Find Master of Legal Studies Schools by State

It’s always a good idea to check with a school’s admissions department to verify that students are admitted from your state before you apply, as regulations and laws vary from state to state. Under federal regulations at 34 CFR 600.9 (current as of October 2026), a school that offers distance education to students located in another state must meet that state's requirements for offering it there, or be covered by a state authorization reciprocity agreement that the state participates in.

Master of Legal Studies Programs by State:

• Arizona
• California
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Michigan
• Missouri
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia
• Washington, D.C.

What to Check Before You Apply From Your State

• Whether the school can enroll students where you live. According to the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), as of January 2026, 49 member states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands take part in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA), which streamline the rules for distance education across state lines. You can look up participating institutions by state in the SARA institution directory. If a school doesn't participate, ask its admissions office whether it is authorized to enroll students in your state.
• Institutional accreditation. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) offers a search of institutions accredited by recognized U.S. accrediting organizations (last verified October 15, 2026). If the MLS is offered by a law school, keep in mind that the American Bar Association's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar does not accredit or approve non-J.D. degrees (last verified October 15, 2026). The Council may "acquiesce" in a law school offering one, which is not an approval of the degree itself. Our guide to accredited MLS programs explains the difference.
• In-person requirements. Ask whether the program requires any campus visits or in-person sessions, and how often, so you can plan for travel time and cost. Our guide to online vs. hybrid MLS programs explains how the two formats differ.
• Tuition for your residency status. Ask whether the program charges different rates to in-state and out-of-state students, and confirm the total tuition and fees that would apply to you.

Master of Legal Studies by State: Frequently Asked Questions

Can you become a lawyer with a Master of Legal Studies?

No. The American Bar Association (last verified October 15, 2026) groups the Master of Legal Studies with academic master's degrees for nonlawyers, separate from the J.D. Each jurisdiction sets its own bar admission rules, and the National Conference of Bar Examiners' chart of domestic legal education requirements (last verified October 15, 2026) bases eligibility to take the bar exam on a law degree, such as a J.D. or LL.B., or in some jurisdictions on other forms of law study. None of the routes it lists is a master's degree for nonlawyers such as the MLS. To see how the degrees compare, read our guide to MLS vs. LL.M. vs. J.D. degrees.

Do online MLS programs require the LSAT?

It depends on the program. The ABA notes that admission requirements for law school degrees other than the J.D. vary from school to school and are not evaluated through its accreditation process (last verified October 15, 2026), so each MLS program sets its own testing policy. Check the admissions page of each program you are considering to see whether it asks for LSAT or GRE scores.

Why isn't my state on the list?

The list above includes the states where we currently have a guide to MLS programs. If your state isn't listed, you can still compare online programs offered by schools in other states, as long as the school is able to enroll students where you live. Start with the authorization and accreditation checks above.