starting salaries for the Class of 2023 measured approximately 10 months after graduation (spring 2024). These figures reflect what graduates were earning at that point—not immediate offers or current salaries.

Understanding the Columns

Column What It Represents
Private 25th / Median / 75th The 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile salaries for graduates working in private law firms or business/industry roles. A wide gap (e.g., $85k to $215k) indicates the school places students in two distinct markets.
Public Median The median salary for graduates working in government jobs, judicial clerkships, or non-profit public interest organizations.

Important Context

Bimodal Distribution: For many schools, law graduate salaries follow a "bimodal" pattern. Graduates often cluster into two groups: those earning $60k–$90k (small/regional firms) and those earning $215k+ (large national firms). Very few graduates actually earn the median figure. The 25th–75th percentile range provides a more accurate picture of the earnings distribution.

Data Reliability: Salary figures depend on the percentage of graduates who reported their earnings. Schools with low reporting rates may have less reliable data, potentially skewed toward high earners.

Exclusions: Jobs classified as "JD advantage" (positions where a JD is helpful but bar admission is not required) have been excluded from these figures.

Why "2026 Law School Rankings"?

ILRG designates this analysis as the 2026 Law School Rankings because it is built for applicants planning to start law school in fall 2026. The rankings rely on the ABA's most recent 509 disclosures (released December 2025), which report the fall 2025 entering class, 2024 bar passage, and 2024 employment outcomes.

Source: Data compiled from ABA 509 disclosures and information released publicly by the law schools. Next Release: December 2026.