Non-Professional Legal Studies: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 42 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Non-Professional Legal Studies pays
Career outlook for Non-Professional Legal Studies graduates
The job market for the occupations Non-Professional Legal Studies graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegals and legal assistants | 376,200 | +0.2% | $61,010 | Associate's degree |
| Legal support workers, all other | 51,300 | -1.2% | $68,760 | Associate's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Non-Professional Legal Studies vs similar majors
How Non-Professional Legal Studies stacks up against the closest fields in Legal Professions & Studies on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Non-Professional Legal Studies Legal Professions & Studies · this major | Law | Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | Legal Professions and Studies, Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 57 C | 80 A | 80 A | 69 B |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $65,123 | $109,976 | $100,424 | $76,775 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $41,774 | $77,253 | $89,146 | $67,031 |
| ROI vs cost | +148% | +472% | +472% | +245% |
| Typical debt | $25,515 | $114,294 | $68,328 | $55,272 |
| Colleges offering it | 42 | 204 | 37 | 26 |
Non-Professional Legal Studies earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Non-Professional Legal Studies
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Georgia Athens, GA | Certificate | $117,300 | $18,611 | +3,390% | Strong return |
| 2 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY | Associate's | $58,557 | $7,500 | +1,383% | Strong return |
| 3 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA | Associate's | $74,073 | $14,512 | +1,035% | Strong return |
| 4 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Associate's | $78,127 | $13,000 | +945% | Strong return |
| 5 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | Associate's | $74,073 | $14,512 | +769% | Strong return |
| 6 | University of Miami Coral Gables, FL | Associate's | $103,274 | $15,565 | +627% | Strong return |
| 7 | University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD | Associate's | $82,406 | $26,701 | +595% | Strong return |
| 8 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA | Associate's | $75,921 | — | +586% | Strong return |
| 9 | Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI | Associate's | $69,066 | — | +584% | Strong return |
| 10 | American University Washington, DC | Associate's | $101,273 | $24,375 | +507% | Strong return |
| 11 | University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK | Associate's | $64,420 | — | +430% | Strong return |
| 12 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH | Associate's | $66,038 | $19,342 | +404% | Strong return |
| 13 | University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI | Associate's | $65,938 | $20,000 | +399% | Strong return |
| 14 | American Public University System Charles Town, WV | Associate's | $60,106 | $30,518 | +398% | Strong return |
| 15 | University of the District of Columbia Washington, DC | Associate's | $61,910 | $37,650 | +383% | Strong return |
| 16 | University of New Haven West Haven, CT | Associate's | $77,792 | — | +380% | Strong return |
| 17 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ | Associate's | $61,817 | $22,523 | +341% | Strong return |
| 18 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA | Associate's | $67,417 | $21,500 | +326% | Strong return |
| 19 | University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA | Associate's | $62,817 | $17,883 | +321% | Strong return |
| 20 | Hamline University Saint Paul, MN | Associate's | $65,092 | $22,000 | +306% | Strong return |
| 21 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI | Associate's | $63,933 | $24,753 | +291% | Strong return |
| 22 | Lipscomb University Nashville, TN | Associate's | $66,804 | $23,250 | +276% | Strong return |
| 23 | Siena University Loudonville, NY | Associate's | $72,921 | $27,000 | +261% | Strong return |
| 24 | Mercy University Dobbs Ferry, NY | Associate's | $57,163 | $25,000 | +227% | Strong return |
| 25 | University of La Verne La Verne, CA | Associate's | $61,433 | $27,870 | +226% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.