Tuition and Other Costs, 2011-2012

Washburn University School of Law offers a high quality legal education at a reasonable cost. Tuition is competitive with other public law schools, and well below most private institutions. Convenient housing is readily available and affordable, keeping the cost of living well below that of other cities.

Washburn Law is a public institution that receives funding from the State of Kansas, Shawnee County, and the City of Topeka.

Following are estimated tuition and fees, books, room and board, and transportation costs to attend Washburn University School of Law during the 2011-2012 academic year. (Amounts indicated by * are estimates provided by Washburn University Financial Aid Office.)

Qualify for In-State Tuition

For example, non-resident students living in Kansas by July 1 prior to their first fall semester can take advantage of resident tuition when they enroll for the second semester in January. An apartment lease or records of a home purchase, plus a Kansas drivers license, Kansas vehicle registration and Kansas voter registration are normally used as documentation.

For more information see Residency Qualifications and the Residency Request Form.

Payment Deadlines

See the Washburn University website for information about payment of tuition and fees.

Summer Tuition and Costs

Tuition for summer courses is charged at the same rate as the previous fall/spring; total summer tuition is dependent upon the number of hours enrolled. Note: a student qualifies for the Kansas Resident rate if residency is established by December 1 of the previous year.

Paying for Law School

Graphic: Title slide from Paying for Law School video.

The Law School Admission Council offered a financial aid workshop during its fall 2011 forums. The workshop is available as a 45-minute video. Topics covered include:

Watch Paying for Law School at the LSAC website.

Tuition & Fees

$17,220 — Full-time Kansas Resident
Resident tuition for 2011-2012 is $574 per credit hour.
The student activity fee is $35 per semester.
(A typical course of study to obtain the J.D. degree is 90 hours over six semesters/three years.)

$26,880 — Full-time Non-Kansas Resident
Non-Kansas resident tuition for 2011-2012 is $896 per credit hour.
The student activity fee is $35 per semester.
(A typical course of study to obtain the J.D. degree is 90 hours over six semesters/three years.)
Note: Washburn is one of the few institutions that allow you to significantly reduce the cost of attendance by obtaining residency status within six months of moving to Kansas even if you are enrolled in law school. If you establish residency by your second semester, tuition and fees drop to resident levels. Resident tuition continues from that point forward provided you remain a Kansas resident.

Loan Fees

$436 *

Books

$2500 *
Will vary depending on type of course.

Room and Board

$9261 *
Apartment rental in the Topeka area is reasonably priced. For example, a 700 square foot two-bedroom apartment with amenities (e.g., covered parking, pool, exercise room, etc.) in a good neighborhood is available for $500.00 to $600.00 per month. For additional information on housing see The Apartment Directory Online or Topeka Area Association of Realtors if you are interested in a house.

Personal

$2538 *
Examples of personal include: utilities, day care, phone, automobile, clothing, laundry, personal care, entertainment, medical care, insurance and other miscellaneous items.

Transportation

$2653 *
Will vary depending upon amount and distance of travel.

Totals (for 2011-2012)

$34,608 - Estimated costs for full-time Kansas resident (tuition, loan fees, books, room and board, personal).

$44,268 - Estimated costs for full-time non-Kansas resident who does not qualify for Kansas residency by the start of second semester.

$40,334 - Estimated costs for full-time non-Kansas resident who becomes a Kansas resident by the second semester (based on 31 hours required for first-year students). For more information see Residency Qualifications and the Residency Request Form.

Further information regarding the cost of attending Washburn University School of Law may be obtained by contacting us at (800) 927-4529. See also Financial Policies related to payments and refunds.

Scholarship and Financial Aid

Generous contributions from alumni and friends make it possible for Washburn Law to award more than $2.5 million of institutional scholarships annually. Over 55% of our entering students receive scholarships. Twenty-nine percent of our entering students receive nearly full resident tuition scholarships; some receive more.

For information about financial aid and loans, visit the Washburn University Financial Aid Office web site or call them at (785) 670-1151.