Legal Support Services: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 35 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$173,647 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
33.3 yrsModeled economic break-even
−70%Modeled 10-year ROI
$52,444Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$52,444Median reported earnings · year 4
$50,862Average reported earnings · year 5
$27,750Median federal debt
29thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
35Reporting programs
32With 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
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $55,899
- Federal debt
- $20,834
- Reporting programs
- 54
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $45,714
- Federal debt
- $22,285
- Reporting programs
- 121
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $52,444
- Federal debt
- $27,750
- Reporting programs
- 35
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,802
- Federal debt
- $24,621
- Reporting programs
- 5
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $70,692
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 3
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $76,951
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 2
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$48,605National median$52,44475th percentile$57,413
32 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Cincinnati-Main Campus$67,7132Peirce College$66,9783Stevenson University$63,6564University of Central Florida$61,8535Eastern Michigan University$60,1966Illinois State University$59,9437University of North Georgia$58,7208Grand Valley State University$57,7289Kent State University at Kent$57,41310Indiana University-Indianapolis$57,262Observed 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.
Court Reporters and Simultaneous CaptionersSOC 27-3092 · 3 crosswalk linksLegal Support Workers, All OtherSOC 23-2099 · 2 crosswalk linksInterpreters and TranslatorsSOC 27-3091 · 1 crosswalk linksLegal Secretaries and Administrative AssistantsSOC 43-6012 · 1 crosswalk linksNO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk linksParalegals and Legal AssistantsSOC 23-2011 · 1 crosswalk linksTitle Examiners, Abstractors, and SearchersSOC 23-2093 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cincinnati-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $67,713 | $25,258 | -20% | Negative payoff |
| 2 | Peirce CollegeBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $66,978 | $47,341 | -4% | Negative payoff |
| 3 | Stevenson UniversityBachelor's Degree | Owings Mills, MD | $63,656 | $27,000 | -35% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | University of Central FloridaBachelor's Degree | Orlando, FL | $61,853 | Not available | -24% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | Eastern Michigan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ypsilanti, MI | $60,196 | Not available | -37% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Illinois State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Normal, IL | $59,943 | Not available | -42% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | University of North GeorgiaBachelor's Degree | Dahlonega, GA | $58,720 | Not available | -37% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | Grand Valley State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Allendale, MI | $57,728 | $21,500 | -48% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Kent State University at KentBachelor's Degree | Kent, OH | $57,413 | $25,000 | -53% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Indiana University-IndianapolisBachelor's Degree | Indianapolis, IN | $57,262 | Not available | -46% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Florida Gulf Coast UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fort Myers, FL | $56,695 | $22,777 | -49% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Roger Williams UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bristol, RI | $56,566 | $19,619 | -65% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | Madonna UniversityBachelor's Degree | Livonia, MI | $56,416 | Not available | -55% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | Davenport UniversityBachelor's Degree | Grand Rapids, MI | $54,895 | $27,750 | -61% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Purdue University GlobalBachelor's Degree | West Lafayette, IN | $54,760 | $49,036 | -54% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | St Petersburg CollegeBachelor's Degree | St. Petersburg, FL | $52,657 | $35,238 | -59% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | University of Houston-Clear LakeBachelor's Degree | Houston, TX | $52,230 | $20,625 | -70% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | SUNY College of Technology at CantonBachelor's Degree | Canton, NY | $51,120 | $30,708 | -75% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Minnesota State University MoorheadBachelor's Degree | Moorhead, MN | $50,671 | $27,750 | -77% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Clayton State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Morrow, GA | $49,897 | $40,792 | -77% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | South University-SavannahBachelor's Degree | Savannah, GA | $49,335 | $48,729 | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | South University-ColumbiaBachelor's Degree | Columbia, SC | $49,335 | $48,729 | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | South University-Savannah OnlineBachelor's Degree | Savannah, GA | $49,335 | $48,729 | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | East Texas A&M UniversityBachelor's Degree | Commerce, TX | $49,075 | $24,375 | -82% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | University of ToledoBachelor's Degree | Toledo, OH | $48,605 | $27,605 | -86% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Liberty UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lynchburg, VA | $48,589 | $37,652 | -88% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | University of Southern MississippiBachelor's Degree | Hattiesburg, MS | $48,196 | Not available | -88% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | CUNY New York City College of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $47,945 | $14,563 | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | University of West FloridaBachelor's Degree | Pensacola, FL | $45,338 | $19,250 | -98% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Mississippi University for WomenBachelor's Degree | Columbus, MS | $45,081 | $26,500 | -100% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleBachelor's Degree | Carbondale, IL | $43,654 | $28,000 | -106% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | The University of Tennessee-ChattanoogaBachelor's Degree | Chattanooga, TN | $37,876 | Not available | -130% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | Bryan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Tempe, AZ | Not available | $38,746 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $20,834 |
| 34 | Washburn UniversityBachelor's Degree | Topeka, KS | Not available | $20,250 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $15,280 |
| 35 | Regent UniversityBachelor's Degree | Virginia Beach, VA | Not available | $37,747 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $19,923 |
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.