Written by: Katie Linder
The University of Iowa College of Law earned the No. 3 spot on a list of the top ten law schools for best return on investment (ROI) published recently by the American Bar Association Journal.
The analysis, conducted by legal jobs aggregator LawCrossing, examined data from the ABA, National Association for Law Placement, U.S. Department of Education, and other nonprofit organizations for the class of 2024. Iowa Law earned the third-best ROI score, based on cost (tuition, fees, living expenses, and total debt burden), employment outcomes, and bar passage rates.
"We're intensely focused on the bottom line for our students when they invest their education dollars with us. It's gratifying to see the ABA Journal reporting on our success, placing us among the top three law schools in the entire country for best return on investment,” Dean Todd Pettys said.
With the national average total cost of a three-year JD program exceeding $217,000 and upcoming changes to federal lending for higher education, ROI considerations are becoming more significant to prospective students as they weigh school preference, debt load, and career goals—knowing salary levels vary significantly when comparing public service and small-firms to BigLaw and corporate roles.
“We want our students to graduate with lower-than-average debt, because it helps free them up to follow their hearts when choosing among competing employers,” Pettys said.
Iowa Law is consistently recognized for its value. For more than a decade, the college has been designated a Best Value Law School by The National Jurist, and more recently, appeared on the U.S. News & World Report list of the top 25 law schools with the highest salary-to-debt ratio.
The college takes great pride in the success of its graduates. Last year, 99% were employed or enrolled in graduate school within ten months of graduation, and 91% passed the bar on their first attempt across states. In July 2025, graduates achieved a near-perfect first-time bar passage rate of 98% in the state of Iowa.
“We work exceptionally hard to help our students succeed in their job searches, no matter whether their dream is to work in a New York skyscraper, a small Iowa farming town, or somewhere in between,” Pettys said. “We want our students to graduate ready for success on their bar exams so that their ticket to legal practice can be punched in any American jurisdiction.”
Currently, more than 11,000 Iowa Law alumni are working across all 50 states and 50 countries worldwide. Learn more about the Iowa Law’s career placement and outcomes.