Most Affordable Online Master’s in Legal Studies Programs, Ranked

APU opens this price comparison at $16,920 in standard base tuition. Its 36-credit MA costs less here than Liberty's 30-credit JM because the per-credit rate is lower. The price buys broad legal research, writing, doctrine, and procedure rather than a named professional concentration.

Where it stands out. Monthly starts and a possible transfer allowance give you two practical ways to revisit the budget. Have prior graduate work evaluated before comparing an individual offer with the full-degree figures on this page.

What to weigh. Add the $85 technology charge for each course. Military and veteran rates are separate eligibility categories, so neither discount is included in this first-place standard tuition figure.

Liberty's $18,000 JM figure assumes full-time enrollment. That puts it near APU at the inexpensive end of this comparison, but course load matters: the published part-time rate is $665 rather than $600 per credit. A slower plan changes the tuition itself.

Where it stands out. The eight-week format and lack of fixed login times may make full-time enrollment workable for some applicants. American, international, and health law choices give you distinct subjects to investigate within Liberty's Christian educational setting.

What to weigh. Do the workload calculation before choosing the rate. Regent offers more named concentration choices within a Christian curriculum, while Arizona supplies a different institutional setting at $22,500 in base tuition.

Arizona's 30-credit MLS works out to $22,500 at the published $750 online rate. Regent's lower per-credit price does not produce a lower degree figure here, because Regent requires 32 credits. This is why the complete degree belongs ahead of the headline rate in your comparison.

Where it stands out. The price covers a legal foundation with choices spanning compliance, environmental law, Indigenous peoples law and policy, and international trade. It is a useful budget starting point when you want several subject directions available.

What to weigh. Fees sit outside this calculation. A specialized environmental degree such as Lewis & Clark costs more here, but its subject depth may justify investigating a different budget if environmental law is your entire purpose.

Regent's $22,880 base tuition is close to Arizona's $22,500, but its $750 services fee is charged every semester. Two applicants taking the same 32 credits over different numbers of terms can therefore have different total bills.

Where it stands out. The concentration list includes immigration, national security, advanced paralegal studies, and nonprofit and church law. Those choices make the extra credits worth examining when a narrower legal subject drives your search.

What to weigh. Build the comparison around your actual semester count. Regent also teaches law through a Christian framework. Decide whether you want that academic perspective before weighing its price against Arizona or the shorter Liberty degree.

Tennessee publishes online costs of $744 per credit for residents and $819 for nonresidents. Applying those rates to the 30-credit MLS produces estimates of $22,320 and $24,570 respectively. The university's online cost model includes maintenance, online support and library charges, making it important to compare these figures with other schools' fee-inclusive estimates rather than tuition alone.

Where it stands out. Tennessee deserves early budget consideration for an applicant who wants research-oriented legal study without the much larger nonresident premium charged by some public universities. The asynchronous format also avoids a routine campus commute.

What to weigh. These are calculations at currently displayed rates, not a guaranteed price for every future semester. Additional course charges can apply. Confirm enrollment in the online program and ask for the complete bill; registering in a campus degree while taking online courses does not produce the same fee treatment.

FIU's remote Juris Master gives you a public-university option at a published approximate tuition of $24,726.30 for 30 credits. That is a whole-degree figure, so it is more useful for this comparison than the smaller annual tuition amount in a budget covering only part of the program. The JM combines legal foundations with choices connected to regulated professional work.

Where it stands out. Compare FIU if you want to keep the tuition commitment below the more expensive private-law-school options while studying remotely. Request the class timetable alongside your financial offer, especially if attending live sessions would affect paid work.

What to weigh. University fees run approximately $199 per term on top of tuition. Price all the terms in your intended schedule, including summer, and add books before treating the published tuition as your complete bill.

Cincinnati's nonresident tuition estimate is $26,730 for the 30-credit MLS, but the fee-inclusive comparison is $29,250. The difference comes from published general, technology and distance-learning charges. Keeping both figures in view gives you a more realistic budget for its defined sequence of online legal courses.

Where it stands out. The five-semester course plan helps you match academic bills with an employer's annual reimbursement limit. Ask whether reimbursement follows the term start, the payment date or the final grade, then map those rules to the program's actual calendar.

What to weigh. The nonresident estimate includes a $15-per-credit surcharge. Ohio residents pay less. The displayed calculation uses part-time per-credit charges, so have the university reprice your bill if you change the expected course load.

