2026 Best Dispute Resolution Schools in California

Dispute Resolution is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for dispute resolution students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Dispute Resolution Schools in California

Best Schools for Dispute Resolution in California

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall dispute resolution education in California.

Top Schools in Dispute Resolution

1

University Of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

31 Dispute Resolution Degrees Awarded

$72,887 Median Starting Salary

No school ranked higher than University Of Southern California this year for dispute resolution. University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. University Of Southern California graduates 92% of students within six years. University Of Southern California awarded about 31 dispute resolution degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, dispute resolution degree recipients from University Of Southern California generally make around $72,887. Typical student debt for the program is $15,625. Get the full dispute resolution details for University Of Southern California

2

Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

134 Dispute Resolution Degrees Awarded

$64,096 Median Starting Salary

Pepperdine University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in dispute resolution, ranking #2. Pepperdine University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Malibu. Roughly 83% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 134 dispute resolution degrees were awarded at Pepperdine University in the most recent year. Graduates of the dispute resolution program make about $64,096 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,645. Get the full dispute resolution details for Pepperdine University

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 3 schools evaluated.

• 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.