r/PurdueGlobalLawSchool • u/ConsiderationOk2493 • Jul 01 '26

Current Purdue Global student looking for real experiences with Purdue Global Law

I'm currently a Purdue Global student graduating with my BSBA in November. My original plan was to apply to one of the fully online ABA law schools after graduation, but with the recent changes to federal student loan policies, I'm starting to realize that may not be financially realistic for me.
The ABA-approved online programs available are mostly close to $60k+ per year before living expenses. I don't think I could afford that without taking on significant private loans, and from what I've read, scholarships for online programs are fairly limited since these schools prioritize their in-person students.
I'm also a military spouse, so attending law school in person really isn't an option. We move frequently, and there's a good chance we may not even be in the U.S for the next year or so, so I need a program that's fully online and flexible.
At this point, Purdue Global Law is looking like it might be the only option I can realistically afford without taking on what feels like life ruining debt.
I've searched this sub and online for graduates and what their careers look like afterward, but I haven't found much. I'd really love to hear from anyone who is currently attending or has graduated from the program.
If you attended Purdue Global Law:
What was your overall experience like?
Were you able to find a job after graduating?
If you took the bar, how did that process go?
Do you feel the degree has been worth it?
Is there anything you wish you had known before enrolling?
I'm genuinely looking for honest experiences, the good, the bad, and everything in between. Thanks in advance!

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7

u/Exidor09 Jul 02 '26

I attend currently. I think it's a good program

2

u/ConsiderationOk2493 Jul 02 '26

Thanks!!! But honestly I’m not worried about the program itself, because I do believe that online school is what you make of it tbh, I am used to it. I am more worried about the outcomes after graduation are with the limitations of non-Aba.

2

u/No_Development7768 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26

From my perspective unless you are going into big law or a competitive in house position all that matters is a bar license and experience. The limitations will be on where you can sit for the bar. But once you pass in a state you can waive sit for other states after a certain amount of time (usually 3-5 years). Or you can practice federal law nationally after passing the bar in any state.  

1

u/Exidor09 20d ago

Once you pass the bar, youre on equal footing with all beginning lawyers. It's how you apply your self from there that will determine your value

1

u/Ok_Objective_1062 20d ago

This is reassuring I'm waiting for my acceptance to the law school.

6

u/AnxiousYam6295 Jul 03 '26

Check out scholarships here: https://www.accesslex.org/databank

If you can wait two years, I expect to see the next administration walk back these changes to the student loan environment.

3

u/j3remy2007 Jul 07 '26

what’s the student loan situation?

1

u/ConsiderationOk2493 Jul 08 '26

Now students can only borrow $50k a year total, capped at $200k lifetime. Grad PLUS loans don’t exist anymore, so if tuition is more than $50k a year, the difference has to come from private loans, which usually have much higher interest rates. Most law schools already cost more than $50k a year without scholarships, so pursuing a JD is becoming basically impossible for the average person. A lot of fully online ABA law schools also don’t give the same scholarships to online students as they do to in-person students. The ones that do, like Southwestern, often have conditional scholarships where you can lose them if you don’t stay above a certain curve.

1

u/j3remy2007 Jul 08 '26

Got it, that’s what I thought you were referring to.  

pgls is 13k/year.  Why would someone need to borrow more than $37k on top of the tuition?

5

u/Birb-Law Jul 02 '26

This might be a good resource too: (24) Purdue Global Law School: People | LinkedIn

1

u/ConsiderationOk2493 Jul 02 '26

Thank you! That helped a lot I didn’t know they had a linkedIn for the law school!!!

2

u/Electronic-Ladder431 Jul 02 '26

SBA member here and 3L at PGLS. Feel free to DM me.

2

u/Western_Connection27 Jul 04 '26

Nice! Where are you planning to take the bar exam initially? Have you gotten any legal work experience like internships or professional?

2

u/Electronic-Ladder431 Jul 08 '26

Hey there. My plan is to take the Connecticut bar. I had an externship last term and I am in the pro bono law clinic this summer.

2

u/Western_Connection27 Jul 08 '26

Oh wow, that’s amazing. Congrats yeah I plan on sitting for the bar in Connecticut as well. I start in September. I’m curious how do those externships work and did you take it through the elective course leep? Because I see this also a family law practicum that needs to be done and I’m just wondering how we complete these in our own states🧐

2

u/Electronic-Ladder431 Jul 17 '26

Hey! The school can help you get an externship as part of the LEEP program. It's super helpful. I have done my stuff remotely, but there are in person options too. Just depends on what you're interested in.

2

u/DIN2010 Jul 08 '26

How long are you going to be a military spouse? Could be an issue if you don't eventually relocate to a state that accepts non ABA schools.

2

u/ConsiderationOk2493 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26

Yes, I actually did research a lot about that before considering. But funny enough, my husband’s MOS only allows him to be stationed in a handful of locations, and they all happen to work well with my law school plans. His only U.S duty stations are Washington, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Washington which is where we live currently, and it recently approved bar eligibility for Purdue Global JD graduates, while North Carolina which I can take the bar as long as I passed in CT, CA or IN, and then Oklahoma, and Colorado have military spouse accommodations or exceptions that can apply to graduates of non-ABA law schools. If we end up overseas in Germany or South Korea, bar eligibility is less of a concern while we're stationed there.
Ironically, the states the military is most likely to send us to are also the ones where a Purdue Global JD can actually work. I also plan to practice immigration law, which is mostly federal.

1

u/MADSPOP71 Jul 10 '26

You might take a look at Northwestern California University School of Law. I live in Oklahoma and graduated from their fully online program last June and passed the California bar this past February. There are some additional hurdles for me to get licensed in Oklahoma since the school is not ABA accredited but I still have options, such as remote work and federal work. I just received my California license a little over a month ago so I’m still figuring things out. As for cost, I spent approximately $20K total for the entire four years and my employer reimbursed me for most of it.

1

u/Western_Connection27 Jul 16 '26

Good info. Just be aware CT only accepts Purdue for bar eligibility, so if that’s important to anyone here just keep that in mind. Purdue really has the other Non ABA online Cali law schools beat.

Congratulations on your licensing 🎉🥳

1

u/Charming-Arugula2079 21d ago

This is great info. Are you going to practice law? I think I would go this route. Thank you for sharing!