For law graduates and lawyers

U.S. law schools for an LL.M.

A one-year master of laws for people who already hold a law degree, such as an LLB. Compare tuition, English requirements and deadlines, then talk to an adviser.

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Costs are in USD as each law school publishes them. Cards show tuition and listed school fees only; health insurance and living costs are extra.

Lower budget

Our own grouping by overall yearly budget, not an official ranking. Cheapest first.

Reinbolt Hall on the St. Mary's University campus, San Antonio

St. Louis Hall at St. Mary's University, San Antonio

Law school

St. Mary's University School of Law

San Antonio, TX

Several LL.M. options, including an online American Legal Studies LL.M.

Costs at a glance

$41,212USD · per academic year

LL.M. tuition, 2026–27

$20,606 a semester for 10–14 credit hours (2026–27), $41,212 for two semesters. Student services, information services and bar prep fees are extra.

Application fee: None, unless via LSAC. LSAC is recommended for anyone planning to sit a state bar exam
Next deadline: 1 Jun 2027 · Fall 2027 priority deadline
English minimum: TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 6; exempt if a previous programme was taught in English

View costs, requirements & deadlines

Photo credits

Photos: “Reinbolt Hall at St Marys University 2021” by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0; “St Louis Hall St Marys” by 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Entrance to the University of Florida Levin College of Law

Levin College of Law sign among oak trees, University of Florida

Law school

University of Florida Levin College of Law

Gainesville, FL

LL.M. in Taxation, International Taxation, and a three-semester LL.M. in U.S. Law.

Costs at a glance

$42,490USD · per academic year

Tax LL.M. tuition and fees, out-of-state, 2026–27

$42,490 a year, out-of-state tuition and fees for the Tax LL.M. (2026–27). The U.S. Law LL.M. is priced separately: ask the school.

Application fee: Ask the school
Next deadline: 1 Apr 2027 · I-20 applicants: all documents received by
English minimum: TOEFL or IELTS required; no fixed minimum, but competitive applicants generally have TOEFL 100 or IELTS 7.0

View costs, requirements & deadlines

Photo credits

Photos: “Gville UF Levin Law01” by Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5; “UF College of Law” by WillMcC, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Indiana University Maurer School of Law building, Bloomington

Limestone tower and entrance of the Maurer School of Law in autumn

Law school

Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Bloomington, IN

24 credits over two semesters; fall or January start.

Costs at a glance

$48,974.90USD · per academic year

LL.M. tuition and fees, non-resident, 2026–27

$48,974.90 a year: tuition $46,680 plus student services ($1,522.04) and international student ($772.86) fees, 2026–27. Health insurance and books are extra.

Application fee: Ask the school
Next deadline: 15 May 2027 · Fall deadline
English minimum: TOEFL iBT 94 (band 5.0), IELTS 7.0, Duolingo 125 or TOEIC 830

View costs, requirements & deadlines

Photo credits

Photos: “IUB Mauer” by McAnt, CC BY-SA 3.0; “IUB - Law School - P1100601” by Vmenkov, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Old Main on the Wayne State University campus, Detroit

Education Building on the Wayne State University campus, Detroit

Law school

Wayne State University Law School

Detroit, MI

LL.M. in U.S. Law for internationally trained lawyers; fall or January start.

Costs at a glance

$1,477.90USD · per credit hour

Non-resident tuition per credit hour, 2026–27

$1,477.90 per credit hour, plus $69.63 a credit and $402.91 a semester in fees (2026–27 estimates).

Application fee: Ask the school
Next deadline: 1 Dec 2026 · Winter final
English minimum: TOEFL iBT 100 or IELTS 7.0

View costs, requirements & deadlines

Photo credits

Photos: “Old Main WSU - Detroit Michigan” by Del arte at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0; “Education Building Wayne State Univ A” by Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Mid budget

Our own grouping by overall yearly budget, not an official ranking. Cheapest first.

Chicago-Kent College of Law building on West Adams Street, Chicago

Main Building of the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago

Law school

Chicago-Kent College of Law

Chicago, IL

LL.M. options include global business and financial law, legal innovation and technology, international IP, and U.S., international and transnational law.

Costs at a glance

$44,250USD · per academic year

LL.M. tuition and fees, 2026–27

$44,250 a year: tuition of $22,000 a semester plus activity and fitness fees. The school's own total of $46,828 adds health insurance and a transit pass.

Application fee: Ask the school
Next deadline: 1 Apr 2027 · All documents strongly advised by
English minimum: Successful applicants typically have TOEFL 100, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 110; slightly lower scores may be considered

View costs, requirements & deadlines

Photo credits

Photos: “Illinois Institute of Technology's Downtown Chicago Campus” by Duncanr at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5; “IIT Main Building” by Joe Ravi, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

William H. Gates Hall, University of Washington School of Law

Law school

University of Washington School of Law

Seattle, WA

LL.M. options include General Law, Global Business Law and Asian and Comparative Law.

Costs at a glance

$51,114USD · per academic year

LL.M. in Asian & Comparative Law, non-resident, 2026–27

$51,114 for 3 quarters, 2026–27, for the LL.M. in Asian & Comparative Law. Other LL.M.s differ: Health Law $50,000; IP Law & Policy and Taxation $41,400.

