Law Schools in Boston

Career Facts for Lawyers

Average Wage

Growth until 2024

$114,970

6%

Work Environment

Private and corporate legal offices and local and federal government.

States with Highest Employment

New York, California, Texas, Florida, Washington DC

Number of Jobs Nationwide

More Information

778,700 School Website

Source: United States Department of Labor

Law degrees are among the most challenging and widely respected degrees. They are the starting point of any legal career, followed by the bar exam of the state you will be practicing in. Lawyers may work in many different environments, such as private practice, corporations, government, or non-profits. Some lawyers do not even work in the legal field but in related areas such as counseling, arbitration, politics, or business.

The most common law degrees are:

  • Juris Doctor (JD): A JD degree is a requirement to practice law in the United States. You have to have a bachelor’s degree to be accepted into a JD program. Generally, this program takes about three years to complete.

  • Master of Laws (LLM): Unlike most master’s degrees, the Master of Law degree is to be taken after graduating from a JD degree. In essence, it allows you to specialize in specific areas of the law, such as taxation, environmental law, technology, and more. This program takes about one year to complete.

  • Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD): A Doctor of Juridical Science is the highest law degree granted in the United States. It will qualify you to work as a law professor in academic environments. The program can be finished in three years full-time. To apply for this degree, you will generally need to have a JD degree or an LLM degree and many years of practical work experience as a lawyer.

There are a number of related degrees in the legal area:

  • General Legal Studies: This is a four-year bachelor's degree and focuses on a broad understanding of the law without a law degree. Graduates of this degree often work in courts, government, or law offices or move on to study law. 

  • Paralegal/Legal Assistant: Paralegals and legal assistants do support work for lawyers, including research, managing documents, and organizing files. Generally, an associate degree is required for this job, which takes about two years.

 

Law Schools in Boston

Following are the Boston area law schools comparing cost, size, acceptance rate, location, and degrees. The schools are listed by the number of students attending, not rank. Please click on the school name for more information.

 

Legal Programs at Universities and Four-Year Colleges

Following are the Boston area colleges and universities with legal degrees comparing cost, size, acceptance rate, location, and degrees. The schools are listed by the number of students attending, not rank. Please click on the school name for more information.

School Tuition Selectivity Size Location Legal Studies Degrees - Popular Majors
Boston Unversity High Tuition Medium Selective Large College City Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyDegreeMSDoctorate Degree
Popular: Law Degree, Foreign Lawyers, Banking, Corporate and Securities Law, Tax Law, International Business Law
Harvard University High Tuition Very Selective Large College City Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyDegreeMSDoctorate Degree
Popular: Law Degree, General Legal Studies
Northeastern University High Tuition Very Selective Large College City Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's DegreeDegreeMSDoctorate Degree
Popular:  Law Degree, Legal Research, General Legal Studies
University of Massachusetts Low Tuition Medium Selective Large College Metro Boston Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's DegreeDegreeEmptyDoctorate Degree
Popular: Law Degree
Boston College High Tuition Very Selective Large College City Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyDegreeMSDoctorate Degree
Popular:  Law Degree, General Legal Studies
Tufts University High Tuition Very Selective Large College City Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyDegreeMS
Popular: International Law
Suffolk University Medium Tuition Somewhat Selective Large College City Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's DegreeDegreeMSDoctorate Degree
Popular: Law Degree, General Legal Studies, Paralegal
Lasell College> Medium Tuition Somewhat Selective Small College Metro Boston Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's Degree
Popular: General Legal Studies
Fisher College Medium Tuition Somewhat Selective Small College City Location DegreeEmptyAssociate Degree
Popular: Paralegal
Amherst College High Tuition Very Selective Small College Suburban Boston Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's Degree
Popular: General Legal Studies
Newbury College> Medium Tuition Somewhat Selective Small College Metro Boston Location DegreeEmptyAssociate DegreeBachelor's Degree
Popular:  Paralegal, General Legal Studies

 

Legal Programs at Two-Year Colleges and Community Colleges

Following are the Boston area two-year colleges with legal degrees comparing cost, size, acceptance rate, location, and degrees. The schools are listed by the number of students attending, not rank. Please click on the school name for more information.

School Tuition Selectivity Size Location Degrees
Quincy College Low Tuition Open Admission Medium Size College Metro Boston Location CertificateAssociate Degree
Popular: Paralegal
Bunker Hill Community College Low Tuition Open Admission Large College City Location CertificateAssociate Degree
Popular:  Paralegal
North Shore Community College Low Tuition Open Admission Medium Size College Suburban Boston Location CertificateAssociate Degree
Popular:  Paralegal, Legal SecretaryDegreeEmptyDegreeEmpty
Northern Essex Community College Low Tuition Open Admission Medium Size College Suburban Boston Location CertificateAssociate Degree
Popular: Paralegal
Massachusetts Bay Community College Low Tuition Open Admission Medium Size College Suburban Boston Location CertificateAssociate Degree
Popular: Paralegal