One mistake I often see students make when choosing a law school is focusing too much on tuition costs without considering what happens after graduation. Attending a cheap law school can save you tens of thousands of dollars, but you also need to consider how well the school prepares you to pass the bar exam and find a job.
In this guide, I've compiled the 20 cheapest ABA-accredited law schools in the U.S., and I'll show you exactly how to evaluate their bar passage rates and employment outcomes. That way, you can find the right school that offers the best value. My goal is to help you find a law school that fits your budget without compromising education quality and your career goals.
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Top 20 Cheapest Law Schools in the US
I ranked the schools below based on tuition and mandatory fees rather than the estimated total cost of attendance because living expenses vary significantly from person to person.
| Our Rank |
Law School |
Annual In-State Tuition & Fees |
Annual Out-of-State Tuition & Fees |
Annual Estimated Total Cost (In-State)* |
Annual Estimated Total Cost (Out-of-State)* |
| 1 |
University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law |
$13,438 |
$25,873 |
$54,739 |
$67,173 |
| 2 |
Florida A&M University College of Law |
$13,816 |
$33,077 |
$45,746 |
$65,164 |
| 3 |
CUNY School of Law |
$16,014 |
$26,204 |
$49,076 |
$59,266 |
| 4 |
North Carolina Central University School of Law |
$16,624 |
$40,050 |
$48,029 |
$71,455 |
| 5 |
UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law |
$17,564 |
$33,974 |
$43,023 |
$59,433 |
| 6 |
Georgia State University College of Law |
$17,758 |
$40,456 |
$44,512 |
$67,210 |
| 7 |
University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law |
$17,814 |
$38,928 |
$35,848 |
$56,962 |
| 8 |
Southern University Law Center |
$17,834 |
$32,834 |
$52,520 |
$67,520 |
| 9 |
University of Nebraska College of Law |
$18,651 |
$42,831 |
$42,121 |
$66,301 |
| 10 |
UNT Dallas College of Law |
$18,767 |
$31,889 |
$43,405 |
$56,527 |
| 11 |
University of Georgia School of Law |
$19,734 |
$41,646 |
$45,678 |
$68,156 |
| 12 |
Thurgood Marshall School of Law (Texas Southern University) |
$20,418 |
$27,318 |
$49,202 |
$56,102 |
| 13 |
University of Arkansas School of Law |
$20,454 |
$45,190 |
$43,526 |
$68,262 |
| 14 |
University of North Dakota School of Law |
$20,689 |
$39,467 |
$41,759 |
$60,537 |
| 15 |
Florida State University College of Law |
$20,694 |
$46,009 |
$44,154 |
$70,739 |
| 16 |
University of Tennessee College of Law |
$20,710 |
$39,496 |
$46,926 |
$65,712 |
| 17 |
University of New Mexico School of Law |
$21,020 |
$44,738 |
$44,952 |
$68,670 |
| 18 |
FIU College of Law |
$21,114 |
$38,551 |
$54,920 |
$72,357 |
| 19 |
University of Mississippi School of Law |
$21,130 |
$28,260 |
$49,110 |
$56,240 |
| 20 |
University of Florida Levin College of Law |
$21,857 |
$42,396 |
$48,503 |
$69,042 |
*Includes tuition, fees, and each school’s estimated living expenses.
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Is a Cheap Law School Worth It?
Yes, attending a low-cost law school can be worth it if you choose the program strategically. One of the biggest advantages of cheaper schools is graduating with much less debt than higher-ranked schools. According to the American Bar Association, the median law school loan debt for recent law school graduates is $112,500. However, I wouldn't recommend choosing a law school simply because it's the lowest price. Below, I’ll explain how I would narrow down the best low-cost law schools.
How to Pick the Best Low-Cost Law School For You
- Start with where you want to practice law. If you plan to work in a specific state, start by making a list of the accredited law schools in that state. Compare their estimated total cost of attendance and narrow your list to schools you can realistically afford.
