Can't decide: DePaul v. Hamline Forum

[mackenbrown]

I've been accepted to the following:

DePaul: $15,000 per year, must have a 3.2 ($24,000 tuition per year)
Hamline: 75% scholarship, must have a 2.5 ($8,500 tuition per year)

I was also accepted to Marquette w/ money, Drake w/ money, Kent no money, John Marshall w/ money...and I was wait listed at Loyola-Chicago. I have ruled out these schools. My husband and I want to stay in an urban area (we are currently in Chicago), so the Twin Cities or Chicago are better than Milwaukee or Des Moines.

I'm not terribly interested in big law. Not ready to commit to a single area of law, but I'm have an entertainment/non-profit background. I like the IP program at DePaul, but without a science background I wonder if I'll get to practice it. I also like the Dispute Resolution program. I know DePaul is T2 and Hamline is T4, but Hamline's ADR program is ranked 2nd nationally.

Have a few friends who recently graduated from DePaul and other schools. They are saying that the job market is slim and the least amount debt is desirable. I think I can get through Hamline for $50,000 and DePaul is more like $130,000. The debt amount is a big factor.

Starting salaries are a about $10-15,000 less at Hamline, but with a lower loan payment there will be less pressure to get the big bucks right away.

I spoke to one attorney in Minneapolis. He said that UM is the top school, but that St. Thomas, WM, and Hamline are comparable. Another attorney said that he would tie Hamline 3rd with WM, but that Hamline does have a great ADR program and the alumni network is good in the Twin Citites.

DePaul is well respected in Chicago, but there are University of Chicago and Northwestern looming overhead, and Loyola/Kent are cranking out the graduates too.

My priority is to become a lawyer while minimizing debt. Hamline provides that, but is that better than DePaul?

Thoughts?

[09042014]

I wouldn't go to either, but you'll have a lot less debt coming out of Hamline. Don't take your cost of living loans and have your husband pay the rent. You'll graduate with less than 40K in debt. That's about right for anything that's not a Solid T1.

[FeelTheHeat]

I wouldn't go to either, but you'll have a lot less debt coming out of Hamline. Don't take your cost of living loans and have your husband pay the rent. You'll graduate with less than 40K in debt. That's about right for anything that's not a Solid T1.

60k at FSU reasonable? Seriously though, because I'm trying hard to make the numbers work.