There are many ways to consider how a law school education might work out financially for a student. Even as tuition costs rise across the board, some law students are finding ways to borrow less.
At Michigan State University College of Law, where in-state tuition is $44,220, students are encouraged to consider every avenue of financial aid and scholarships. That can include federal loan and private loan support, as well as institutional and external donor scholarships.
“The vast majority of our students get a scholarship, and a large number of our students are offered full-tuition scholarships,” said Kathy Fox, MSU Law’s assistant dean for admissions and student financial support.
MSU Law in East Lansing, Michigan, also allows students to share what offers they’ve received from other law colleges in case MSU Law can do better.
“We are very committed to doing that when we can and when we have the resources to do so,” Fox said. “We work with our students to try to make sure that we’re the strongest offer that they’re receiving.”
While inflation drives up prices for everything from gas to groceries, some universities are working to keep tuition increases to a minimum. At MSU Law, that meant reducing overall enrollment to 160 from 220 students over the past few years. Fewer students mean a better distribution of resources, Fox said.
“The university and our team are really committed to growing the strength of our program as well as doing what we can to make sure the vast majority of our students come out without too much debt,” she said.
At Mercer University-Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, Georgia, where annual tuition runs about $46,000, an estimated 99% of students receive financial assistance such as scholarships, loans or work-study assignments.
The law school’s literature promises, “We work to keep the value of your degree high and the tuition as low as possible.”
Class of 2022 vs. Class of 2025
Schools shown had rising cost of attendance between the Classes of 2022 and 2025, while average graduate debt and the percentage of students borrowing declined. Sources: ABA; U.S. News & World Report
Comparing the Class of 2022 with the Class of 2025, student borrowing at Mercer Law School has fallen by 26%, despite the cost of attendance increasing by 13%. Average graduate debt at Mercer Law School has declined by 7% in the same period.
Mercer Law School’s financial aid advisors counsel students on an array of options, including federal direct subsidized and unsubsidized loans offered by the U.S. Department of Education. Federal student loan interest rates for new loans disbursed between July 2026 and June 2027 range from 6.52% to 9.07%, depending on the loan and borrower type.
