Best Legal Studies Schools Near Niagara Falls, NY (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Niagara Falls, New York has 3 accredited schools offering legal studies programs, with tuition ranging from $10,936 to $31,536 per year for indexed programs. Niagara Falls has a population of about 48,198. Median household income is $48,535 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area, the top-earning legal studies-related role is Lawyer at a median $130,800 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer legal studies programs near Niagara Falls, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Niagara Falls city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Niagara Falls. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY 13.0 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,814
Avg net price $20,995/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,936
Out‑of‑state$31,536
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 193

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

St. John Fisher University

Rochester, NY 75.8 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,944
Avg net price $28,945/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Elmira College

Elmira, NY 131.4 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
46.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,550
Avg net price $22,386/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Ithaca College

Ithaca, NY 136.0 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
67.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,548
Avg net price $33,926/yr
Tuition
In‑state$53,540
Out‑of‑state$53,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Siena College

Loudonville, NY 267.5 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
60.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,079
Avg net price $33,733/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

State University of New York at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY 297.5 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,403
Avg net price $17,156/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Mercy University

Dobbs Ferry, NY 299.9 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,055
Avg net price $14,072/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all New York schools on the New York legal studies page.

Niagara Falls is part of the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area (BLS area code 15380). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Paralegal and Legal Assistant$58,270Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$60,825
Lawyer$130,800Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$136,534
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant$50,290Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$52,495

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Niagara Falls at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population48,198Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,535Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering legal studies programs near Niagara Falls. The closest is University at Buffalo in Buffalo, NY (13.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Gannon University (86.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying legal studies-related roles near Niagara Falls are: Lawyer ($130,800), Paralegal and Legal Assistant ($58,270), Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant ($50,290). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in North Tonawanda instead of Niagara Falls?

North Tonawanda, NY is 8.2 miles from Niagara Falls and has its own set of local legal studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Niagara Falls’s median household income of $48,535 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Niagara Falls while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Other Programs Available in Niagara Falls

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Niagara Falls:

Data verified: August 31, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Legal Studies Schools in New York: Online Programs (2026)