Best Master’s in Legal Studies Programs in Washington
Seattle University offers Washington’s reviewed online master’s in compliance and risk management; this ranking compares its locally based degree with online alternatives from other states. Washington's Attorney General explains the My Health My Data Act as a privacy law addressing consumer health data beyond HIPAA's scope. That gives a master's in legal studies in Washington a specific technology-and-healthcare question to explore. If you work with customer information or health-related products, compare how programs teach privacy, legal research and the translation of rules into policy. The degree should support the kind of analysis your work actually needs.
Seattle University leads Washington's comparison for its local base and practical compliance curriculum. Albany Law adds explicit privacy and healthcare specialty routes, while USC offers concurrent certificates and regular live discussion. The order starts with compliance operations, then tests whether health-data questions require a more specialized course plan. Tuition differences and the actual mix of privacy and health courses matter more than proximity alone.
1reviewed university is based in Washington. 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 Washington
Scroll across the table to compare the study plan and price.
University
Study Format
Credits
Displayed Degree Price
Seattle UniversitySchool of Law’s Online Master of Legal Studies (MLS) in Compliance and Risk ManagementBased in this state
Online2 years
30
$47,880Calculated base tuition2026-2027
Albany Law SchoolAlbany Law School’s Online Master of Science (M.S.) ProgramsOnline alternative · NY
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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Seattle University's MLS is the Washington starting point when your work involves turning legal requirements into an operational compliance process. Investigations, auditing and report writing appear in the curriculum, with opportunities to examine healthcare, finance, data and cybersecurity applications. That is a practical foundation for an applicant whose interest began with Washington's consumer health-data rules. Albany Law and USC offer more explicitly named privacy routes, so compare the actual privacy and health-law course mix with Seattle's compliance focus.
Where it stands out. The 30-credit program runs part time over two years, fitting an applicant who wants the degree centered on compliance and risk management from the outset.
What to weigh. At $1,596 per credit, tuition calculates to $47,880 before fees. Ask how the eligible electives and assignments would address the data-governance questions you encounter, including the relationship between privacy analysis and compliance reporting.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
The online program requires 30 credits.
Core work includes investigations, auditing and report writing.
The degree is designed for part-time completion in two years.
Four to six live classes per term, recorded for later attendance
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
Compliance and Risk Management
Tuition and Rate Conditions
2026-2027. Online MLS tuition per credit; enrollment and semester fees are additional.
$1,596 per credit × 30 credits = $47,880 in base tuition.
Albany Law gives Washington applicants a precise subject comparison with Seattle University's broader compliance-and-risk degree. Its MS routes include Cybersecurity and Data Privacy and Health Law and Healthcare Compliance. If your interest is consumer health information beyond a traditional healthcare setting, ask which route lets you study the relevant privacy, organizational and health-law questions together. The distinction between those two specialties can help you decide whether the main learning goal concerns data practices or institutional healthcare responsibilities.
Where it stands out. Six- to seven-week asynchronous terms provide a different schedule to compare with USC's combination of live and self-paced activities while you continue working in Washington.
What to weigh. The 30-credit tuition calculation is $52,140 before scholarships, above Seattle's $47,880 before fees. Decide whether the specialized coursework justifies that difference using confirmed courses and your written award.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
30-credit master's for bachelor's-degree holders
Fully online and asynchronous
Six- to seven-week terms
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
Financial Compliance and Risk Management
Health Law and Healthcare Compliance
Human Resources: Law, Leadership, and Policy
Government Affairs and Advocacy
Admission Details
Bachelor's degree
Tuition and Rate Conditions
Calculated tuition for 30 credits at the listed rate before scholarships. Confirm the rate and scholarship offer for your entering term.
$1,738 per credit × 30 credits = $52,140 in base tuition.
