Tuition and Fees
2023 - 2024 Tuition Rates
Tuition and fees are subject to change.
For the Fall and Spring terms, all J.D. candidates will be charged flat-rate tuition based solely on their program and not on the number of units taken. In subsequent years, the flat-rate tuition amount will likely increase but will remain based on a student's program and not on the number of units taken.
During Summer terms, students are charged on a per-unit basis with the exception of SCALE students who are charged for the first four (4) units. The per-unit charge for Summer 2023 is $1,946. Traditional Day students can graduate in three years without attending Summer Session. SCALE students must attend Summer Session to graduate in two years. Part-time students will generally need to attend Summer Session to graduate in four years. (Please see Summer Attendance Requirements below.)
LL.M. students are charged on a per-unit basis. The per-unit charge for LL.M. students for 2023-24 Fall/Spring is $1,946.
Note: Students who are enrolled concurrently in the J.D./M.B.A. program should get specific details on tuition and financial aid at jdmba@swlaw.edu.
To determine the total cost of tuition for each program, students should multiply their program's total tuition (below) by the number of years required to graduate, allowing for annual tuition increases and any summer sessions attended. The flat-rate tuitions factor in the anticipated summer enrollment and tuition, depending on the J.D. program. Please note that Summer Abroad costs are determined by the program attended and are charged separately from the tuition rates listed below.
J.D. Program
| Program | Fall 2023 | Spring 202 | Total Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Time | $ 29,196 | $ 29,196 | $ 58,392 |
| Part-Time | $ 19,472 | $ 19,472 | $ 38,944* |
*Not including required Summer Sessions. See Summer Attendance Requirements below.
SCALE (Two-Year Accelerated J.D.) Program
| Program | Per Period | Periods per Year | Summer | Total Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCALE I | $ 20,508 | 4 | n/a | $ 82,032 |
| SCALE II | $ 20,508 | 4 | $ 7,784* | $ 89,816 |
* SCALE II students are charged for the first four (4) summer units taken.
Other Tuition Rates
| Per Unit | |
|---|---|
| Summer 2023 | $ 1,946 |
| LL.M. Students (Summer 2023) | $ 1,946 |
| LL.M. Students (Fall/Spring) | $ 1,946 |
| Visiting Students (Summer 2023) | $ 1,946 |
| Visiting Students (Fall/Spring) | $ 1,946 |
| Summer Externship (Full-Time Day) | $ 1,000 (Flat Rate) |
| January Intersession | No Charge (J.D. & SCALE) |
Other Fees - Anticipated Student Services Fees (starting Fall 2022)
| Parking | Cost | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Parking Fee (Day) | $510 | Fall/Spring |
| Parking Fee (Evening) | $154 | Fall/Spring |
| Parking Fee (SCALE I) | $603 | Periods 1-4 |
| Parking Fee (SCALE II) | $414 | Periods 5-7 |
| Parking Fee (SCALE II) | $138 | Period 8 |
| Parking Fee (Summer Term) | $40 | per term |
| Parking Fee (Campus Housing) | $75 | per month |
Summer Attendance Requirements
SCALE students are required to complete at least six (6) units during the summer between SCALE I and SCALE II but are only charged for the first four (4) units.
Part-time J.D. students taking ten units/semester must attend summer sessions in order to graduate in four (4) academic years. The number of summer units taken by part-time students varies from as few as two (2) to as many as five (5) summer.
Full-time J.D. students are not required to take summer courses to graduate on time (in three academic years).
Residency Units
In addition to the 87 units necessary to graduate, students must satisfy residency requirements. All students are required to earn six residency units in order to graduate. They are earned as follows:
- Full-time students earn one residency unit for each fall or spring semester completed satisfactorily.
- Part-time students earn 0.75 (three quarters) of a residency unit for each fall or spring semester completed satisfactorily.
- SCALE students earn 0.67 (sixty-seven hundredths) of a residency unit for each term or grading period completed satisfactorily. SCALE students attend nine terms or grading periods during their program.
- Residency units are not earned for any Summer Session (except for SCALE students), Summer Law Programs or Intersession Programs.
If a student has NOT completed the residency requirements, regardless of how many units the student needs to graduate, the student will be charged flat rate tuition for one Semester or SCALE term. Additional details and information regarding Early Graduation Requests may be found in the Graduation Requirements Policy on the Institutional Policies Page.
Tuition Refund Policy
Students who withdraw before the first day of the semester, Summer Session, January Intersession, or SCALE period receive a 100% credit of charged tuition. Those students withdrawing on or after the first day of classes will incur a prorated non-refundable tuition charge.* Once 60% of the semester, Summer Session, January Intersession, or SCALE period is completed, the student will be charged 100% of tuition. Southwestern's Summer Abroad Programs have their own refund policies, which are printed in the brochure for each program.
*The prorated non-refundable charge is calculated by counting the number of calendar days starting with the first day of the term and ending with the last date of attendance. That result is divided by the number of calendar days in the term. The resulting percentage is then multiplied by the original tuition charged to determine the prorated non-refundable charge