why are public law schools so expensive?

[cynthia]

The National Law Journal has a great piece up, with lots of depressing nuggets in it, about the increasing costs of a legal education at a public school. 

As we've chronicled before here at The Shark, tuition increases for the upcoming school year are largely a result of cuts to government funding and private endowments, and those cuts are being passed on as costs to the students.

"We face a cut in state funding, like many other schools, and a decline in the revenue that our endowment produces," said Kenneth Davis, dean of the University of Wisconsin Law School. "Our tuition differential will account for some of that cut funding."

The biggest exceptions to these rules? University of Virgina and University of Michigan, that rely very heavily on private funding and therefore have not seen such huge holes appear in their budgets. Those schools are increasing their tuition rates by 5 and 4%, respectively.

One possible upside to this tuition increase trend is that it may deter students from going, lessening some of the pressure on an already over-crowded job market that is struggling through the economic downturn.

"If law schools are so much more expensive, maybe people will think twice about going," [Indiana University 3L Amir Ali] said.

Maybe so, but what about all the students already locked into the legal career path? Those students who applied during the talent gluttony and are now heading into their second or third years, wishing they'd known it would cost so much to make the "investment" in their futures? I know life's not fair, but this certainly isn't, either.

Check out some sample tuition increases across the nation, after the jump.

• In-state students at Indiana University Maurer School of Law -- Bloomington will pay almost 25 percent more in tuition than they paid last year, bringing their tuition from just below $20,000 to nearly $25,000.

• Iowa residents will see tuition increase by nearly 20 percent next year at the University of Iowa College of Law, while out-of-state students will pay an additional 13 percent.

• Tuition at the University of Colorado School of Law is increasing by 16 percent, 20 percent and 12 percent for in-state 1Ls, 2Ls and 3Ls, respectively.

• Resident students at the University of Texas School of Law will pay 16 percent more and nonresidents will see tuition go up by nearly 11 percent.

• Tuition is up 15 percent for in-state 1Ls at the University of Minnesota Law School, while in-state 2Ls, 3Ls and out-of state students will see increases of nearly 8 percent.

Comments

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tuition increase by nearly 20 percent next year at the University of Iowa College of Law, while out-of-state students will pay an additional 13 percent.

• Tuition at the University of Colorado School of Law is increasing
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