Best Master’s in Legal Studies Programs for Hawaii
Studying online from Hawaii begins with a calendar check. A mainland evening class may land inside your workday, and a short campus residency can still add substantial travel. For a master's in legal studies, compare those obligations alongside the curriculum. Hawaii's Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs provides business and professional-license verification resources that can help you explore a practical focus in regulatory administration or consumer protection.
Hawaii applicants need a workable calendar before comparing prestigious names. Texas A&M and APU state asynchronous or unrestricted-login formats, while Cornell expressly rules out required campus visits. The list then separates specialized business study from lower-cost general legal skills and a higher-priced business-professional curriculum, using DCCA records as a practical subject reference.
The 3 universities below offer online study from outside Hawaii. Known published enrollment exclusions are applied. Confirm authorization for your address and start date with the university. Our ranking criteria.
Compare the Legal Studies Options for Hawaii
Scroll across the table to compare the study plan and price.
University
Study Format
Credits
Displayed Degree Price
Texas A&M UniversitySchool of Law’s Online Master of Legal Studies (MLS)Online alternative · TX
Online1 to 2 years
30
$36,000Published tuition and fees
American Public UniversitySchool of Security & Global Studies’ Online Master of Arts in Legal Studies (MA)Online alternative · WV
Online
36
$16,920Calculated base tuition
Cornell UniversityCornell Law School’s Online Master of Science in Legal Studies (M.S.L.S.)Online alternative · NY
Online20 months part time
30
$69,960Calculated base tuition2026–2027
Tuition amounts use the conditions shown in each card; fees and academic years vary. Table controls change this comparison view. The full reviews below retain their original ranking order.
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Texas A&M starts this Hawaii comparison with asynchronous online courses and business and compliance routes within a 30-credit MLS. That reduces dependence on a mainland evening lecture time. Its $36,000 tuition-and-fee total gives you a clear figure to evaluate against APU's lower tuition and Cornell's more expensive business-oriented degree.
Where it stands out. If DCCA business or licensing records resemble the information you review at work, ask how the Business Law & Compliance track teaches the obligations behind those records. Request the full calendar, including any group work, before assuming every task happens on your schedule.
What to weigh. Books and living expenses sit outside the published total. APU provides general legal study at a lower base tuition, while Cornell expressly states there are no required campus visits. Confirm the conditions of your exact Texas A&M route rather than relying on the university-wide online label.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
The MLS requires 30 credits.
Online coursework uses an asynchronous format.
Fall, spring and summer starts are available.
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
General Legal Studies
Business Law & Compliance
Cybersecurity Law & Policy
Education Law and Policy
Energy & Environmental Law
Health Law, Policy & Management
HR & Employment Law, Policy & Management
Intellectual Property, Technology, & Innovation
Risk Management & Compliance
Admission Details
The MLS is designed for degree-holding professionals.
No entrance exam required.
Tuition and Rate Conditions
Published MLS online and hybrid tuition and fees for the full 30-credit program; living expenses and books excluded.
$1,200 per credit × 30 credits = $36,000 in base tuition.
APU offers Hawaii residents legal study without fixed login times and with monthly course starts. The 36-credit MA covers legal research, writing, doctrine and procedure, with calculated standard tuition of $16,920 before course technology fees. Those features make it a useful budget and scheduling comparison if DCCA licensing or business records have prompted you to seek broader legal skills.
Where it stands out. Consider APU when an entry date needs to match employer funding or personal commitments and general legal study fits your work. Up to 15 credits may transfer after approval, worth investigating if you have prior graduate coursework.
What to weigh. Texas A&M offers named business and risk-management tracks, while APU's degree is broader. Check the relevant course depth before choosing the lower price. No fixed login time also doesn't remove deadlines, and the $85 technology fee per course must be included in your budget.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
Monthly course starts
Up to 15 approved transfer credits
No entrance exams
Admission Details
Bachelor's degree or higher
No entrance exams
Tuition and Rate Conditions
Calculated standard tuition for 36 credits before the $85 technology fee per course and other fees. Military, veteran, and opportunity grants have separate eligibility conditions.
