JD (law degree): graduate earnings, debt, and careers
The Juris Doctor is reported as a first professional degree in Law (CIP 22.01). Lawyers must also pass a bar exam and meet state admission rules before practicing.
Median earnings, 1 yr after
$80,459
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) Verified data
Median earnings, 4 yrs after
$107,773
Verified data
Typical program median debt
Data unavailable
federal loans Data unavailable
Programs reporting
238
39,417 recent graduates Verified data
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 238 | 39,417 | $80,459 | $107,773 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 516 graduates measured | $226,792 | $308,943 | Data unavailable |
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 363 graduates measured | $220,974 | $291,132 | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 540 graduates measured | $219,153 | $255,401 | Data unavailable |
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 360 graduates measured | $218,872 | $302,120 | Data unavailable |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 310 graduates measured | $215,131 | $291,490 | Data unavailable |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus VA · Public · 436 graduates measured | $214,011 | $284,309 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 449 graduates measured | $212,732 | $226,996 | Data unavailable |
| University of Chicago IL · Private, nonprofit · 288 graduates measured | $209,927 | $279,203 | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 265 graduates measured | $207,632 | $203,028 | Data unavailable |
| Fordham University NY · Private, nonprofit · 511 graduates measured | $205,946 | $232,595 | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 510 graduates measured | $204,630 | $224,391 | Data unavailable |
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 616 graduates measured | $200,986 | $226,624 | Data unavailable |
| Vanderbilt University TN · Private, nonprofit · 246 graduates measured | $194,248 | $196,797 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 455 graduates measured | $178,034 | $177,968 | Data unavailable |
| Boston College MA · Private, nonprofit · 327 graduates measured | $175,620 | $190,940 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Law
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | $159,670 | +4.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Judicial law clerks | $64,920 | +2.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers | $117,860 | 0.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators | $75,530 | +4.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates | $153,990 | +2.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Law teachers, postsecondary | $128,500 | +2.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 22.0101 Law
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