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Law Degrees Trends
#28Most Popular Major
36.4kDegrees Awarded
239Schools Offering Degrees
Law was the 28th most popular major in the 2021-2022 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 36,411 degrees in this year alone.
ADBLOCK #159
Our 2025 Best Law Schools ranking analyzes 26 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for law students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of law programs later in this article.
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Law Degree Requirements
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times is a required skill for law majors. Required skills include using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems and understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
ADBLOCK #171
Law Degree Program Entry Requirements
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Specific law careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
Types of Law Degrees
There are many different law degree levels. Law programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest law degree you can get. Depending on the law degree you choose, obtaining your diploma can take anwhere from 1 to 4+ years.
Degree
Credit Requirements
Typical Program Length
Associate Degree
60-70 credits
2 years
Bachelor’s Degree
120 credits
4 years
Master’s Degree
50-70 credits
1-3 years
Doctorate
Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation
At least 4 years
A doctor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to law, with approximately 35.1% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for law workers below.
Level of Education
Percentage of Workers
Doctoral Degree
36.7%
First Professional Degree
28.8%
High School Diploma
7.2%
Bachelor’s Degree
6.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
5.7%
ADBLOCK #172
Most workers in law have at least a master's degree. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in law have obtained.
The education level required is different depending on the law career you are seeking.
Law Careers
AverageNumber of Jobs
$85.4kAverage Starting Salary
8% GrowthJob Outlook 2016-26
Solid Growth Projected for Law Careers
Want a job when you graduate with your law degree? Law careers are expected to grow 8.1% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to law.
Occupation Name
Projected Jobs
Expected Growth
Lawyers
857,500
8.2%
Judges, and Magistrates
30,000
5.6%
Law Professors
23,800
12.3%
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
16,000
3.9%
Judicial Law Clerks
14,800
5.7%
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How Much Money Do People With a Law Degree Make?
Recently graduated law students earned an average of $85,438 in <nil>. Earnings can range from as low as $20,330 to as high as $220,843. As you might expect, salaries for law graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
High Paying Careers for Law Majors
Salaries for law graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers law grads often go into.
Occupation Name
Median Average Salary
Lawyers
$144,230
Law Professors
$130,710
Judges, and Magistrates
$121,130
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
$101,210
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
$72,760
ADBLOCK #173
Getting Your Law Degree
With over 226 different law degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased law school rankings to help you with this.
by our College Data Analytics Team
