Northwestern University: Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies

Graduate certificate · CIP 22.02 · No credentials fully online · Evanston, IL

Graduates of this program who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $139,000 one year after completing. Median debt was not published. Nationally, graduates of graduate certificate programs in this field earned a median of $86,090 one year after completing.

Median earnings, 1 year
$139,000
21 graduates measured Verified data
Median earnings, 4 years
Data unavailable
Data unavailable
Median federal debt
Data unavailable
Data unavailable
Debt to first-year earnings
Data unavailable
Data unavailable

This program compared with the national picture

MeasureThis programNational median, same field and credential
Median earnings 1 year after completion$139,000$86,090
Median earnings 4 years after completionSuppressed for privacy$114,740
Median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS)Suppressed for privacyData unavailable Median of programs
Estimated monthly payment on median debt (10-year standard)Data unavailable
Graduates in the most recent year171,677 across 71 programs

Earnings cohorts: Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars. Debt cohort: NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort. Debt covers federal loans only and excludes private loans and Parent PLUS loans. Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, before taxes.

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.

Careers this field prepares students for

From the official CIP to SOC crosswalk. Graduates do not all enter these occupations, and occupation wages describe all workers, not new graduates. Official crosswalk

OccupationMedian wage, all workersChange 2025 to 2035
Lawyers$159,670+4.7%
Law teachers, postsecondary$128,500+2.6%
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.

Comparable programs with the highest early earnings

SchoolMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian debt
University of Southern California
CA · Private, nonprofit
$100,754Data unavailable
Temple University
PA · Public
$88,379Data unavailable
Indiana University-Indianapolis
IN · Public
$81,452Data unavailable
St. Thomas University
FL · Private, nonprofit
$71,023Data unavailable
Champlain College
VT · Private, nonprofit
$63,278Data unavailable

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Northwestern University Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Graduate certificate): Earnings and Debt | ConnectPrep Career Intelligence