When Nicholas Monck (’19), a first-year law student originally from Michigan, was considering schools, three things stuck out to him about the University of Colorado Law School: its commitment to quality job placements, a supportive alumni and student community, and an emphasis on affordability and financial assistance.
“College affordability is incredibly important to me,” Monck said. “Scholarship opportunities were a major reason why I selected Colorado Law over other schools. They understand students’ financial needs and want to work with people.”
Providing a top-tier legal education while supporting students financially is a critical piece of the Colorado Law experience—and it has the numbers to prove it. While tuition has been held constant for the last five years, scholarship funding increased 101 percent. Seventy-five percent of Colorado Law students receive scholarships, with the median scholarship amount per recipient around $11,000 each year.
Students have also taken on less debt—the average level of indebtedness for 2015 Colorado Law graduates who borrowed to finance their education decreased eight percent from the level of the classes of 2014 and 2013.
Even small things like working with students to make sure they know how to apply for in-state tuition after one year demonstrates Colorado Law’s concern for its students, Monck said.
“Colorado Law is a tremendous value for a superb education. There are so many emerging programs, engaged faculty members, alumni, and community members, and the cost to access all of this is really amazing," said Jacob Durling (’12). “I liked the value proposition, which allowed me to figure out if I wanted to go into public interest work instead of feeling like I had to go into corporate work support myself financially.”
More and more prospective students are recognizing the value of a Colorado Law degree. The school saw its largest applicant pool ever this year, with 3,299 applications. The class of 2019 boasts the highest median GPA of an incoming class (3.69), and a higher median LSAT score (162) than that of previous classes.
“At Colorado Law, we strive to provide students with an excellent return on their investment by educating and training them to be outstanding and sought-after legal professionals while keeping costs down,” said Dean S. James Anaya. “I am delighted that the excitement is catching on and even more qualified students are choosing Colorado Law for their legal education.”
On the employment front, more Colorado Law graduates are finding employment and securing jobs for which bar passage is required or a JD degree is an advantage. Ninety-six percent of Colorado Law’s 2015 graduates were employed 10 months after graduation, and 84 percent of those graduates were employed in full-time, long-term jobs for which bar passage was required or a JD degree was an advantage. Graduates are employed across the world in careers ranging from the private sector to nonprofits to public interest and government work.
Amy Moore (’15), relationship manager in the index and data solutions team at BlackRock in New York City, said she credits Colorado Law for providing a foundation of core legal skills as well as invaluable practical skills like public speaking, framing ideas persuasively, and managing competing interests.
“During my time at Colorado Law, due to the incredible professors, staff, and peers I was fortunate enough to work with for three years, I truly developed the belief that I can tackle any challenge that comes up in my professional career. As a result, whether I am facing a difficult negotiation or compiling a memo for senior leaders, I am confident that I have the necessary skills to navigate the situation,” she said.
“The Career Development Office at Colorado Law does not want students to graduate with extensive debts and unable to find jobs. They understand the kinds of quality jobs we are seeking, and go out of their way to assist with networking, making connections, and job placement services,” Monck said. “From day one, Colorado Law demonstrates that job placement is something they emphasize and want to help you with.”
To that end, The National Jurist recently named Colorado Law a Best Value Law School for 2016.
“It’s a fantastic place to go to law school. The University of Colorado Law School community is absolutely amazing,” Monck said.
JD applications to Colorado Law opened October 1, 2016. Learn more at colorado.edu/law/admissions.