Pitt prices its online MSL in two parts: 15 core credits at $1,330 each and 15 specialization credits at $883 each. Its published $33,195 tuition total reflects both. The lower specialization rate makes the chosen subject area a substantial part of what you receive for the full investment, rather than a small elective addition.

Where it stands out. Pitt deserves a budget comparison when you already know the work you want to specialize in. If you are considering a certificate first, ask how admission to the degree, course timing and certificate credits would fit together before paying for either route.

What to weigh. Add the $112 technology fee each semester. And compare the combined tuition total: multiplying either the cheaper certificate rate or the higher core rate by all 30 credits produces the wrong price.

Utah's published rate produces $33,702.90 across 30 credits. The online MLS is a full-time, three-semester commitment, so tuition alone understates the financial decision if ten credits each semester would force you to reduce paid work.

Where it stands out. A defined fall start and course sequence make it possible to budget around a specific academic year. Legal research, regulation, ethics, and a healthcare concentration provide a clear set of subjects to evaluate before accepting that pace.

What to weigh. Texas A&M's displayed $36,000 includes tuition and fees and offers part-time enrollment. The difference in listed price is only useful after comparing Utah's applicable fees and the work schedule each program allows.

SMU advertises $35,010 in total MLS tuition, but that number excludes a required $100 distance-learning fee for every credit. Across 30 credits the charge adds $3,000, bringing tuition plus that fee to $38,010 before other expenses. That combined figure is the useful starting point when comparing SMU with a university that already includes online fees in its published total.

Where it stands out. SMU can be worth the additional cost for an applicant who specifically wants weekly live instruction and a two-term capstone. Compare that teaching model with lower-cost asynchronous choices before deciding what the extra expense buys.

What to weigh. Eligible alumni, employees or members of participating employer networks may qualify for a tuition reduction, but those conditions do not apply to every applicant. Confirm the award and whether fees remain payable. Payment plans can spread charges across the term; they should not be counted as a reduction in tuition.

ASU's online MLS budget here is $35,970 in tuition and fees, modeled as five six-credit terms at the university's published $7,194 term charge. That calculation gives a specific enrollment plan behind the number. Its range of emphasis areas can make the investment useful when you need legal study tied to an established professional role.

Where it stands out. The online schedule uses the same tuition and fees for residents and nonresidents. If you expect to keep a steady course load while working, take the six-credit plan to an advisor and have it matched to your chosen emphasis and course availability.

What to weigh. Changing the number of credits per term changes the estimate. This figure includes the fees in ASU's table, unlike tuition-only figures elsewhere in this comparison, but it still excludes books and other personal expenses.

Texas A&M lists $36,000 for online and hybrid MLS tuition and fees across 30 credits. That inclusion matters beside Northeastern's $37,860 tuition figure, which is before fees. Neither amount includes every personal expense, but they begin with different billing scopes.

Where it stands out. Asynchronous online tracks and both full-time and part-time enrollment let you consider several ways to spread the degree around earnings. Health, HR, cyber, education, and energy subjects also provide specific reasons to spend the money.

What to weigh. Confirm that your chosen track uses the delivery format you expect. Distinguish optional campus experiences from hybrid requirements, and add books and living expenses when turning the published program amount into a household budget.

Oklahoma's $37,360 nonresident tuition estimate needs a second number beside it: $6,441.60 in published per-credit fees across the 32-credit MLS. Semester fees come after that. For an Oklahoma resident, the lower tuition rate changes the comparison substantially, so this is a program where your residency classification deserves attention before your application budget is settled.

Where it stands out. Ask for a complete term-by-term quote for the online MLS and your proposed start date. Compare the subject choices with the policies or compliance work you expect to handle, then decide whether that curriculum justifies the total charge for your residency category.

What to weigh. The $117.50 semester fee accumulates with each term, and books are separate. A tuition-only comparison understates the amount you will need to pay here; scholarships or employer assistance should be evaluated against the full bill.

Northeastern's $37,860 tuition is paired with a published five-semester sequence. One course per eight-week term makes the payment and study rhythm relatively concrete. Compare that structure with Texas A&M's full-time and part-time options before choosing a similar price point.

Where it stands out. Business, health, HR, intellectual property, and public policy choices allow the same legal foundation to serve different jobs. Individual career coaching is a documented service to consider alongside the courses when assessing the expense.

What to weigh. Taking more than one course in a term requires a petition. Don't assume you can shorten the degree to reduce the number of terms, and include fees and annual rate changes in a personalized estimate.

