Choosing a law school is a challenge even in the best of times. There are many good ones. In this uncertain economic climate, the choice is particularly important. Whatever the future may hold, I believe that a legal education is a productive investment because it will provide the foundation for a successful career. Whether you choose to serve society in private practice or prepare yourself for a leadership role in business, government or public interest, the problem solving and communication skills you learn and the knowledge you gain about our legal system will serve you well. In a changing society, the more skills you have, the more secure your future will be.
The key to choosing a law school in today’s climate is to obtain that legal education without taking on a crushing debt load. Many private law schools have annual tuition rates from $35,000 to almost $50,000 and are located in cities where the cost of living is high. It is no surprise that students at these schools must borrow heavily and that many begin their careers with far more than $100,000 in law school educational debt. This is not the moment to put yourself at the mercy of the credit markets and the banking industry by borrowing heavily, sometimes at fluctuating interest rates, to pay the high cost of private school tuition.
For this reason, more and more students are looking at state-supported law schools such as The University of Toledo College of Law. Our tuition is $17,985.40 for in-state residents and $27,729.40 for non-residents. Residents of the Michigan counties of Hillsdale, Lenawee, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne also pay in-state tuition. Our tuition is much lower than that at private schools. Also important, our cost of living is low. For example, a one-bedroom apartment close to our suburban location typically rents for $345 - $725. For these reasons, our graduates start their legal careers with much less debt and many can limit their borrowing to the safer and lower cost debt instruments offered through federally guaranteed student loans. Many find they also qualify for merit scholarship support, further reducing their debt burden.
As a law school with both full-time and part-time programs, we also offer you the opportunity to complete your degree even if your family or economic situation changes. If you begin your studies as a full-time student and your needs change, you can take a full-time job and complete your degree in our part-time evening program. Similarly, you can begin as a part-time student and later transfer to the full-time division.
Equally important to your choice, we are an old-fashioned law school where our highly-qualified faculty and staff still make students their first priority and students care about the community and each other. We have state-of-the art technology in our modern classrooms, a wide array of clinical courses and internships, an extensive library, and, overall, offer a top notch education, both within and outside the classroom. I hope you will visit us to learn more, meet our people and let us help you take charge of your future.
With best wishes,
Douglas E. Ray
Dean and Professor of Law
