LSSSE UNDERSTANDING LEGAL EDUCATION
How a Decade of Debt Changed the Law Student Experience 2015 Annual Survey Results How a Decade of Debt Changed the Law Student Experience
Advisors and Staff
LSSSE NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD LSSSE FACULTY ASSOCIATES
Dan Bernstine Rachel F. Moran Elizabeth Chambliss Andrew Morriss President Michael J. Connell Distinguished Professor of Law Dean and Anthony G. Buzbee Law School Admission Council Professor of Law and Dean Emerita University of South Carolina Endowed Dean’s Chair UCLA School of Law School of Law Texas A&M University School of Law Barry Currier Managing Director Lauren K. Robel Shari Diamond Joyce Sterling Section of Legal Education and Provost and Executive Vice President Howard J. Trienens Professor of Law Professor Admissions to the Bar Indiana University, Bloomington Northwestern University Law School University of Denver American Bar Association Research Professor Sturm College of Law William M. Sullivan American Bar Foundation Bryant G. Garth, Chair Founding Director Chancellor’s Professor of Law Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers William Henderson University of California, Institute for the Advancement of the Professor of Law and Van Nolan Irvine School of Law American Legal System Faculty Fellow University of Denver Indiana University Maurer Richard A. Matasar School of Law Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Institutional Effectiveness Tulane University The Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) documents dimensions of quality in legal education and provides information about law student participation in effective educational activities that law schools and other organizations can use to improve legal education. Law School Survey of Student Engagement | 2015 Annual Survey Results 1
LSSSE STAFF CENTER FOR POSTSECONDARY RESEARCH
Aaron N. Taylor Amy Ribera Allison BrckaLorenz Sarah Martin LSSSE Director LSSSE Research Analyst Project Manager, FSSE Publications Coordinator Assistant Professor of Law Louis Rocconi Jennifer Brooks Saint Louis University School of Law Alexander C. McCormick LSSSE Research Analyst Project Services Manager Director, NSSE Chad Christensen James S. Cole LSSSE Project Manager Project Manager, BCSSE Angie Miller Research Analyst Kevin Fosnacht Research Analyst Thomas F. Nelson Laird The Law School Survey of Student Engagement is part of Sally Gaskill Director Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Research, a Director, SNAAP Hien Nguyen research center in the School of Education devoted to studying Robert M. Gonyea Webmaster the student experience. In addition to LSSSE, CPR houses the Associate Director, Research & Data Analysis Katie Noel National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the NSSE Office Secretary Institute, the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), Marilyn Gregory Shimon Sarraf the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP), and the Finance Manager Assistant Director, Survey Operations & Project Services Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE). Becca Houghton Project Coordinator, SNAAP Rick Shoup Research Analyst Jillian Kinzie Associate Director, NSSE Institute Barbara Stewart Office Coordinator Amber Lambert Research Analyst How a Decade of Debt Changed the Law Student Experience
Table of Contents
Quick Facts 3
Foreword: Christopher P. Chapman 4
Director’s Message: Aaron N. Taylor 6
How a Decade of Debt Changed the Law Student Experience 8
Debt Trends 10
Debt Trends by Survey Year and Institutional Sector 11
Debt Trends by Race 12
Debt Trends by LSAT Scores 13
Debt and the Student Experience 14
Debt and Law Student Stress 16
Participating Law Schools: 2004–2015 20
Suggested Citation: Taylor, A. N., Christensen, C. & Rocconi, L.M. (2016, February). How a Decade of Debt Changed the Law Student Experience (LSSSE Annual Results 2015). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research.