Wake Forest publishes $38,520 in tuition for its 30-credit online MLS. Its fee pattern is unusual enough to matter when you plan enrollment: a $270 technology fee applies in fall and spring, with no technology fee for summer. The timing of your classes therefore affects expenses beyond the degree's per-credit tuition.

Where it stands out. Check employer discounts before comparing your offer with this standard price. The university identifies specific employer and workplace-network categories, so verify your own eligibility and any restrictions rather than assuming the advertised discount applies to everyone.

What to weigh. A longer schedule can add more fall or spring technology charges. Ask for the complete course calendar and book requirements so you can compare the final expected spending with a lower-priced program that covers the same professional need.

DePaul's standard 30-credit MLS is listed at $39,660 before fees. An approved professional-experience waiver can reduce the requirement to 24 credits, which makes prior work a budget question as well as an admissions detail. The table uses the full degree for a consistent starting point.

Where it stands out. Applicants with substantial law-related responsibilities should request the waiver evaluation alongside a tuition estimate. Business law and privacy study can give that existing work an academic focus, while required negotiation and compliance courses broaden it.

What to weigh. The reduced requirement is conditional. Many classes also meet live in the evening, and the standard plan lasts two and a half years. Compare that attendance commitment with Northeastern's stated course sequence before treating an eventual waiver as the deciding factor.

Miami's current program page lists tuition at $1,409 per credit. Multiplying that rate by the required 30 credits gives $42,270 for degree tuition. Its annual examples describe only part of the degree, so a smaller academic-year figure should not be treated as the cost to graduate. The university's separate attendance budget also includes personal expenses that are distinct from tuition.

Where it stands out. Miami belongs in a cost comparison when a defined industry track and the writing or project capstone provide enough value to justify the full degree expense. Request estimates for the actual part-time or full-time schedule you are considering.

What to weigh. Course materials and applicable additional charges can increase the bill, and future rates may change. Compare the complete 30-credit plan with another school's full-program estimate. A shorter annual bill resulting from fewer credits changes the payment timing, not necessarily the price of completing the degree.

McGeorge's per-unit tuition produces a degree estimate that needs to be read with its concentration format. Government law and policy, business, and water and environmental law have online routes. Health and HR use hybrid study, which adds a different kind of expense.

Where it stands out. For agency, advocacy, or water-related work, compare the specialized subjects with the broader degrees around this price. The value question is whether that concentration saves you from paying for a collection of less relevant electives elsewhere.

What to weigh. Tuition excludes fees and other expenses. Request the course calendar for the specific concentration and account for travel if it is hybrid. An online university page does not mean every McGeorge MSL path has the same attendance budget.

St. Mary's requires a course-load decision before a price comparison. The $42,840 estimate here uses its standard $1,428-per-credit MLS rate with every term kept within the one-to-seven-credit band. Different semester charges apply to heavier loads. That makes an individual course plan more useful than a single advertised degree total.

Where it stands out. If you need gradual part-time enrollment, ask the MLS director to build a plan for an online concentration and have financial assistance price that exact plan. Qualifying military students and sworn officers should request their own eligibility review before comparing a discounted offer with this standard tuition.

What to weigh. Student services and information services fees apply to online study as well as campus study. A shift into a different credit band can change both tuition and fees, so recheck the bill before adding or dropping a course.

UF's price depends heavily on who is applying. The university publishes total MSL tuition of $22,355 for Florida residents and $43,359 for nonresidents, before additional fees and course materials. The national comparison uses the nonresident figure so that remote access is not mistaken for resident eligibility. An eligible Florida applicant should therefore run a separate comparison using the resident bill.

Where it stands out. For a resident seeking detailed tax or estate-related coursework, UF may offer a materially different value proposition from its national price position. Match that coursework with a confirmed tuition classification before judging the cost.

What to weigh. The two prices cannot be blended into one universal bargain. The resident total is also rounded on UF's page, while billing follows the per-credit rate. Request a term-by-term estimate that includes university charges and any Jacksonville travel if you choose the hybrid option.

Drexel's $995 rate is for quarter credits. Multiplying it by the required 45 gives $44,775, so the apparently lower rate does not make the degree less expensive than a 30-credit program such as Northeastern. Its announced fall 2027 calendar change adds another planning question.

Where it stands out. The MLS builds investigations, auditing, reporting, and risk management into the core. Paying for that applied compliance foundation can make more sense than paying a similar amount for electives that only partly match your work.

