First professional · Orange, California

Is Law at Chapman University worth it?

High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 6.5 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $95,083; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $127,823; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $178,628; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Typical borrowing (no graduate net price is published): $189k (likely $189k – $189k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $58k a year vs bachelor's graduates 4 years out in CA; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 6.5 years (likely 5.7–7.6); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: −$59k (likely −$167k – $37k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $654k (likely $429k – $906k); Today's dollars

Scorecard reports no net price for graduate programs; cost is based on what graduates typically borrowed.