- Compare bar passage rates. This step is arguably the most important because bar passage rates are the clearest indicator of how well a law school prepares students for the licensure exam. To find this information, go to the ABA bar passage page, select the most recent year, and the school you want to search. The higher the rate, the better the school.
- Review employment outcomes. Once you've narrowed your list, use the ABA's Employment Summary Reports to see which schools have the highest percentage of graduates securing full-time, long-term jobs that require bar admission. This should help you finalize your list and decide which school offers the best value for its tuition.
For example, if you want to practice at a law firm in North Carolina, attending UNC Law with a substantial scholarship or Wake Forest Law with a full ride would make much more financial sense than attending Duke Law at full price. As Mika MacDonald, one of our law school admissions experts, said in our webinar How to Get into T14 Law Schools:
"Debt is a trap, so try to get scholarships or financial aid. Go to the school that will make the transition to real life post-law school way less painful. It won't saddle you with the sort of debt that traps you. Try to get into the best schools possible but also at the best prices possible."
Taking on six figures of debt can limit your career options after graduation, especially if you want to pursue public interest law or another legal career with a more modest salary. Graduating with less debt gives you more financial freedom to choose a career based on your interests rather than your student loan payments.
One of the best ways to reduce that debt is to earn a merit scholarship, and a strong LSAT score can help you get one. So, if your goal is to win a spot at a competitive law school with a scholarship, I recommend working with our LSAT tutors, who have all scored 173+ on their exams. With their help, we guarantee you a score of at least 165+ on your next test.
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FAQs
Are There Any Free Law Schools in the US?
No, there are no free public or private schools, but you can attend law school tuition-free if you receive a full-tuition scholarship based on financial need or academic performance.
How Do You Pay for Law School if You Don’t Have Much Money?
You can pay for law school when you don’t have much money by choosing a lower-cost school and combining merit-based scholarships, need-based financial aid, and student loans. Complete the FAFSA to determine your eligibility for federal financial aid, and compare scholarship offers from different law schools before committing.
Which Cheap Law School Is the Easiest to Get Into?
The University of North Dakota School of Law is the easiest to get into among the 20 cheapest law schools on our list, with a 63.09% acceptance rate in 2025. Here are five affordable law schools with relatively high acceptance rates:
- University of North Dakota School of Law (Grand Forks, ND)
- Acceptance Rate: 63.09%
- Median GPA / LSAT: 3.48 / 151
- In-State Tuition & Fees: $20,689 per year
- University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law (Vermillion, SD)
- Acceptance Rate: 62.47%
- Median GPA / LSAT: 3.47 / 152
- In-State Tuition & Fees: $17,814 per year
- Southern University Law Center (Baton Rouge, LA)
- Acceptance Rate: 56.55%
- Median GPA / LSAT: 3.15 / 147
- In-State Tuition & Fees: $17,834 per year
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law (Little Rock, AR)
- Acceptance Rate: 54.89%
- Median GPA / LSAT: 3.41 / 153
- In-State Tuition & Fees: $17,564 per year
- University of Mississippi School of Law (University, MS)
- Acceptance Rate: 41.96% (402 offers from 958 applications)
- Median GPA / LSAT: 3.68 / 157
- In-State Tuition & Fees: $21,130 per year
What Is the Average Amount of Debt Law Students Have?
Law school graduates who borrowed reported a median of $112,500 in JD student loan debt, according to the American Bar Association. When including loans from previous education, their median total student loan debt was $137,500.
What Is the Best-Value Law School in the US?
The University of Georgia School of Law offers the best overall value law school in the US when considering tuition, bar passage, and employment outcomes. According to the latest ABA data:
- 88.37% of its first-time bar exam takers passed in 2025
- 93.53% of its 2025 graduates secured full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar admission or anticipated bar admission within approximately 10 months of graduation.
With annual in-state tuition and fees of $19,734, the school combines affordability with strong career outcomes.
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