Legal Support Services
Offered at 855 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 338 | $47,937 | $59,724 | $21,812 |
| Associate | 421 | $42,131 | $48,286 | $21,875 |
| Bachelor's | 70 | $43,370 | $55,693 | $33,437 |
| Post-bacc certificate | 5 | $57,693 | — | $27,000 |
| Master's | 4 | — | — | — |
| Graduate certificate | 17 | $54,764 | $71,125 | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
One year after finishing, a typical certificate program in this field reports median earnings of $47,937, versus $43,370 for a typical bachelor's program.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco State University | CA | — | $90,849 | — |
| 2 | Edmonds College | WA | — | $78,896 | — |
| 3 | Loyola University Chicago | IL | $59,693 | $77,908 | $31,000 |
| 4 | Cerritos College | CA | $64,743 | $75,564 | — |
| 5 | Marist University | NY | $52,421 | $75,484 | $24,500 |
| 6 | Community College of Denver | CO | — | $69,736 | $31,251 |
| 7 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | IN | $47,516 | $64,818 | $24,449 |
| 8 | North Hennepin Community College | MN | — | $64,592 | — |
| 9 | Hamline University | MN | — | $63,971 | — |
| 10 | Anne Arundel Community College | MD | $52,499 | $63,263 | — |
| 11 | Front Range Community College | CO | $45,847 | $63,195 | $23,625 |
| 12 | Oakland Community College | MI | $49,467 | $62,664 | — |
| 13 | Hofstra University | NY | $51,296 | $62,401 | $16,500 |
| 14 | Johnson County Community College | KS | $48,099 | $62,393 | $22,125 |
| 15 | Community College of Aurora | CO | $61,742 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines Area Community College | IA | $46,625 | $65,167 | — |
| 2 | Austin Community College District | TX | $47,135 | $63,783 | $21,000 |
| 3 | Hillsborough College | FL | $43,672 | $61,506 | $20,923 |
| 4 | Houston City College | TX | — | $61,058 | — |
| 5 | Salt Lake Community College | UT | — | $60,802 | $12,500 |
| 6 | Arapahoe Community College | CO | $60,533 | — | — |
| 7 | Lewis and Clark Community College | IL | $40,921 | $59,511 | $8,478 |
| 8 | Portland Community College | OR | — | $59,464 | — |
| 9 | College of Southern Nevada | NV | $47,074 | $59,048 | $13,999 |
| 10 | Community College of Baltimore County | MD | — | $58,909 | — |
| 11 | Connecticut State Community College | CT | — | $57,911 | — |
| 12 | Dallas College | TX | $46,619 | $57,727 | $10,500 |
| 13 | Front Range Community College | CO | $41,318 | $57,156 | — |
| 14 | Oakland Community College | MI | $48,897 | $56,833 | — |
| 15 | North Hennepin Community College | MN | $53,459 | $56,640 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | TX | $41,711 | $72,603 | $19,285 |
| 2 | Madonna University | MI | — | $67,135 | — |
| 3 | Grand Valley State University | MI | $44,377 | $66,020 | $21,500 |
| 4 | Eastern Michigan University | MI | $49,757 | $64,633 | — |
| 5 | Stevenson University | MD | $44,337 | $63,180 | $22,000 |
| 6 | CUNY New York City College of Technology | NY | $47,373 | $62,629 | $12,400 |
| 7 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | OH | — | $62,264 | $25,250 |
| 8 | Florida Gulf Coast University | FL | $41,386 | $62,131 | $23,000 |
| 9 | Roosevelt University | IL | — | $61,856 | — |
| 10 | Washburn University | KS | — | $60,644 | — |
| 11 | Lewis University | IL | — | $60,596 | — |
| 12 | Illinois State University | IL | — | $60,227 | $15,500 |
| 13 | Peirce College | PA | $50,350 | $56,760 | — |
| 14 | Roger Williams University | RI | $55,603 | $56,207 | — |
| 15 | St Petersburg College | FL | $41,169 | $55,693 | $22,982 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning post-bacc certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco State University | CA | $63,556 | — | $17,680 |
| 2 | University of San Diego | CA | $59,773 | $61,655 | $18,424 |
| 3 | Roosevelt University | IL | $55,613 | — | $31,000 |
| 4 | Purdue University Global | IN | $48,542 | $52,388 | $31,775 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Washington University | DC | $68,634 | $86,470 | — |
| 2 | Texas State University | TX | — | $67,094 | — |
| 3 | Purdue University Global | IN | $53,888 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning graduate certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Washington University | DC | — | $84,514 | — |
| 2 | University of San Diego | CA | $54,072 | $71,125 | — |
| 3 | Texas State University | TX | — | $68,530 | — |
| 4 | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $66,840 | — | — |
| 5 | Webster University | MO | $55,456 | — | — |
| 6 | Hamline University | MN | $52,967 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Quick answers
- How much do legal support services graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in legal support services reports median earnings of $43,370. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
