I was reading the paper today and learned that the University of the South is lowering tuition by 10 percent. I thought, “Aha! Someone is finally listening to me!” Ok, it’s not a law school, but it is a fairly respected undergraduate school in the South. (I know these things, since I graduated from high school in Alabama). And they are lowering tuition!
Money and Law School: Lower Tuition! – This is something I posted this last year and I’m pretty sure it’s the only time I’ve ever used the Law School Expert blog to give advice to law schools, but I stand by it. If law schools would worry less about spending more (as per this post by a law school dean and this post about the U.S. News rankings’ reliance on expenditures) then lowering tuition would be much more feasible. The amount of support staff per student has skyrocketed and the importance of fancy facilities seems to have eclipsed law schools’ considerations of whether students are really getting a good value. Law students are generally a disgruntled bunch anyway – no amount of free pizza or fancy library carrels is going to change that. But lower tuition, and less pressure to find high paying jobs – now that’s something that could make law students maybe not quite happy, but a lot more satisfied.
See also:
Ten Major Changes in Legal Education in the last 25 years
2 Responses
Right on, Ann! As a “0L” currently trying to decide among law schools, I am less impressed with facilities, support staff, and other “extras” and much more concerned about my post-graduation loan payment! I would happily give up the nonessential extras in exchange for lowered tuition costs.
I agree that the expenditure is outratgeous all for the way the college looks on the inside. The main focus should always be how to create an opportunity for every person who really wants to be there and not by making them go in dept for the rest of their lives.