Understanding Cost of Attendance
Your cost of attendance is the total of your expenses to attend law school.
Each year, we provide estimated cost of attendance budgets. You should review the budget for your program to plan reasonable expenses and make financial decisions in preparation for your legal education.
The budgets include direct expenses (tuition and fees) and an estimate of indirect expenses (housing, food, books, transportation, and personal expenses) for the duration of the expected academic year. Actual expenses vary based on personal choices.
Updated budgets are released prior to the start of each academic year, after the University sets tuition and fees for the upcoming year—in advance of your deposit deadline, usually by February or March. Prior to the release of the updated budgets for your first academic year, the budgets for the current academic year will remain posted. You can refer to them with the understanding that expenses typically increase each year.
JD Program - residential
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Tuition
Tuition is charged at a fixed per-credit rate, regardless of the number of credits.
The 2026-27 tuition rate is $1,648 per credit.
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Thrifty Budget
The “thrifty budget” helps students reduce the amount needed to finance their law degree. Students on this budget make economically advantageous choices that reduce indirect costs for housing & food, books & supplies, and miscellaneous personal expenses. They may choose to live with roommates, purchase used textbooks, and otherwise reduce their overall spending while in law school.
First-year law students are awarded federal financial aid using the thrifty budget. Students may request the standard budget, which may provide increased loan eligibility, by contacting Law Financial Aid; however, we encourage students to only borrow what they need, as loans must be repaid.
The budget covers the fall and winter terms, which span nine months.
2026-27 Thrifty Budget Expenses Full-Time Part-Time Extended Total Credits 30 23 15 Tuition ($1,648/credit hour) $49,440 $37,904 $24,720 Student Bar Association Fees $146 $146 $146 Academic Services Fee $185 $185 $185 Parking Pass $550 $550 $550 Sum of Direct Expenses $50,321 $38,785 $25,601 Books & Supplies $2,430 $1,863 $1,215 Housing & Food $10,588 $10,588 $10,588 Transportation $3,944 $2,366 $1,576 Personal/Miscellaneous $6,862 $6,862 $6,862 Direct Loan Fees $528 $528 $528 Sum of Indirect Expenses $24,352 $22,207 $20,769 Total Estimated Cost of Attendance $74,673 $60,992 $46,370 -
Standard Budget
The “standard budget” estimates costs without the economically advantageous assumptions built into the thrifty budget.
First-year law students are awarded federal financial aid using the thrifty budget. Students may request the standard budget, which may provide increased loan eligibility, by contacting Law Financial Aid; however, we encourage students to only borrow what they need, as loans must be repaid. If your personal budget is higher than the standard budget, please complete the financial aid reevaluation paperwork and meet with law financial aid to determine whether a reasonable adjustment is available.
The budget covers the fall and winter terms, which span nine months.
2026-27 Standard Budget Expenses Full-Time Part-Time Extended Total Credits 30 23 15 Tuition ($1,648/credit hour) $49,440 $37,904 $24,720 Student Bar Association Fees $146 $146 $146 Academic Services Fee $185 $185 $185 Parking Pass $550 $550 $550 Sum of Direct Expenses $50,321 $38,785 $25,601 Books & Supplies $3,090 $2,369 $1,545 Housing & Food $15,806 $15,806 $15,806 Transportation $3,944 $2,366 $1,576 Personal/Miscellaneous $10,244 $10,244 $10,244 Direct Loan Fees $528 $528 $528 Sum of Indirect Expenses $33,612 $31,313 $29,699 Total Estimated Cost of Attendance $83,933 $70,098 $55,300
JD Program - online
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Tuition
Tuition is charged at a fixed per-credit rate, regardless of the number of credits.
The 2026-27 tuition rate is $1,648 per credit.
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Thrifty Budget
The “thrifty budget” helps students reduce the amount needed to finance their law degree. Students on this budget make economically advantageous choices that reduce indirect costs for housing & food, books & supplies, and miscellaneous personal expenses. They may choose to live with roommates, purchase used textbooks, and otherwise reduce their overall spending while in law school.
First-year law students are awarded federal financial aid using the thrifty budget. Students may request the standard budget, which may provide increased loan eligibility, by contacting Law Financial Aid; however, we encourage students to only borrow what they need, as loans must be repaid.
The budget covers the fall, winter, and summer terms, which span twelve months.