Application fee: $90. Through the UW portal, or pay through LSAC instead
Next deadline: 15 Feb 2027 · Applicants needing a visa
English minimum: Minimum TOEFL 4 (80), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115

View costs, requirements & deadlines

Photo credits

Photos: “University of Washington Law School - William H. Gates Hall 02” by Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 4.0; “UW Law School” by Crewguy5 at English Wikipedia, Public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

School of Law entrance at George Gund Hall, Case Western Reserve University

Law school

Case Western Reserve University School of Law

Cleveland, OH

LL.M. in U.S. and Global Legal Studies: 24 credits, with bar exam support.

Costs at a glance

$66,600USD · per academic year

LL.M. tuition, full-time, 2026–27

$66,600 for 2026–27: $33,300 a semester for 10 or more credits.

Application fee: Ask the school
Next deadline: 1 Apr 2027 · Fall: recommended deadline
English minimum: Direct admission: TOEFL 4.0 (80), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 120. Fall admission with the Summer Language and Law Institute: TOEFL 3.5 (70–79), IELTS 6.0, Duolingo 115

View costs, requirements & deadlines

Charney Hall, Santa Clara University School of Law

Atrium and staircase inside Charney Hall, Santa Clara Law

Law school

Santa Clara University School of Law

Santa Clara, CA

LL.M. in U.S. Law, built for lawyers who plan to take the California bar exam.

Costs at a glance

$2,630USD · per unit

LL.M. tuition per unit, 2026–27

$2,630 per unit, plus a $135 international student fee (2026–27). Ask the school how many units your LL.M. takes.

Application fee: None. LSAC charges its own processing fees
Next deadline: 1 Nov 2026 · Spring, F-1 visa applicants (classes in January)
English minimum: TOEFL iBT 90, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 120

View costs, requirements & deadlines

Photo credits

Photos: “Santa Clara University School of Law 1460” by Cristiano Tomás, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Charney Hall Atrium” by Dabtwiki, CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Higher budget

Our own grouping by overall yearly budget, not an official ranking. Cheapest first.

Law school

Fordham University School of Law

New York, NY

Nine LL.M. options; all meet New York's rule for lawyers trained abroad to sit its bar exam.

Costs at a glance

$82,814USD · per academic year

LL.M. tuition and fees, full-time, 2026–27

$82,814 for 2026–27: tuition $81,592 plus $1,222 in fees, for nine months. Health insurance ($5,232) is charged unless waived.

Application fee: Ask the school
Next deadline: 1 Feb 2027 · Fall: priority scholarship deadline
English minimum: TOEFL 4.5 (100 on the old scale), IELTS 7, Duolingo 130

View costs, requirements & deadlines

Photo credits

Photos: “Fordham Law new building 2014” by Howchou, CC BY-SA 3.0; “New Fordham Law moot court 2” by Howchou, CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Berkeley Law sign in front of the law building

Law school

UC Berkeley School of Law

Berkeley, CA

Traditional nine-month track; apply through LSAC.

Costs at a glance

$84,837USD · per academic year

LL.M. tuition and fees, 2026–27

$84,837 for 2026–27: tuition and fees of $84,637 plus the $200 international office fee. Health insurance is extra. The university confirms fees each July.

Application fee: $80. Waived if the application is complete by 1 December
Next deadline: 1 Dec 2026 · Priority deadline (fee waived, decision by 15 January)
English minimum: TOEFL or IELTS, or a waiver request through the application; no minimum stated

View costs, requirements & deadlines

Law school

University of Chicago Law School

Chicago, IL

Taught over three quarters, October to June.

Costs at a glance

$86,856USD · per academic year

LL.M. tuition, 2026–27

$86,856 LL.M. tuition for 2026–27, plus a $1,560 graduate student services fee. About 30% of each class gets a merit grant, not included here.

Application fee: Ask the school
Next deadline: Ask the school
English minimum: TOEFL 104 (tests before 21 January 2026) or 5 on the new TOEFL scale; IELTS 7.5 overall with at least 7.0 in each section; Duolingo not accepted

View costs, requirements & deadlines

Photo credits

Photos: “Daytime reflection 7-26-09” by University of Chicago Law School Department of Communications, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Law school

Columbia Law School

New York, NY

A general LL.M. for students with a first degree in law.

Costs at a glance

$92,194USD · per academic year

LL.M. tuition and fees, 2026–27

$92,194 for 2026–27: tuition $88,996 plus $3,198 in university fees. Health insurance ($5,823) is extra unless waived.

Application fee: $85. Non-refundable
Next deadline: 2 Dec 2026 · Application deadline (postmark), autumn 2027 entry
English minimum: TOEFL 105 (tests before 21 January 2026) or 5.5 overall on the new scale with 5 in each section; IELTS 8

View costs, requirements & deadlines

Photo credits

Photos: “2014 Columbia Law School from 116th Street” by Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Columbia Law School - Arthur W Diamond Library” by Ajay Suresh, CC BY 2.0. Via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

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