What to weigh. Add the $125 annual online graduate fee and obtain the plan for your entering cohort. If you study across the semester transition, ask how remaining credits, course sequencing, and tuition will be handled.

UC Law SF estimates $45,000 for its 24-credit MLS. That is close to Drexel's displayed $44,775, but the academic purchase differs: UC Law SF includes an individually focused research paper, while Drexel centers compliance processes and a capstone.

Where it stands out. The research component may justify this price if you already have a regulatory or policy question you want to investigate in depth. Faculty-supported course planning lets you assess how the electives and project would connect.

What to weigh. Books, course fees, and applicable insurance are additional. Check which electives run online in your intended terms, including any prerequisites or permissions, before pricing a course plan built from the whole law-school catalog.

Florida State's position uses $45,806.70 in calculated nonresident base tuition. A Florida resident rate or an eligible waiver produces a different comparison, and the published out-of-state scholarship is conditional. You need your classification before deciding where this program belongs in your own price order.

Where it stands out. The asynchronous JM allows adjustable course loads and concentrations across financial, healthcare, employment, contracting, and technology risk. That combination may help you preserve paid work while completing graduate study.

What to weigh. A scholarship figure is not the default price for every nonresident. Compare a confirmed offer with programs such as Texas A&M, whose displayed amount has a different fee basis, and budget term by term.

Lewis & Clark lists $45,864 for its 26-credit online environmental MSL. The degree sits near several general legal master's programs in this price comparison, but your purchase is concentrated in environmental, natural resources, and energy law.

Where it stands out. Water, wildlife, coastal law, hazardous waste, and environmental justice provide concrete reasons to examine that specialization. Compare the actual environmental coursework with Arizona's less expensive broader MLS before deciding how much subject depth you need.

What to weigh. Other expenses are additional, and the MSL credits do not transfer into a JD. Paying this price makes the strongest sense when environmental legal knowledge is the goal itself, rather than a tentative route toward a different law degree.

Seattle University's online MLS directs your tuition toward compliance and risk management from the start. Its published $1,596 per-credit rate needs to be combined with the degree requirement and enrollment and semester fees, then compared with other applied compliance options.

Where it stands out. Legal methods lead into investigations, auditing, and reporting, so you can assess whether the curriculum resembles the responsibilities you want to develop. Drexel is a useful price-and-course comparison because it also makes compliance processes part of the core.

What to weigh. A broad legal interest alone is a weak reason to pay for this specialized route. Ask for the full two-year part-time bill, including recurring fees, and judge the difference against the precise courses you would use.

Seton Hall's MLS requires 31 credits, producing a $48,980 tuition estimate at the published $1,580 rate. Using a rounded 30-credit assumption would understate this degree's tuition. The concentration choices give you a way to judge whether the additional spending buys subject depth that fits your work in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, privacy or another regulated setting.

Where it stands out. Review the concentration's required courses with whoever approves your employer's education benefits. A clearly defined connection between coursework and job responsibilities gives you a more useful funding discussion than the degree title alone.

What to weigh. The university fee is $425 in a standard semester and $230 for MLS summer enrollment. Because those charges follow semesters, compare the total number of billed terms as well as the cost per credit.

Albany Law's 30-credit MS calculates to $52,140 at the listed rate before scholarships. A scholarship may change the offer, but the published amount is the appropriate starting point until you have the award and its renewal conditions in writing.

Where it stands out. Its specialized routes cover subjects including financial compliance, privacy, healthcare, HR, and government affairs. Compare their required work with lower-priced programs that offer the same broad subject labels, rather than assuming every concentration buys equivalent depth.

What to weigh. Short asynchronous terms still require a sustainable study plan. Request the scholarship terms and course sequence together so that a reduced course load or changed completion date does not undermine the budget you expected.

Loyola Chicago's online MJ in Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management carries $53,550 in calculated tuition for 30 credits. At that commitment, the decision should turn on the compliance curriculum and final project you intend to complete. A broad interest in learning about law is a weaker reason to pay this price than a defined need to improve a compliance program.

Where it stands out. The published six-semester schedule can help you spread tuition across work and family budgets. Consider whether the final project could address a real question at your organization, while checking any restrictions on using workplace information.

What to weigh. Technology fees vary with credit load. Online MJ students are excluded from the student development and CTA U-Pass fees, but optional campus immersion weekends can still add travel and lodging to your personal budget.

Vanderbilt publishes $59,640 in program tuition before online student health and services charges. Its 24-credit requirement should not be mistaken for an inexpensive degree: the full amount matters more than the credit count when comparing it with the 30-credit options here.