USC is the Washington alternative for an applicant who wants a graduate certificate to make a legal specialty visible alongside the master's degree. Privacy Law and Cybersecurity and Health Care Compliance are among the certificate choices available with the online MSL, without an additional certificate charge. Seattle University's degree instead carries compliance and risk management in its title. Compare which option best describes the work you want to study when consumer health data crosses product, privacy and healthcare questions.
Where it stands out. The 21-unit program combines live discussion with self-paced coursework and can finish in as few as 16 months, a different pace from Seattle's two-year plan.
What to weigh. Published tuition is $70,224 before fees and other expenses, substantially above Seattle and Albany Law. USC estimates 12–16 weekly hours per class; evaluate both the premium and scheduled participation.
Enrollment restriction: The published online policy excludes residents of Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oregon, PR.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
You can earn a concurrent graduate certificate without an additional certificate charge.
Courses combine live and self-paced activities.
The program offers fall, spring and summer starts.
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
Business Law
Compliance
Entertainment Law and Industry
Financial Compliance
Health Care Compliance
Human Resources Law and Compliance
Privacy Law and Cybersecurity
Real Estate Law
Technology and Entrepreneurship Law
Admission Details
A bachelor's degree and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 are required.
No LSAT or GRE required.
Tuition and Rate Conditions
2026-2027. Published 21-unit online MSL tuition, excluding fees and living expenses.
$3,344 per credit × 21 credits = $70,224 in base tuition.
USC Gould offers an unlimited number of Yellow Ribbon awards to eligible candidates. Confirm your dollar award and remaining tuition with USC Veterans Certification.
Check Whether a Legal Studies Certificate Fits Your Degree
USC’s online MSL permits a concurrent graduate certificate without an additional certificate charge. For a Washington applicant, that is a reason to inspect the required courses and the credential awarded, not a reason to treat the certificate as a separate free degree.
The USC comparison identifies privacy and healthcare choices. Ask whether the certificate fits within your planned units and when it appears on the academic record. Use the degree cost guide to keep certificate charges distinct from the MSL’s tuition and fees.
Compare Legal Studies Tuition for Washington Students
Seattle University’s online MLS rate produces a calculated $47,880 for 30 credits before additional fees. Albany Law’s listed 30-credit MS tuition is $52,140 before scholarships, and USC publishes $70,224 for its 21-unit MSL. Fewer credits do not necessarily mean a smaller bill.
For a Washington budget, start with those degree totals and then request individual aid offers. Revisit Seattle’s compliance-focused curriculum alongside the other routes, so any additional expense is connected to specific coursework, teaching contact, or credentials you intend to use.
Comparing Washington Health-Data and Privacy Study
Read the Attorney General's health-data overview and identify a practical question about collecting, sharing or organizing information. Ask programs how students learn to trace a legal requirement and explain its implications for a product or process. Relevant electives may combine health law, privacy, consumer protection and contracts. Check how often the courses run and whether a project can cross those subjects. A healthcare concentration focused mainly on facility operations may address a different goal.
A privacy role can involve discussions among legal, technical and business staff. Legal studies may add useful analysis for someone who already understands the product or service. For a new career, compare the technical and industry experience in job descriptions. A law's existence does not establish a salary or job guarantee for a graduate.
Compliance Officer Pay in Washington
10th percentile pay
$60,650
Median annual pay
$88,790
90th percentile pay
$142,350
Washington has an estimated 11,130 compliance officer jobs. The occupation’s median annual wage is $88,790, with the 10th and 90th percentiles at $60,650 and $142,350.
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 Washington
Which MLS Courses Fit Washington Consumer Health-Data Work?+
Compare privacy, health law, consumer protection and contracts. Ask how students apply legal analysis to data practices and whether the curriculum lets you study those subjects together.
Is a Healthcare MLS the Same as a Privacy-Focused MLS in Washington?+
Read the course plan. A healthcare program may emphasize facilities or reimbursement, while your goal may concern data practices. Choose according to the specific assignments and electives available.