CREDITS
Many thanks to the following for contributing photos for use in this report. Front Cover Page 4 Pages 10-11 Pages 16-17 Southwestern Law School Northwestern University School of Law University of Arkansas School of Law University of Washington School of Law Courtesy of Eric E. Johnson Advisors and Staff University of Idaho College of Law DePaul University College of Law Brigham Young University Texas A&M University School of Law Charlotte School of Law Page 12 J. Reuben Clark Law School Northwestern University School of Law Page 1 Pages 6-7 Pages 18-19 Cleveland-Marshall College of Law DePaul University College of Law Pages 14-15 Nova Southeastern University Shepard Page 2 Charlotte School of Law SUNY Buffalo Law School Broad College of Law Northwestern University School of Law Pages 8-9 Charlotte School of Law Southwestern Law School University of Maryland Loyola University Chicago School of Law Back Cover Francis King Carey School of Law Santa Clara University School of Law Northwestern University School of Law Law School Survey of Student Engagement | 2015 Annual Survey Results 3
Quick Facts
OBJECTIVES PARTICIPATING LAW SCHOOLS COST To provide data to law schools to improve legal One hundred and ninety different law schools in Participation fees range from $3,000 to education and inform decision-making and the United States, Canada, and Australia have $5,000, based upon student enrollment. compliance efforts, enhance student success, participated in LSSSE since 2004. facilitate internal assessment and analysis, and PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT Results specific to a law school and identified support research on legal education. RESPONDENTS AND RESPONSE RATES as such will not be made public by LSSSE SURVEY In 2015, 21,849 students at 80 law schools [in without the explicit agreement of the school. Administered to all students at participating the U.S. and Canada] responded to the LSSSE Participating law schools agree that LSSSE may law schools via the Internet. Survey completion survey. The average institutional response rate use the aggregated data for national reporting time is approximately 15-20 minutes. was 54%. purposes and other legal education initiatives, including research conducted by LSSSE staff SUPPORT AUDIENCES or independent scholars. LSSSE is housed at Indiana University’s Center Law school administrators and faculty, current for Postsecondary Research, and is supported and prospective law students, alumni, advisory by law school participation fees. Since its boards, trustees, institutional researchers, inception, LSSSE has benefited from close accrediting organizations, and researchers working relationships with the Association studying legal education. of American Law Schools and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. DATA SOURCES Survey responses and comments from JD/ LLB students enrolled at participating law schools. Supplemental information used in analysis and reporting is obtained from the American Bar Association and the Law School Admission Council.
Figure 1 Figure 2 Size of LSSSE 2015 Schools Affiliation of LSSSE 2015 Schools Compared to National Profile of ABA Aprroved Law Schoolsa Compared to National Profile of ABA Aprroved Law Schoolsa
CREDITS 80% 80%
Many thanks to the following for contributing photos for use in this report. 60% 60%
40% 40%
20% 20%
0% 0% Fewer than 500500-900 More than 900 Public Private
LSSSE 2015 National LSSSE 2015 National
a. National percentages are based on data from the ABA and the LSAC.a. National percentages are based on data from the ABA and the LSAC. How a Decade of Debt Changed the Law Student Experience
Foreword
I am a card-carrying member of the club inquiries that could help law schools to that believes that the pursuit of a J.D. offers better serve students and society alike. training and education that is unmatched in Without such data, and in the face of its quality, portability and flexibility, creating continuous strong demand from highly the potential for a lifetime of personal and qualified undergraduates before 2010, legal professional success for anyone with the education’s collective explanation when motivation to achieve. This club has served queried about the value of a J.D. might legal education well over the years and helps best be exemplified by a somewhat farcical to ensure that each new generation of aspiring and hyperbolic declaration that I will assign professionals views the attainment of a J.D. as to a composite, fictional law school dean a worthwhile academic and career pursuit. (with due apologies to Emma Lazarus): However, as is well-understood by the Give me your swooning hemophobics, legal education community, the reaction your literary arithmophobics, by prospective law students to the effects Your huddled baccalaureates, of the Great Recession on the legal The wretched refuse (so says the employment market and the subsequent marketplace) of a frivolous and public questioning of the value of