Tuition and fees
Frozen tuition guarantee
Law school is an exciting time, but there's bound to be some uncertainty. We've helped remove some of that by guaranteeing that your tuition will be frozen for the entire time you're in law school.
Budget and cost of legal education
Indiana Resident | Non-Indiana Resident | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition (flat rate)* | $36,950 | $58,000 |
| Mandatory fees* | $1,477 | $1,477 |
| Books and supplies | $1,928 | $1,928 |
| Estimated direct costs | $40,355 | $61,405 |
| Food and housing, transportation, personal expenses | $22,492 | $22,492 |
| Total estimated budget | $62,847 | $83,897 |
Of course, determining how much you need to borrow is important. To that end, we have provided our recommended student budget below.
| Indiana Resident | Non-Indiana Resident | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition (flat rate)** | $36,950 | $58,000 |
| Mandatory fees | $1,477 | $1,477 |
| Books and supplies | $1,928 | $1,928 |
| Estimated direct costs | $40,355 | $61,405 |
| Food and housing, transportation, personal expenses | $13,500 | $13,500 |
| Total estimated budget | $53,855 | $74,905 |
*Recommended living expense figures based on 2023 data. Recommendations subject to change based on current economic conditions.
Living allowance
Your budget includes a living allowance (food/housing, transportation, personal) for the nine months of the academic year, but you determine the amount that is needed.
Many students find that they can live comfortably on about $1,500 or less per month. That would mean that you would want to increase the direct costs by about $13,500 ($1,500 x 9 months) when determining your total costs for the first year of law school. Students should be able to find a modest studio or one bedroom apartment, in relatively close proximity to the law school, that costs between $700 and $900 per month.
To keep your expenses down, you should consider searching for an apartment in that price range. Another way to keep your costs down would be to find a roommate. Understandably, many students are resistant to sharing a residence but splitting costs can result in big savings.
In projecting your monthly expenses, you will want to review your prior educational experiences. In addition to your rent and food, analyze carefully what you spend on entertainment, clothes, dining out, and so on. Do not forget to include things like car payments and other expenses tied to owning a vehicle, health insurance, trips home, pet expenses, and any existing credit card debt.
In order to accommodate those students who have unusually high living expenses resulting from supporting a family or other unusual circumstances, we allow a maximum of up to $2,499 per month. That would mean that you could increase the direct costs by up to $22,492 ($2,499 x 9 months) when determining your total costs for the first year of law school.
Reminder: We will use a budget that includes the maximum living allowance of $22,492 (minus other resources) when determining your eligibility for federal financial aid programs, but your actual budget may be substantially less.
It is imperative that you plan on being able to live on approximately $2,499 or less per month while enrolled.
Computer expense
While the law school requires that new students have a laptop computer, that requirement does not mean that you must purchase a new machine as you prepare to begin class. If you do purchase a new computer for law school and you have maximized your student loans, that expense (up to $2,000) can be added to your finanical aid limit. For more information, please contact the Director of Financial Aid at iulawfa@indiana.edu