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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a associate's degree in Legal Support Services worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 121 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$111,425 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

166.1 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−94%Estimated return after 10 years
$45,714Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$45,714 observed annual earnings · 2 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$45,714Typical earnings four years after completion
$43,602Average earnings five years after completion
$22,285Typical federal student debt
44thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
46Degrees awarded in 2024–25
112College 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.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Legal Support Services

How much do Legal Support Services associate's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $45,714 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $22,285. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Legal Support Services?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $40,593 to $51,314 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Legal Support Services?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 7 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

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

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$55,899
Federal debt
$20,834
Programs in the comparison
54
42 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$45,714
Federal debt
$22,285
Programs in the comparison
121
112 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$52,444
Federal debt
$27,750
Programs in the comparison
35
32 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$48,802
Federal debt
$24,621
Programs in the comparison
5
4 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$70,692
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
3
3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$76,951
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
2
2 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$40,593National median$45,71475th percentile$51,314
112 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$51,31475th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$22,285Median federal debt across programs that report it
22Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
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

South Coast College

$66,628 four years after completionOrange, CA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

Saint Louis Community College

$6,500 among completer borrowersBridgeton, MO · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Liberty University

85 reported awards in 2024–25Lynchburg, VA · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

$62,067Observed year-4 earnings$51,314
$5,463Annual college-wide average net price$29,357
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1South Coast College$66,6282Nassau Community College$64,1273Plaza College$62,0674Oakland Community College$60,0915Portland Community College$60,0046Seminole State College of Florida$59,6417Mt San Antonio College$58,8638Austin Community College District$58,5989College of Southern Nevada$58,44610Community College of Philadelphia$58,398

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

Career outlook

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

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners$72,420 median wage12,870 jobs nationwide-0.1% projected growth through 2035 · 1,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$42,130–$130,560 typical wage rangeLegal Support Workers, All Other$72,110 median wage46,760 jobs nationwide-0.3% projected growth through 2035 · 4,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$43,800–$179,960 typical wage rangeParalegals and Legal Assistants$62,890 median wage392,880 jobs nationwide-0.3% projected growth through 2035 · 40,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$44,740–$101,500 typical wage rangeInterpreters and Translators$60,170 median wage52,060 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 6,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$37,070–$103,660 typical wage rangeTitle Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$58,650 median wage48,580 jobs nationwide+2.1% projected growth through 2035 · 5,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$38,170–$90,830 typical wage rangeLegal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants$55,570 median wage156,280 jobs nationwide-5.2% projected growth through 2035 · 18,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$36,500–$91,730 typical wage rangeNO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwide

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

EXPLORE BY STATE

Where this degree has enough data to compare

State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.

FL13 programs$48,124 average earningsNY9 programs$46,352 average earningsIL7 programs$46,524 average earningsWI6 programs$44,640 average earningsTX6 programs$47,056 average earningsOH6 programs$43,696 average earningsVA5 programs$46,870 average earningsMN5 programs$49,951 average earnings

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.