Where it stands out. One course at a time and regular live discussion offer a particular way to learn foundational law while working. Evaluate whether that teaching rhythm is worth the expense for your learning style and weekly availability.

What to weigh. Calculate the recurring charges across your planned enrollment. The Nashville experience is optional, so price it separately. Cornell provides a more expensive asynchronous comparison, while Northeastern offers another course-at-a-time structure at a lower listed tuition.

Emory sits toward the expensive end of this cost comparison. Published tuition is $65,160, and the stated $656 semester fee would add $3,280 over the normal five-semester sequence. That produces a current-rate tuition-and-fee calculation of $68,440 before books and materials. A higher price needs a specific academic justification, such as electives or applied exercises that directly match the applicant's learning goals.

Where it stands out. Compare Emory when its particular business, healthcare or technology coursework warrants a closer look and you have a realistic funding plan. Evaluate a written scholarship offer alongside the undiscounted cost.

What to weigh. Merit awards are limited, and the published association scholarship has membership and entry-year conditions. Emory also states that students receive only the highest qualifying scholarship, rather than stacking awards. Avoid subtracting a hypothetical discount from the budget before the university confirms it.

Northwestern's part-time online MSL calculates to $68,376 for 28 credits at the 2026–27 rate. That substantial tuition commitment is best evaluated against the program's intersection of law, business and technology, especially if you already work in a technical field. An employer's contribution changes your personal cost, but it does not change the standard tuition shown here.

Where it stands out. Before accepting an offer, identify the courses that address your own technical, regulatory or product responsibilities. Then compare that specific plan with less expensive legal studies degrees rather than paying mainly for the university name.

What to weigh. Online students also complete required coursework in Chicago. Allow for travel and time away from work, and check health-insurance requirements. Those expenses sit outside the per-credit calculation and can matter to a remote student's budget.

Cornell's 2026–2027 MSLS rate is $2,332 per credit, giving $69,960 for 30 credits. That places it close to USC in displayed degree tuition, although Cornell's asynchronous, no-campus format and USC's live interaction create different scheduling commitments.

Where it stands out. A business-oriented curriculum developed for MSLS students provides a specific academic reason to consider the expense. Contracts, compliance, finance, HR, and a capstone are more useful comparison points than the university name alone.

What to weigh. Cornell estimates 15 to 20 study hours each week and advises that tuition can increase annually. A 20-month plan may cross rate years, so the multiplication is a base estimate rather than a locked price for the entire enrollment period.

USC's 21-unit online MSL lists $70,224 in tuition. Fewer required units do not make it cheaper than the 30-credit Cornell degree in this comparison. Assess the complete bill and the specific certificate you would earn alongside the master's.

Where it stands out. Compliance, privacy, entertainment, and HR certificate choices can make the degree's focus easier to explain professionally. The comparison with Cornell turns on that certificate structure and live contact, as well as their similar tuition amounts.

What to weigh. Fees and living expenses are excluded. USC estimates 12 to 16 hours of work per class each week, and published state exclusions can make the program ineligible for your address before price even becomes relevant.

UCLA's MLS starts this comparison with $70,278 in calculated tuition for 26 units. Campus and university fees are charged across remote, hybrid and campus options, so studying remotely does not remove those charges. Evaluate the particular specialization and access to instruction you will use before taking on a tuition commitment at this level.

Where it stands out. The school's employer-reimbursement matching scholarship is worth discussing if your organization already helps with graduate tuition. Ask UCLA to explain your award, the matching conditions and how the benefit applies across your intended semesters before setting an out-of-pocket budget.

What to weigh. Health insurance is another substantial separate expense unless you receive an approved waiver. Confirm the attendance pattern for your chosen option, along with fees and insurance, before comparing UCLA's tuition with a program whose published estimate already includes some of those charges.

Pepperdine's 26-unit online MLS calculates to $72,150 using the 2026–2027 rate. Two required Malibu weekend residencies mean that flights, accommodation, and time away from work need a place beside tuition in this comparison.

Where it stands out. The residencies use simulations, giving a practical reason to pay for in-person participation if conflict resolution or litigation support is central to your goal. Compare that experience with the fully remote alternatives before deciding that travel is a cost you want to take on.

What to weigh. The calculated tuition excludes fees, books, living costs, and campus travel. This is the highest displayed base price in the reviewed online comparison, so the case for it needs to rest on a particular curriculum and teaching format you value.