law school impractical undergraduate education. has been stunning and severe, laying bare Send these justice-seeking, value- the fragility of the customary qualitative driven souls to me for six semesters, rationale offered to “prove” value. Where they will learn to think like a lawyer The striking negativity infecting the public and be released to the four winds, debate about the value of law school Providing a beacon of light to has been exacerbated by the paucity all whose path they cross. of broadly available data to supplement In such a world, why would any such these qualitative arguments. Further, this comprehensive data store exist? But scarcity has hindered a more rigorous and in today’s world, the time has come granular study and understanding on the to ask, how can it NOT exist? question of value, as well as other strategic Law School Survey of Student Engagement | 2015 Annual Survey Results 5
It is more common than not that a crisis critical issues surrounding legal education are level, add value in an exponential manner. is often required before an individual, an also being collected and available in limited The organization that I lead, Access organization or even an entire industry is ways, and there remains a small group of Group, spent more than 25 years working sufficiently motivated to deeply question researchers dedicated to legal education, tirelessly to ensure that aspiring lawyers and reset its underlying premises in a there is much more to be done. The summer were not frustrated in their pursuit due to manner consistent with the expected, and 2015 report of the American Bar Association unavailable or unaffordable financing. As often evident, future state of affairs. Legal Task Force on Financing Legal Education, Access Group evolves, we are committing education provides no exception to this on which I served, illustrates this problem in our resources to working with LSSSE and general principle. Of course, when one’s commenting that “the scarcity of systematic, other organizations that care deeply about predictable world is overturned, the well- reliable, and detailed information needed to the value of legal education to aggregate known “stages of grief” must be navigated address the issues at hand is a particular available data and create new data that can before many meaningful and productive steps frustration… [A]t best only a partial picture be used to expand the understanding and can be taken. Luckily for legal education, of the current state of affairs is possible….” benefits offered through legal education. lawyers tend to be proactive, problem solvers The consistency and professionalism of Congratulations to LSSSE on another with a palpable disdain for failure in all of its the LSSSE survey instrument, coupled with successful year as a leading source of such incarnations, so although perhaps slow to LSSSE’s commitment to rigorous analysis informative and actionable intelligence. come, the time of acceptance has arrived. and user-friendly presentation of results To its credit, LSSSE has been “lifting its stands as a model for broader efforts among lamp” in this wilderness over the past decade the legal education community. And as to further data-driven understanding and valuable as LSSSE’s annual results are to actions at the law school level in ways large participating schools, the longitudinal trends and small. Although other data relating to it can offer, both at a macro and institutional
Christopher P. Chapman President and Chief Executive Officer Access Group How a Decade of Debt Changed the Law Student Experience
Director’s Message
Like all of higher education, law school rely on student loans to finance their tuition has increased greatly over the last few education. This places student loans at the decades. Between 1985 and 2013, median center of the law school funding calculus. tuition increased almost 6-fold at private law Outstanding student loan debt now tops $1 schools and more than 12-fold at public law trillion overall, second only to mortgage debt. schools.1 These increases vastly outpaced Most student loan debtors owe less than overall inflation during the same period. Of $25,000;3 but the typical law school graduate course, tuition is only part of what it costs is part of a relatively rarefied group of debtors to attend law school. Living expenses, with student loan balances approaching, if not books, and other expenses can increase the exceeding, $100,000. In 2012, the average costs of attendance considerably. Average debt for graduates of private law schools was living and book expenses alone increased $127,000; $88,000 for public law school almost 3-fold between 1990 and 2012.2 graduates.4 These amounts represented The vast majority of law students—almost inflation-adjusted increases of one-quarter 90%, according to LSSSE Survey data and and one-third respectively over a seven-year estimates by the American Bar Association— period. Amounts are surely higher today. Law School Survey of Student Engagement | 2015 Annual Survey Results 7