$470 per credit × 36 credits = $16,920 in base tuition.
The program lists $250 per credit for qualifying active-duty, Guard, Reserve, and military family students, and $399.50 with the veteran grant. The master's technology fee still applies.
Cornell gives a Hawaii applicant an explicit no-campus-visit option with a business-professional focus. Its online MSLS is asynchronous, runs part time over 20 months and requires 30 credits. Contracts, compliance, risk, HR and finance frame the curriculum, making it a useful comparison when the work behind a DCCA business record connects with several responsibilities across an organization.
Where it stands out. Ask whether the capstone can examine a legal process you encounter at work, using public information where needed. The defined MSLS course list should let you inspect how much of the degree serves that purpose before applying.
What to weigh. Calculated tuition is $69,960 before fees and future annual increases, well above Texas A&M and APU. Cornell estimates 15 to 20 weekly study hours. Remote delivery saves campus travel, but it doesn't by itself explain the price difference or reduce the academic workload.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
No required campus visits
No LSAT, GRE, or GMAT
A capstone completes the degree
Admission Details
Bachelor's degree or international equivalent
No LSAT, GRE, or GMAT
Tuition and Rate Conditions
2026–2027. Calculated tuition for 30 credits at the published 2026–2027 MSLS rate. Cornell advises that per-credit tuition can increase each academic year; fees are additional.
$2,332 per credit × 30 credits = $69,960 in base tuition.
Distinguishing a Remote Degree From a Remote Routine
Hawaii's shortlist includes different reasons a program can work from home. Cornell's MSLS admissions page states that campus visits are not required. That removes one travel question, but you still need the meeting schedule, group-work expectations and assessment windows. The Cornell comparison for Hawaii weighs that commitment against Texas A&M's asynchronous MLS. Use the online legal studies rankings to keep physical attendance separate from weekly attendance. Ask each university to describe a complete typical week, including activities that happen outside the scheduled lecture or recorded lesson.
Evaluating Transfer Credits Before Planning a Return to Study
A Hawaii resident bringing earlier graduate coursework should request an evaluation before setting a completion target. APU's MA in Legal Studies allows up to 15 approved transfer credits and offers monthly course starts. Those policies can be useful together, but approved credits must fit the actual degree requirements. Ask for a remaining course sequence and check when each course is offered. Our tuition planning guide explains how the credits you still need drive the budget. Preserve enough time for the research and writing work that motivated returning to college in the first place.
Planning an Online MLS Around Hawaii Time
Ask for a term calendar with every required live session, exam window and group assignment. Convert the times before comparing schools, and get the policy for any campus visit in writing. For regulatory administration, look for administrative law, contracts, consumer protection and legal writing. Use DCCA's verification tools as an example of the public records your work may involve. The useful program is one whose assignments and attendance requirements both fit the life you're maintaining in Hawaii.
Working with licensing or business records calls for attention to detail and an understanding of what a record establishes. An MLS may add legal research and communication skills to administrative experience. It should not be confused with a license issued to practice a separate profession. Review the relevant board's requirements if your goal includes a regulated occupation.
Compliance Officer Pay in Hawaii
10th percentile pay
$53,270
Median annual pay
$82,590
90th percentile pay
$117,350
Hawaii has an estimated 1,270 compliance officer jobs. The occupation’s median annual wage is $82,590, with the 10th and 90th percentiles at $53,270 and $117,350.
BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 13-1041. Occupation wages cover workers with varied education and experience; these are not MLS graduate outcomes or starting salary estimates. BLS compliance officer wage data.
Each ranking card contains the university sources for its curriculum, admission, delivery, and tuition details.
Questions About Legal Studies in Hawaii
What Is the Biggest Scheduling Issue for Hawaii Online MLS Students?+
Check when required mainland classes occur in Hawaii time, including changes across the academic year. Group work, exams and office hours matter as much as lectures. Price any required campus travel before comparing total cost.
Does an MLS Provide a Hawaii Professional License?+
The degree is graduate legal education. For a separately regulated occupation, use DCCA's professional licensing resources to identify the responsible board and its requirements. Don't infer a professional qualification from a concentration name.
