Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies: is this master's degree worth it?
National picture across 43 reporting college programs.
Personal baseline needed
$107,540 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.
$107,540Median year-4 earnings
$28,061Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Observed national outcomes
$107,540Median reported earnings · year 4
$103,973Average reported earnings · year 5
Not availableMedian federal debt
74thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
43Reporting programs
43With year-4 earnings
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
- $61,496
- Federal debt
- $26,718
- Reporting programs
- 4
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $103,797
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Reporting programs
- 3
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $107,540
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 43
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $123,199
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $94,594
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 4
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $98,030
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 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$83,264National median$107,54075th percentile$122,385
43 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Georgetown University$171,6312Boston University$156,0873University of San Diego$148,2354University of Florida$142,2915Loyola Marymount University$140,5196University of San Francisco$136,6237Seton Hall University$131,8928Golden Gate University$131,3669Texas A&M University-College Station$128,51810Loyola University Chicago$123,695Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
LawyersSOC 23-1011 · 25 crosswalk linksLaw Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1112 · 24 crosswalk links
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 | Georgetown UniversityMaster's Degree | Washington, DC | $171,631 | Not available | Baseline needed | $40,815 |
| 2 | Boston UniversityMaster's Degree | Boston, MA | $156,087 | Not available | Baseline needed | $24,402 |
| 3 | University of San DiegoMaster's Degree | San Diego, CA | $148,235 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,365 |
| 4 | University of FloridaMaster's Degree | Gainesville, FL | $142,291 | Not available | Baseline needed | $6,541 |
| 5 | Loyola Marymount UniversityMaster's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $140,519 | Not available | Baseline needed | $48,381 |
| 6 | University of San FranciscoMaster's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $136,623 | Not available | Baseline needed | $41,431 |
| 7 | Seton Hall UniversityMaster's Degree | South Orange, NJ | $131,892 | Not available | Baseline needed | $31,446 |
| 8 | Golden Gate UniversityMaster's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $131,366 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 9 | Texas A&M University-College StationMaster's Degree | College Station, TX | $128,518 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,315 |
| 10 | Loyola University ChicagoMaster's Degree | Chicago, IL | $123,695 | Not available | Baseline needed | $36,079 |
| 11 | Samford UniversityMaster's Degree | Birmingham, AL | $122,699 | Not available | Baseline needed | $32,622 |
| 12 | University of HoustonMaster's Degree | Houston, TX | $122,385 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,276 |
| 13 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusMaster's Degree | Seattle, WA | $120,793 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,091 |
| 14 | The University of AlabamaMaster's Degree | Tuscaloosa, AL | $120,262 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,420 |
| 15 | George Washington UniversityMaster's Degree | Washington, DC | $117,955 | Not available | Baseline needed | $36,586 |
| 16 | Fordham UniversityMaster's Degree | Bronx, NY | $117,083 | Not available | Baseline needed | $44,338 |
| 17 | University of Maryland BaltimoreMaster's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $112,984 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 18 | University of California, Los AngelesMaster's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $112,923 | Not available | Baseline needed | $12,548 |
| 19 | University of Illinois ChicagoMaster's Degree | Chicago, IL | $111,159 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,974 |
| 20 | Emory UniversityMaster's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $108,211 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,585 |
| 21 | University of MiamiMaster's Degree | Coral Gables, FL | $108,073 | Not available | Baseline needed | $37,244 |
| 22 | University of DenverMaster's Degree | Denver, CO | $107,540 | Not available | Baseline needed | $36,131 |
| 23 | Widener UniversityMaster's Degree | Chester, PA | $100,397 | Not available | Baseline needed | $25,759 |
| 24 | Florida State UniversityMaster's Degree | Tallahassee, FL | $100,339 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,297 |
| 25 | Temple UniversityMaster's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $98,481 | Not available | Baseline needed | $28,198 |
| 26 | American UniversityMaster's Degree | Washington, DC | $96,768 | Not available | Baseline needed | $41,943 |
| 27 | University of TulsaMaster's Degree | Tulsa, OK | $95,372 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,000 |
| 28 | Hofstra UniversityMaster's Degree | Hempstead, NY | $93,902 | Not available | Baseline needed | $34,176 |
| 29 | Nova Southeastern UniversityMaster's Degree | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $91,014 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,371 |
| 30 | University of the PacificMaster's Degree | Stockton, CA | $87,881 | Not available | Baseline needed | $25,447 |
| 31 | University of Southern CaliforniaMaster's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $84,932 | Not available | Baseline needed | $32,740 |
| 32 | Southern Methodist UniversityMaster's Degree | Dallas, TX | $84,447 | Not available | Baseline needed | $40,892 |
| 33 | University of Missouri-ColumbiaMaster's Degree | Columbia, MO | $83,264 | Not available | Baseline needed | $20,268 |
| 34 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionMaster's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $80,281 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,967 |
| 35 | Arizona State University Digital ImmersionMaster's Degree | Scottsdale, AZ | $80,281 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 36 | University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusMaster's Degree | Norman, OK | $79,624 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,300 |
| 37 | Vermont Law and Graduate SchoolMaster's Degree | South Royalton, VT | $76,514 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 38 | Pepperdine UniversityMaster's Degree | Malibu, CA | $73,551 | Not available | Baseline needed | $58,098 |
| 39 | Liberty UniversityMaster's Degree | Lynchburg, VA | $72,389 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,357 |
| 40 | Washington University in St LouisMaster's Degree | St. Louis, MO | $72,301 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,786 |
| 41 | Drexel UniversityMaster's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $67,634 | Not available | Baseline needed | $38,509 |
| 42 | St. John's University-New YorkMaster's Degree | Queens, NY | $56,014 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,999 |
| 43 | Crestpoint UniversityMaster's Degree | Phoenix, AZ | $54,560 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,670 |
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.