in america, law is a post-graduate study. students take twelve years of primary and secondary education, typically finishing at about age 18. they then have four years of undergraduate college study. many work for a year or two thereafter, although they are eligible to enter law school immediately. they stay at law school for three or more years and receive the JD degree. (Up until the late 1960s, this same degree was called the LL.B. degree.) The average age of law graduates is as high as 29 at many law schools. There are graduate programs, often utilized by foreign students more than Americans, at many of the larger law schools. these programs are mostly research oriented and require the submission of a lengthy thesis. Typically, a masters degree (LLM) and a doctors degree (SJD) are offered. (The Doctor of Laws, LLD, is usually only an honorary degree, given not for law study but for meritorious service.) Some schools also offer a special degree program to foreign students, which leads to a master of comparative law (MCL) or a master of legal institutions (MLI) degree. These programs often stress classroom instruction in addition to legal research. Admission to law school has become very competitive. Some schools accept only one applicant in five, or even ten. However , there are many schools available. There are some 174 accredited law schools, plus several more that are not accredited, and they take in about 40,000 new students each year. About 40% of these students are women and 10% are minorities. There are both private and public law schools. Many draw their students from all over the United States. Tuition costs can vary from less than $5,000 to more than $25,000 per year. In most public law schools, students who are not residents of the state involved pay higher tuition than resident students