2026-27 Thrifty Budget Expenses Thrifty Part-Time Online Total Credits 27 Tuition ($1,648/credit hour) $44,496 Student Bar Association Fees $146 Academic Services Fee $185 Sum of Direct Expenses $44,827 Books & Supplies $2,187 Housing & Food $13,236 Transportation $2,769 Personal/Miscellaneous $8,477 Direct Loan Fees $528 Sum of Indirect Expenses $27,197 Total Estimated Cost of Attendance $72,024 -
Standard Budget
The “standard budget” estimates costs without the economically advantageous assumptions built into the thrifty budget.
First-year law students are awarded federal financial aid using the thrifty budget. Students may request the standard budget, which may provide increased loan eligibility, by contacting Law Financial Aid; however, we encourage students to only borrow what they need, as loans must be repaid. If your personal budget is higher than the standard budget, please complete the financial aid reevaluation paperwork and meet with law financial aid to determine whether a reasonable adjustment is available.
The budget covers the fall, winter, and summer terms, which span twelve months.
2026-27 Standard Budget Expenses Standard Part-Time Online Total Credits 27 Tuition ($1,648/credit hour) $44,496 Student Bar Association Fees $146 Academic Services Fee $185 Sum of Direct Expenses $44,827 Books & Supplies $2,781 Housing & Food $19,757 Transportation $2,769 Personal/Miscellaneous $12,654 Direct Loan Fees $528 Sum of Indirect Expenses $38,489 Total Estimated Cost of Attendance $83,316
Dual JD Program
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Dual JD Program
In the Dual JD program, you attend both Detroit Mercy Law and Windsor Law, earning two law degrees simultaneously. As such, students are assessed tuition and fees by both schools each term for all three years of the program. Detroit Mercy Law offers a transnational tuition rate for students in the Dual JD program.
Detroit Mercy Law expenses and budgets are listed in US dollars. Windsor Law educational expenses, listed in Canadian dollars, are available through their Tuition Fee Estimator. Use a currency converter to view the most current exchange rates and accurate cost estimates.
Planning your financial investment before classes begin will support your success. To estimate your funding needs, start with your costs and subtract any scholarships. You may also choose to subtract personal savings.
2026-27 Estimated Cost of Attendance Dual JD Expenses Detroit Mercy Law (All Students) Tuition $28,356 Student Bar Association Fee $146 Academic Services Fee $185 Parking Pass $550 Sum of Direct Expenses $29,237 Books & Supplies $3,090 Housing & Food $15,806 Transportation $3,944 Miscellaneous $10,244 Loan Fee $528 Sum of Indirect Expenses $33,612 Total Estimated Cost of Attendance $62,849
Funding Options
Most students finance their cost of attendance with loans (federal/provincial and private), scholarships (from Detroit Mercy Law and external sources), and personal funds (income and savings).
Loans
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US Federal Loans
Federal financial aid is undergoing many changes for the incoming class of 2026. The program offered for law students is expected to allow borrowing of up to $50,000 per year, prorated for part-time enrollment, with a lifetime limit of $200,000.
Please complete the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine your eligibility. The FAFSA takes 20-30 minutes to complete. Parental information is not required. Our institution code is 002323.
Below are additional resources.
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Private Loans
Students can also apply for private, credit-based loans to cover all or a portion of their cost of attendance. AccessLex has recently released a resource to specifically help law students navigate private loans. This directory can be found here.
Additionally, the University has a tool, ELMSelect, that helps students compare a few private lenders who have been reviewed by a University-wide committee. This comparison tool assists students in the information-gathering process and you are not required to use one of these lenders.
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Canadian Provincial Loans
University of Detroit Mercy is an approved professional university outside of Canada. We suggest Canadian applicants contact financial aid/loan institutions in Canada their appropriate Provincial and Territorial Student Assistance Offices for information on loans, scholarships, and grants.
Scholarships
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1L Scholarships
You can learn more about the scholarships that are offered to incoming students here. The financial aid office is not involved in awarding these scholarships. If you have questions about the scholarship you were awarded with admission, please reach out to lawadmissions@udmercy.edu.
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External Scholarships
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Detroit Mercy Upper-Level Scholarships
In upper-level years, there additional scholarships (both Detroit Mercy and external) that are students are available. Detroit Mercy Law awards a variety of institutional scholarships to upper-level students each year, including Dean's Scholarships for academic excellence, leadership scholarships, and endowed scholarships.