Best Master’s in Legal Studies Programs in Virginia
Virginia's State Corporation Commission provides business-registration tools, regulated-industry resources and public case information. A master's in legal studies in Virginia can be evaluated against any of those activities, but the best course plan depends on your goal. Start with the decision you want to understand, such as a contract, company record or agency proceeding. Then compare the legal research, business-law and administrative-law work the degree requires.
Regent leads the Virginia list for its concentration range, while Liberty supplies a lower advertised full-time price and a different Christian degree structure. Texas A&M adds professional tracks, and APU offers broad legal skills with frequent starts. The comparison separates business and regulatory learning goals from military pricing, which depends on the applicant's verified eligibility and planned course load.
2reviewed universities are based in Virginia. The other 2 choices are online alternatives based elsewhere. 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 Virginia
Scroll across the table to compare the study plan and price.
University
Study Format
Credits
Displayed Degree Price
Regent UniversityRegent Law School’s Online Master of Legal Studies (MLS)Based in this state
OnlineAs little as one year full time
32
$22,880Calculated base tuition2026–2027
Liberty UniversitySchool of Law’s Online Juris Master (JM)Based in this state
Online
30
$18,000Calculated base tuition2026–2027
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
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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Regent is the Virginia starting point for an applicant who wants to choose among several legal directions before committing. Business Law, Regulatory Compliance, Nonprofit and Church Law and other concentrations sit within a 32-credit MLS. For someone exploring an SCC public case or business record, that range can help turn a broad interest into a proposed course plan. Liberty's 30-credit JM has a different set of choices, so compare the actual legal subjects alongside both universities' Christian educational approaches.
Where it stands out. Regent fits when a named concentration serves several recurring responsibilities and the theological and philosophical components of its legal foundation are part of the education you want.
What to weigh. Tuition calculates to $22,880, plus $750 per semester in online services fees. A slower plan increases those recurring charges; request a full schedule-based comparison with Liberty.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
Online MLS with multiple concentrations
No LSAT requirement
Legal writing and constitutional law in the foundation
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
Advanced Paralegal Studies
Business Law
Constitutional Law
Criminal Law and the Justice System
Cybersecurity Law
Healthcare Law
Human Resources Law
Human Rights and Global Justice
Immigration Law
Legal Studies
National Security
Negotiation, Mediation, and Dispute Resolution
Nonprofit and Church Law
Regulatory Compliance
Admission Details
Transcripts and government-issued ID
No LSAT requirement
Tuition and Rate Conditions
2026–2027. Calculated tuition for 32 credits, before the $750 online university services fee charged each semester.
$715 per credit × 32 credits = $22,880 in base tuition.
Liberty is the Virginia option to inspect when a broad legal degree, online coursework and an explicitly Christian setting match your priorities. Its 30-credit JM includes American Legal Studies, International Legal Studies and Health Law choices, compared with Regent's larger menu of MLS concentrations. If an SCC business resource started your search, identify which relevant courses are actually in the proposed JM path before assuming the lower advertised tuition makes the curriculum equally suitable.
Where it stands out. Eight-week classes and separately published military rates create useful schedule and cost questions for a working applicant or an eligible service-connected student.
What to weigh. The $18,000 tuition calculation assumes the $600 full-time credit rate. Part-time study costs $665 per credit, and the separate $310 military rate requires qualification; fees remain additional.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
Online courses may include scheduled activities; check the course calendar
Christian educational setting
Separate full-time, part-time, and military rates
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
General
American Legal Studies
Compliance
Health Law
International Legal Studies
Admission Details
Bachelor's degree and college transcripts
Tuition and Rate Conditions
2026–2027. Calculated tuition for 30 credits at the full-time graduate rate. Part-time tuition is $665 per credit. Qualifying military students have a separate $310 rate. Fees are additional.
$600 per credit × 30 credits = $18,000 in base tuition.
The JM page publishes $310 per graduate credit for qualifying service members, veterans, military spouses, and Department of Defense employees. It also describes an application-fee waiver with military documentation.
