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MASTER'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 2200

Non-Professional Legal Studies: is this master's degree worth it?

National picture across 5 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$80,044 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.

$80,044Median year-4 earnings

$6,734Average 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

$80,044Median reported earnings · year 4

$53,869Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

54thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

5Reporting programs

5With 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

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $97,028
Federal debt: $17,384
Reporting programs: 2

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $42,159
Federal debt: $27,487
Reporting programs: 3

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $63,487
Federal debt: $26,030
Reporting programs: 43

39 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $80,044
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 5

5 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$67,802National median$80,04475th percentile$93,039

5 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Trinity Law School$93,039 2Trinity International University-Illinois$93,039 3American Public University System$67,802 4Purdue University Global$53,359

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.

NO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 2 crosswalk linksLegal Support Workers, All OtherSOC 23-2099 · 1 crosswalk linksParalegals and Legal AssistantsSOC 23-2011 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR NON-PROFESSIONAL LEGAL STUDIES

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	Trinity Law SchoolMaster's Degree	Santa Ana, CA	$93,039	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
2	Trinity International University-IllinoisMaster's Degree	Deerfield, IL	$93,039	Not available	Baseline needed	$2,835
3	American Public University SystemMaster's Degree	Charles Town, WV	$67,802	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,597
4	Purdue University GlobalMaster's Degree	West Lafayette, IN	$53,359	Not available	Baseline needed	$7,770
5	Empire CollegeMaster's Degree	,	$80,044	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available

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.