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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Law Schools in Illinois

2 Colleges in the United States
1,938 Law Degrees Awarded
$99,400 Avg Early-Career Salary

Law programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their law programs.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for law students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Law in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall law education in Illinois.

Top Schools in Law

1

Leading the list is Northwestern University, our #1 school for law. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 95%. About 293 law degrees were awarded at Northwestern University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, law degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $210,979. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete this degree. See the full law program report for Northwestern University

2

University Of Chicago is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in law, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit institution. About 96% of students finish within six years. About 199 law degrees were awarded at University Of Chicago in the most recent year. Law graduates of University Of Chicago earn a median of $199,603 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $15,854. More information about a degree in law from University Of Chicago

3

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in law, ranking #3. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 85%. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign awarded about 203 law degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their law degree from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn around $84,855 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $20,778. Get the full law details for University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign

4

Loyola University Chicago is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in law, ranking #4. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. About 75% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 351 law students who graduated with this degree at Loyola University Chicago in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, law degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago generally make around $83,184. Loyola University Chicago graduates carry a median of $23,521 in student loans. Read more about the law program at Loyola University Chicago

5

University Of Illinois At Chicago is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in law, ranking #5. This very large public university is located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 62% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Illinois At Chicago awarded about 301 law degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their law degree from University Of Illinois At Chicago earn around $62,322 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $20,115. Get the full law details for University Of Illinois At Chicago

6

Illinois Institute Of Technology ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best law schools. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 75% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 238 law students who graduated with this degree at Illinois Institute Of Technology in the most recent data year. Law graduates of Illinois Institute Of Technology earn a median of $73,249 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $26,774 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in law from Illinois Institute Of Technology

7
Depaul University crest
Depaul University
Chicago, IL

Depaul University earned the #7 position for law this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 68%. There were roughly 174 law students who graduated with this degree at Depaul University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the law program make about $68,344 in their early career. Depaul University graduates carry a median of $25,310 in student loans. See the full law program report for Depaul University

8

Northern Illinois University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best law schools. Set in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a large public institution. About 49% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 94 law students who graduated with this degree at Northern Illinois University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the law program make about $57,561 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $25,209 to complete this degree. See the full law program report for Northern Illinois University

9

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #9 for law this year. Located in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public university. Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduates 60% of students within six years. Southern Illinois University Carbondale awarded about 85 law degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the law program make about $54,507 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,730. Read more about the law program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

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Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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