POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a post-baccalaureate certificate in Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 3 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$103,797 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.
$103,797Median year-4 earnings
$20,866Average institution net-price context
$19,500Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$103,797Typical earnings four years after completion
Not availableAverage earnings five years after completion
$19,500Typical federal student debt
77thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
306Degrees awarded in 2024–25
3College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 2 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
How much do Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies post-baccalaureate certificate graduates earn?
The national median is $103,797 four years after completion across reportable post-baccalaureate certificate programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $19,500. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $73,999 to $103,797 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 2 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $61,496
- Federal debt
- $26,718
- Programs in the comparison
- 4
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $103,797
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $107,540
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 43
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $123,199
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $94,594
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 4
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $98,030
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
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$73,999National median$103,79775th percentile$103,797
3 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Florida State University
$143,942 four years after completionTallahassee, FL · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtCUNY Graduate School and University Center
$15,500 among completer borrowersNew York, NY · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classUniversity of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
13 reported awards in 2024–25Pittsburgh, PA · inspect the full program →Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
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See the spread, not just the national number.
1Florida State University$143,9422University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$103,7973CUNY Graduate School and University Center$73,999Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Lawyers$159,670 median wage754,500 jobs nationwide+4.7% projected growth through 2035 · 28,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$78,360–$351,600 typical wage rangeLaw Teachers, Postsecondary$128,500 median wage20,060 jobs nationwide+2.6% projected growth through 2035 · 1,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$64,250–$287,900 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
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.