Tuition and Cost of Attendance

2020-2021 Cost of Attendance

Before you begin your legal education, it is important to first understand the expenses you may incur while you are enrolled for the nine-month academic year. Fixed expenses include tuition, fees, dormitory charges for those of you living on campus, and a health insurance charge. Other expenses include rent for off campus housing, books, travel, food and miscellaneous. These combined expenses are called the Cost of Attendance (COA). COA is the amount of money the University estimates a law student will need to attend Fordham Law for the academic year. Your total financial aid for the year, which includes all merit aid, grants, scholarships and loans, cannot exceed the COA.

*All Fordham graduate students taking more than 5 credits a semester are required to have health insurance. The Student health insurance charge is $3,401. However, students using alternative insurance can have this fee waived by contacting the Fordham University Student Health Services at studentinsurance@fordham.edu. Students are automatically assessed this fee unless and until a waiver has been requested. The cost of the insurance is split $1,221 in the fall and $2,180 in the spring, reflecting continuing coverage throughout the following summer.

Generally speaking, most Fordham Law JD students are enrolled during the fall and spring semesters only, i.e., for nine months. When budgeting for the academic year, it is important to know that your cost of attendance covers only educationally related expenses for that nine-month period. In other words, when budgeting, you will need to consider how to pay your living expenses during the summer months or other periods of non-enrollment. All Law school students should expect an increase of tuition and fees each fall semester for the new academic year. The new tuition and fees rate is decided by the Board of Trustees in June, and is generally published in July.

Living expense estimates are based on several data sources including the Consumer Price Index, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and surveys of local area apartment rental rates, and may vary depending upon the individual.

JD Day Division (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Year)

Fixed/Direct Expenses
Tuition: $63,932 | Fees: $900

Living Expense Allowance
Room and Board: $20,470
Books and Supplies: $1,896
Travel: $1,880
Miscellaneous/Personal Expenses: $4,340

TOTAL: $93,418 ($96,819 with *health insurance)

JD Evening Division (1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Year)

Fixed/Direct Expenses
Tuition: $47,950 | Fees: $810

Living Expenses Allowance
Room and Board: $20,470
Books and Supplies: $1,896
Travel: $1,880
Miscellaneous/Personal Expenses: $4,340

TOTAL: $77,346 ($80,747 with *health insurance)

LLM Full-Time Division

Fixed/Direct Expenses
Tuition: $63,932 | Fees: $900

Living Expense Allowance
Room and Board: $20,470
Books and Supplies: $1,896
Travel: $1,880
Miscellaneous/Personal Expenses: $4,340

TOTAL: $93,418 ($96,819 with *health insurance)

LLM Part-Time Division

**The Part-Time Division tuition is charged on a per credit basis of $2,664. The books and supplies estimate varies depending on the number of credits you are taking for the academic year. The total cost listed below is for a student enrolled in 24 credits.

24 credits

Fixed/Direct Expenses
**Tuition: $63,936| Fees: $810

Living Expenses Allowance
Room and Board: $20,470
Books and Supplies: $1,896
Travel: $1,880
Miscellaneous/Personal Expenses: $4,340

TOTAL: $93,332 ($96,733 with *health insurance)

LLM Online Full-Time

The Online LLM is charged on a full-time cost for students enrolled in the full-time division. The tuition cost and estimated living expenses listed below are for the Fall and Spring semester. Tuition and fees can be expected to increase each fall semester. New rates are generally posted in July.

Fixed/Direct Expenses
Tuition: $56,928 | Fees: $900

Living Expense Allowance
Room and Board: $20,470
Books and Supplies: $1,896
Personal Expenses: $4,340
Health Insurance: $3,401
TOTAL: $84,534 ($87,935 with *health insurance)

LLM Online Part-Time

**The Part-Time Division tuition is charged on a per credit basis of $2,372. The books and supplies estimate varies depending on the number of credits you are taking for the academic year. The total cost listed below is for a student enrolled in 24 credits over the Fall and Spring semester. Tuition and fees can be expected to increase each fall semester. New rates are generally posted in July

24 credits (used as an example only, to calculate your estimated tuition, use the actual number of credits you will be enrolled for the spring semester)

Fixed/Direct Expenses
**Tuition: $56,928 | Fees: $810

Living Expenses Allowance
Room and Board: $20,470
Books and Supplies: $1,422
Personal Expenses: $4,340
Health Insurance $3,401
TOTAL: $83,970 ($87,371 with *health insurance)

MSL Full-Time

Fixed/Direct Expenses
Tuition $56,926 | Fees $900

Living Expense Allowance
Room and Board $20,470
Books and Supplies $1,896
Travel $1,880
Miscellaneous/Personal Expenses $4,340

Total: $86,412 ($89,813 with *health insurance)

MSL Part-Time

**The Part-Time Division tuition is charged on a per credit basis of $1,898. The books and supplies estimate varies depending on the number of credits you are taking for the academic year. The total cost listed below is for a student enrolled in 24 credits.

Fixed/Direct Expenses
Tuition per credit $1,898 | Fees $810

Living Expense Allowance
Room and Board $20,470
Books and Supplies $1,896
Travel $1,880
Miscellaneous/Personal Expenses $4,340

Total: Varies based on the number of credits

Online MSL

The Online MSL tuition is charged on a per credit basis of $1,898. *The books and supplies estimate varies depending on the number of credits you are taking per semester. The total cost listed below is associated with a 30 credit COA completed in 30 semesters, starting in the fall 2020 semester and ending in the summer 2021 semester.

30 Credits

Fixed/Direct Expenses
**Tuition: $56,940 | Fees: $813

Living Expenses Allowance
Room and Board: $30,705
*Books and Supplies: $2,844
Miscellaneous/Personal Expenses: $6,510

TOTAL: $97,812 ($101,213 with health insurance)

SJD Program

Fixed/Direct Expenses
Costs: $3,000 for the first year; an administrative cost of $1,500 per year for the second and third years | Fees: $724

After the third year, SJD candidates pay the LLM full-time division tuition rate and the SJD fees (effective for candidates beginning the SJD program in or after the fall 2020 semester; view more about fixed/direct expenses for the SJD program.

Expenses not included in the COA

Students can request a COA adjustment to reflect a one-time purchase of a computer for use during the program. Also, students who have other non-discretionary expenses not included in the cost of attendance budget (e.g., childcare expenses), should inform our office to discuss the circumstances and review the expenses that may be added to the COA.

Any requests must be made in writing and include appropriate documentation. Please note that it is extremely rare for the Law School Financial Aid Office to increase the student budget for anything other than childcare expenses or a one-time purchase of a computer. Requests for COA adjustments should be emailed or delivered to Alison Brande, Assistant Director of Law School Financial Aid.