There are few topics in legal education In many ways, respondents in each of the that are more consequential than our three survey years attended law school in students’ ever-rising debt loads. Therefore, fundamentally different environments. The student loans are a topic of interest at 2006 cohort attended in an environment LSSSE. We are particularly interested in of relatively low costs; the 2011 cohort exploring how reliance on student loans attended in an environment of unprecedented may affect the law student experience. enrollments (and, therefore, competition) and then-unprecedented costs; the 2015 cohort Debt trends presented in this Annual Report attended in an environment of declining were analyzed over three survey years: 2006, enrollments, broad curricular reform, and 2011, and 2015. The outer years—2006 and unprecedented, though leveling costs. 2015—provide a useful 10-year period over which to chart trends. The interstitial year— Some of the findings from our analyses are 2011—is noteworthy as a rough midpoint predictable. Many are worrying. As always, of the 10-year period, and also as the year we hope this Report contributes to larger U.S. law schools enrolled a record number of discussions of the state of legal education and students. Since 2011, first-year law student how law schools can best contribute to student enrollments have declined 29%, currently success in both the short and long terms. at levels not seen in more than 40 years.5
Aaron N. Taylor LSSSE Director Assistant Professor, Saint Louis University School of Law
1 Source: American Bar Association 2 Source: American Bar Association: http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/legal_education_a… 3 Source: New York Fed: https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/staff_reports/sr668.… 4 Source: American Bar Association 5 http://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2014/12/aba_secti… How a Decade of Debt Changed the Law Student Experience How a Decade of Debt Changed the Law Student Experience
INTRODUCTION
This Annual Report will provide a retrospective tuition increased almost 6-fold at private law glimpse into law student debt trends over schools and more than 12-fold at public law a 10-year period, using survey years 2006 schools.7 These increases vastly outpaced and 2015 as bookends. Survey year 2011 overall inflation during the same period. The will be used as a midpoint in much of the other costs associated with attending law analyses—2011 is noteworthy because a school have increased as well. Average record number of students—157,298— living and book expenses alone increased enrolled in U.S. law schools that year.6 Since almost 3-fold between 1990 and 2012.8 2011, law schools have been buffeted by The vast majority of law students— almost declining application volume and student 90%, according to LSSSE Survey data and enrollments. This Report also draws on estimates by the American Bar Association— responses to a set of questions on law rely on student loans to finance their student stress that was administered education. The typical law school graduate to a subset of 2015 respondents. is part of a relatively rarefied group of debtors Like all of higher education, law school with student loan balances approaching, if not tuition has increased greatly over the last few exceeding $100,000. In 2012, the average decades. Between 1985 and 2013, median debt for graduates of private law schools was Law School Survey of Student Engagement | 2015 Annual Survey Results 9
$127,000; $88,000 for public law school For much of the analyses presented in the Because the survey results from each year graduates.9 These amounts represented Report, the six intermediate ranges are are drawn from a different pool of schools inflation-adjusted increases of one-quarter and compressed into three $40,000 ranges, and respondents, the comparisons presented one-third respectively in just seven years. with the outer options remaining the same: in this Report are mostly illustrative, though • $0 they align with much of what we know about This Report explores possible associations • $1- $40,000 actual trends that have taken place. between the law school experience and reliance on student loans. A useful starting • $40,001 - $80,000 point in this analysis is with the following • $80,001 - $120,000 question that appears on the LSSSE Survey: • More than $120,000 6Source: American Bar Association: http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/ “How much educational debt from The expected debt question provides a legal_education and_admissions_to_the_bar/statistics/ attending law school do you expect compelling frame through which to view enrollment_degrees_awarded.authcheckdam.pdf 7 to have upon your graduation?” other survey data related to the student Source: American Bar Association 8 experience. Do the law school experiences Source: American Bar Association: In order to