MASTER'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 2201

Law: is this master's degree worth it?

National picture across 6 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$77,881 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$77,881Median year-4 earnings

$23,511Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$77,881Median reported earnings · year 4

$70,188Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

50thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

6Reporting programs

6With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $156,311
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $77,881
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 6

6 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $100,383
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 26

26 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $97,854
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 176

176 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$54,370National median$77,88175th percentile$89,257

6 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Wake Forest University$102,929 2Loyola Marymount University$98,678 3University of Houston$89,257 4Stetson University$66,504 5University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras$54,370 6St. Mary's University$54,265

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing OfficersSOC 23-1021 · 1 crosswalk linksArbitrators, Mediators, and ConciliatorsSOC 23-1022 · 1 crosswalk linksJudges, Magistrate Judges, and MagistratesSOC 23-1023 · 1 crosswalk linksJudicial Law ClerksSOC 23-1012 · 1 crosswalk linksLaw Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1112 · 1 crosswalk linksLawyersSOC 23-1011 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR LAW

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Wake Forest UniversityMaster's Degree	Winston-Salem, NC	$102,929	Not available	Baseline needed	$28,719
2	Loyola Marymount UniversityMaster's Degree	Los Angeles, CA	$98,678	Not available	Baseline needed	$48,381
3	University of HoustonMaster's Degree	Houston, TX	$89,257	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,276
4	Stetson UniversityMaster's Degree	DeLand, FL	$66,504	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,372
5	University of Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasMaster's Degree	San Juan, PR	$54,370	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,175
6	St. Mary's UniversityMaster's Degree	San Antonio, TX	$54,265	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,145

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.