Texas A&M gives Virginia applicants a broad professional concentration comparison beside Regent and Liberty. Its asynchronous MLS offers business compliance, risk management, cybersecurity, employment and other tracks within 30 credits. If the SCC record you want to understand involves a company decision or regulated business process, ask which route supplies the relevant legal foundation and substantive courses. The availability of several tracks is useful when it becomes a workable plan for the responsibilities you actually hold.
Where it stands out. Published tuition and fees total $36,000, with full-time and part-time options that allow you to compare the academic load against the two Virginia universities.
What to weigh. For a government-contracting goal, ask about specific courses rather than starting from general compliance. Distinguish optional campus experiences from any hybrid format attached to your chosen route.
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.
American Public University offers Virginia applicants another price and schedule reference for broad legal study. Its 36-credit MA covers legal research, writing, doctrine and procedure, with monthly starts and no fixed login times. That differs from selecting one of Regent's named professional concentrations. The program may be worth comparing when your goal is strengthening several legal skills for organizational work and you need frequent opportunities to begin, rather than a particular industry specialization.
Where it stands out. Standard tuition calculates to $16,920, while approved transfer credit can reduce required study. Compare the actual remaining credits with Liberty's 30-credit JM before evaluating the complete cost.
What to weigh. An $85 technology fee applies per course. Military and veteran prices use different eligibility categories, and transfer approval is individual; neither should be assumed in the initial 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.
Keep Full-Time and Part-Time Tuition in Separate Calculations
Liberty’s JM tuition distinguishes full-time, part-time, and qualifying military rates. A Virginia applicant planning to take fewer courses should calculate the degree using the rate that applies to that enrollment choice. A lower full-time price isn’t a reason to choose an unsustainable workload.
Use the Liberty comparison alongside the MLS budget guide. Ask how the university defines the enrollment category and what a later course reduction would do to your bill before making an employer reimbursement plan.
Have Transfer Credits Reviewed Before Choosing a Start Date
American Public University’s legal studies MA offers monthly starts and permits up to 15 approved transfer credits. For a Virginia applicant with prior graduate work, arrange the evaluation before selecting classes that might duplicate an accepted requirement.
The APU card shows a 36-credit degree before approved transfer work. Ask which courses remain, whether they have prerequisites, and when they begin. Monthly entry points provide options, but the sequence of your remaining courses determines the completion plan you can actually follow.
Choosing a Virginia MLS Beyond a Broad Business Label
Use an SCC case or business resource as a sample document when discussing programs. Ask how students learn to identify legal authority, read supporting records and explain a conclusion to a business audience. Check the availability of financial, utility or corporate electives according to your interest. For a government-contracting goal, review that subject separately rather than assuming every Virginia program emphasizes it. Your geographic location and the university's actual curriculum are different parts of the comparison.
Virginia State Corporation Commission supplies the state materials discussed here. Use them to question the curriculum, rather than assuming an MLS teaches the law of your state.
Using Legal Studies in Your Virginia Career
Business administration and regulatory case support involve different responsibilities even when both use legal records. Existing experience can help you choose the relevant courses. An MLS should strengthen a defined analytical skill. It does not by itself establish eligibility for an agency position, a procurement credential or a regulated profession.
Compliance Officer Pay in Virginia
10th percentile pay
$48,640
Median annual pay
$80,380
90th percentile pay
$133,620
Virginia has an estimated 15,190 compliance officer jobs. The occupation’s median annual wage is $80,380, with the 10th and 90th percentiles at $48,640 and $133,620.
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 Virginia
How Can Virginia's SCC Resources Help an MLS Applicant?+
Use a public case or business document to identify the legal research and analysis you want to learn. Ask how the curriculum teaches those skills and which electives address your industry.
Should a Virginia MLS Automatically Focus on Government Contracting?+
Choose that focus only when it matches your work and the actual course offerings. Compare corporate, financial or utility-law subjects as appropriate rather than assuming the location determines the curriculum.