account for the inherent http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/ of respondents who expected high levels legal_education_and_admissions_to_the_bar/statistics/ imprecision of speculating about the future, of debt differ from other respondents? Do average_living_book_expenses.authcheckdam.pdf the response options appearing on the law school scholarship policies contribute 9Source: American Bar Association survey are presented mostly as ranges in to debt disparities? Do debt expectations $20,000 intervals, with two outer options: influence employment expectations (or • $0 vice versa)? These are just some of the • $1- $20,000 questions that are explored in this Report. • $20,001 - $40,000 • $40,001 - $60,000 • $60,001 - $80,000 • $80,001 - $100,000 • $100,001 - $120,000 • More than $120,000 How a Decade of Debt Changed the Law Student Experience
DEBT TRENDS
Unsurprisingly, over the 10-year timeframe, An analysis of the subgroups of “high-debt” Overall, the trends illustrate how higher costs increasing proportions of LSSSE respondents respondents really highlights the prevailing of attendance have driven larger proportions reported expecting high law school debt. In trends. We measured the proportional split of LSSSE respondents to expect larger debts. 2006, 32% of respondents expected to incur between respondents who expected to owe Notably on the opposite end, the proportion more than $100,000 in debt during their law $100,001-$120,000 and those who expected of LSSSE respondents who expected no school matriculation. By 2011, that proportion to owe more than $120,000. In 2006, 51% law school debt was highest in 2015. This had increased to 44%, a level at which it of respondents in this high-debt subgroup trend—and the proportional stability of such remained in 2015 (Figure 1). The differences expected to owe more than $120,000 (leaving respondents in each survey year—may in expected debt were particularly acute at the 49% expecting to owe $100,001-$120,000). reflect the relative affluence of law students highest level—more than $120,000. Roughly By 2015, 67% of this high-debt subgroup and the manner in which affluent students 30% of respondents in both 2011 and 2015 expected to owe more than $120,000. tend to benefit from LSAT-driven law school expected debt above $120,000, compared to (Figure 3) scholarship policies. 16% in 2006. (Figure 2)
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 ro ort on of res ondents who ro ort on of e ected de t at each level ro ort onal s l t among h gh de t e ected to owe more than 100 res ondents
50 0 200 51% 49% 0 0 0 20 2011 37% 63% 20 10 10 2015 33% 67%
0 0 200 2011 2015 0 1 0 0 001 0 0 001 120 re t an 120 100 001 120 re t an 120
200 2011 2015 Law School Survey of Student Engagement | 2015 Annual Survey Results 11
DEBT TRENDS BY SURVEY YEAR AND INSTITUTIONAL SECTOR
In each of the three survey years, higher the high-debt expectations were lower among Focusing once again on the subset of proportions of respondents attending private respondents attending public law schools, respondents who expected to owe more than law schools expected debt above $100,000. the increases over the survey years were $100,000, in 2015 a whopping 71% of those Throughout higher education, private school more dramatic. In 2006, only 11% of LSSSE respondents who attended private schools tuitions tend to be higher than those at public respondents expected debt of more than expected to owe more than $120,000. Fifty-six schools—a reflection of the relative absence $100,000; by 2015, this proportion had almost percent of this high-debt subset at public of public subsidies to private schools. In both tripled to 31%. (Figure 4) schools expected to owe more than $120,000 realms, the proportions of respondents who in 2015—the first year this proportion crossed The increases were even more compelling expected debt above $100,000 increased the 50% threshold. (Figure 6) among respondents who expected more than between 2006 and 2015. $120,000 in debt. In 2006, only 4% of public At the other end of the spectrum, the In 2006, 38% of private school respondents school respondents expected debt at this proportions of respondents expecting no debt expected to owe more than $100,000; in level; by 2015, that proportion had more than were highest in 2015, among both private and 2011 and 2015, that proportion exceeded quadrupled to 17%. The same proportions public schools. Unsurprisingly, the proportions 50%. Tuition and, therefore, debt is almost doubled among private law school of no-debt respondents were higher among growing dramatically at public college and respondents—19% in 2006 and 36% in 2015. those attending public law schools, but not by universities, due in large part to declines in (Figure 5) much—only one percentage point in 2006 and the aforementioned state subsidies. While 2011 and three points in 2015.
Figure 4 ro ort on of e ected de t at each level y nst tut onal sector r vate Law Schools u l c Law Schools