Non-Professional Legal Studies: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 22.00. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 392 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 49 | 631 | $58,040 | $78,149 | $17,812 6 programs |
| Associate's degree | 98 | 458 | $34,993 | $41,222 | $10,750 3 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 190 | 3,253 | $44,728 | $61,959 | $23,000 41 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 36 | 398 | $61,147 | $65,153 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 2 | 7 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 3 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 12 | 49 | $46,869 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Georgia GA · Public · 115 graduates measured | $72,516 | $97,028 | $19,125 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 42 graduates measured | $45,262 | Data unavailable | $13,985 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivy Tech Community College IN · Public · 18 graduates measured | $39,534 | Data unavailable | $10,750 |
| Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College MS · Public · 17 graduates measured | $31,131 | Data unavailable | $5,500 |
| Post University CT · Private, for-profit · 39 graduates measured | $29,632 | $42,376 | $35,230 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley University MA · Private, nonprofit · 92 graduates measured | $78,138 | $148,087 | Data unavailable |
| American University DC · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $57,941 | $72,792 | $21,375 |
| University of Maryland Global Campus MD · Public · 61 graduates measured | $56,595 | $70,845 | $26,412 |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 58 graduates measured | $55,769 | $61,532 | $25,907 |
| Tulane University of Louisiana LA · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $54,578 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Liberty University VA · Private, nonprofit · 79 graduates measured | $53,846 | Data unavailable | $25,297 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 45 graduates measured | $53,147 | $60,745 | $28,885 |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 45 graduates measured | $53,147 | $60,745 | $28,885 |
| Suffolk University MA · Private, nonprofit · 85 graduates measured | $51,539 | $70,274 | $27,000 |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 206 graduates measured | $51,139 | $70,636 | $13,250 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 134 graduates measured | $48,780 | $71,042 | $16,584 |
| University of Washington-Tacoma Campus WA · Public · 134 graduates measured | $48,780 | $71,042 | $16,584 |
| Northeastern State University OK · Public · 18 graduates measured | $47,430 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Hamline University MN · Private, nonprofit · 53 graduates measured | $46,377 | $65,460 | $25,525 |
| Post University CT · Private, for-profit · 35 graduates measured | $46,345 | $51,731 | $52,200 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity Law School CA · Private, nonprofit · 76 graduates measured | $72,229 | $93,039 | Data unavailable |
| Trinity International University-Illinois IL · Private, nonprofit · 76 graduates measured | $72,229 | $93,039 | Data unavailable |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 33 graduates measured | $71,165 | $67,802 | Data unavailable |
| University of Arizona AZ · Public · 127 graduates measured | $70,238 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Illinois Springfield IL · Public · 18 graduates measured | $69,898 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| The Colleges of Law at Ventura CA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $69,058 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| West Virginia University WV · Public · 36 graduates measured | $62,332 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Ohio University-Main Campus OH · Public · 21 graduates measured | $56,973 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Webster University MO · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $56,317 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Texas State University TX · Public · 42 graduates measured | $48,936 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas State University TX · Public · 32 graduates measured | $46,354 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Non-Professional Legal Studies
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegals and legal assistants | $62,890 | -0.3% | Associate's degree |
| Legal support workers, all other | $72,110 | -0.3% | Associate's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (3)
- 22.0000 Legal Studies
- 22.0001 Pre-Law Studies
- 22.0099 Non-Professional Legal Studies, Other