2026 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in Massachusetts

[Legal Professions](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong legal professions education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 28 schools to find the best return on investment for legal professions students.
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2026 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in Massachusetts
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in legal professions, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Legal Professions Schools
Our analysis ranked Middlesex Community College Bedford the best value for a degree in legal professions in Massachusetts. Set in the suburb of Bedford, Middlesex Community College Bedford is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,098, compared with $12,170 for out-of-state students. Legal Professions graduates carry a median of $11,602 in student loans. Soon after graduation, legal professions degree recipients from Middlesex Community College Bedford generally make around $48,427. That is a strong return on a $11,602 median debt.
Bunker Hill Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value legal professions schools. Located in the city of Boston, Bunker Hill Community College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $6,168 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $11,112. Students borrow a median of $11,893 to complete the legal professions program here. Legal Professions graduates of Bunker Hill Community College earn a median of $51,782 early in their careers. Set against $11,893 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in legal professions will find it at Harvard University, which ranked #3. Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. In-state tuition and fees average $61,676. Typical student debt for legal professions graduates is $16,616. Early-career legal professions graduates make about $175,880. Set against $16,616 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 4%.
Mount Wachusett Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in legal professions, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Gardner, Mount Wachusett Community College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,160, with out-of-state students paying around $11,080. Students borrow a median of $11,497 to complete the legal professions program here. Early-career legal professions graduates make about $43,883. Set against $11,497 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Amherst College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value legal professions schools. Located in the city of Amherst, Amherst College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,480. Students borrow a median of $15,398 to complete the legal professions program here. Legal Professions graduates of Amherst College earn a median of $59,271 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 9%.
University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth earned the #6 position for value in legal professions this year. University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of North Dartmouth. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,612, while out-of-state students pay about $32,567. Students borrow a median of $27,106 to complete the legal professions program here. Legal Professions graduates of University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth earn a median of $51,841 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Massachusetts Amherst came in at #7 for value in legal professions this year. Set in the city of Amherst, University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,772, with out-of-state students paying around $40,449. Students borrow a median of $23,000 to complete the legal professions program here. Soon after graduation, legal professions degree recipients from University Of Massachusetts Amherst generally make around $36,181. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Massachusetts Amherst admits about 60% of applicants.
Boston University placed #8 among the best values for legal professions. Set in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,102. Typical student debt for legal professions graduates is $25,232. Legal Professions graduates of Boston University earn a median of $113,736 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,232 median debt. The acceptance rate is 11%.
Suffolk University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value legal professions schools. Suffolk University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $47,550. Legal Professions graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Legal Professions graduates of Suffolk University earn a median of $54,934 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Western New England University earned the #10 position for value in legal professions this year. Western New England University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Springfield. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $47,820. Legal Professions graduates carry a median of $25,520 in student loans. Legal Professions graduates of Western New England University earn a median of $48,821 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
Northeastern University landed the #11 spot for legal professions value this year. Set in the city of Boston, Northeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $66,162 in tuition and fees. Legal Professions graduates carry a median of $25,611 in student loans. Legal Professions graduates of Northeastern University earn a median of $74,800 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Northeastern University admits about 5% of applicants.
Boston College came in at #12 for value in legal professions this year. Boston College is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chestnut Hill. Students from in state pay about $70,702 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for legal professions graduates is $18,101. Legal Professions graduates of Boston College earn a median of $117,864 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 16% of applicants are accepted.
More Legal Professions Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 28 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.