Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 22.02. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 394 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 | 14 | 272 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | $24,250 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 4 | 21 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 20 | 150 | $47,863 | $62,654 | $26,000 3 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 8 | 0 | $72,137 | $103,335 | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 193 | 9,025 | $87,282 | $101,000 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 54 | 158 | $107,724 | $113,071 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 30 | 230 | $105,252 | $106,836 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 71 | 1,677 | $86,090 | $114,740 | 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.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $63,974 | $87,416 | $27,000 |
| James Madison University VA · Public · 72 graduates measured | $47,879 | $61,496 | $19,500 |
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.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus PA · Public · 23 graduates measured | $78,463 | $103,797 | 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.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 156 graduates measured | $204,875 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $196,585 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of San Francisco CA · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $160,316 | $136,623 | Data unavailable |
| Villanova University PA · Private, nonprofit · 66 graduates measured | $142,363 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Seton Hall University NJ · Private, nonprofit · 95 graduates measured | $126,937 | $131,892 | Data unavailable |
| University of Florida FL · Public · 111 graduates measured | $123,671 | $142,291 | Data unavailable |
| Loyola Marymount University CA · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $116,838 | $140,519 | Data unavailable |
| Seattle University WA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $115,466 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Fordham University NY · Private, nonprofit · 111 graduates measured | $114,593 | $117,083 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Alabama AL · Public · 25 graduates measured | $112,733 | $120,262 | Data unavailable |
| Boston University MA · Private, nonprofit · 71 graduates measured | $107,660 | $156,087 | Data unavailable |
| Albany Law School NY · Private, nonprofit · 39 graduates measured | $105,706 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of St Thomas MN · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $105,153 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of San Diego CA · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $104,638 | $148,235 | Data unavailable |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 73 graduates measured | $102,920 | $117,955 | 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.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk University MA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $102,785 | $123,199 | 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.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 81 graduates measured | $143,011 | $155,436 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $98,688 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Connecticut CT · Public · 16 graduates measured | $94,630 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Thomas M Cooley Law School MI · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $65,608 | $89,975 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $139,000 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 147 graduates measured | $100,754 | $98,030 | Data unavailable |
| Temple University PA · Public · 81 graduates measured | $88,379 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis IN · Public · 51 graduates measured | $81,452 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| St. Thomas University FL · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $71,023 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Champlain College VT · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $63,278 | $93,818 | 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 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | $159,670 | +4.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Law teachers, postsecondary | $128,500 | +2.6% | Doctoral or professional 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 (25)
- 22.0201 Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General
- 22.0202 Programs for Foreign Lawyers
- 22.0203 American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence
- 22.0204 Canadian Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence
- 22.0205 Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities Law
- 22.0206 Comparative Law
- 22.0207 Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law
- 22.0208 Health Law
- 22.0209 International Law and Legal Studies
- 22.0210 International Business, Trade, and Tax Law
- 22.0211 Tax Law/Taxation
- 22.0212 Intellectual Property Law
- 22.0213 Patent Law
- 22.0214 Agriculture Law
- 22.0215 Arts and Entertainment Law
- 22.0216 Compliance Law
- 22.0217 Criminal Law and Procedure
- 22.0218 Entrepreneurship Law
- 22.0219 Family/Child/Elder Law
- 22.0220 Human Resources Law
- 22.0221 Insurance Law
- 22.0222 Real Estate and Land Development Law
- 22.0223 Transportation Law
- 22.0224 Tribal/Indigenous Law
- 22.0299 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, Other