Northwestern Law Makes Smallest Tuition Increase in 40 Years

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

With all the hoopla of law school promises that lead to debt, regret, and broken dreams, Northwestern University of Law is making a concession. They announced on March 27 that they would raise tuition to roughly match inflation, no more, making it climb 3 percent from $51,630 to $53,168 this year.

Explained Dean Daniel Rodriguez: “During these challenging economic times, the law school is committed to addressing rising costs of legal education and corresponding burdens of student indebtedness. We are well aware that this is a first step in address law school tuition at Northwestern and elsewhere.”

A first step indeed! This is the lowest tuition increase in 40 years.

  

What

Where

Search Jobs

Nevertheless, Northwestern also recently released their employment data for the class of 2011, and we see a stellar too-good-to-be-true report of 93% of the students being employed within 9 months of graduation, mostly in bar-required jobs and nearly half earning $160,000 or more a year. As Rodriguez explained, Northwester’s JD is a “great investment.” His blog explained:

“This [modest tuition increase] is no panacea, of course.  We are well aware that this first step makes only incremental changes on the significant historical increases in law school tuition at Northwestern and elsewhere.  I am committed to address in manifest and meaningful ways the rising cost of legal education and corresponding burdens of student indebtedness.  Limiting tuition increases is one step; controlling law school costs is another; and looking to our Northwestern friends in the private sector to support the Law School, even in the midst of current economic difficulties will need to be at the center of this strategy.  Northwestern Law School has been a leader in so many respects.  The time has come for us to be an innovative leader in addressing the challenges of the new legal economy.”

Whether other Universities will follow the cue remains to be seen, but with today’s post JD atmosphere, every ray of sunshine is precious.