Legal Support Services: is this undergraduate certificate or diploma worth it?
National picture across 54 reporting college programs.
Personal baseline needed
$55,899 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.
$55,899Median year-4 earnings
$14,279Average institution net-price context
$20,834Median federal debt
Observed national outcomes
$55,899Median reported earnings · year 4
$55,931Average reported earnings · year 5
$20,834Median federal debt
60thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
54Reporting programs
42With 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.
CURRENT VIEW
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$42,509National median$55,89975th percentile$59,168
42 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1San Francisco State University$92,5462Marist University$80,8443Cerritos College$76,7424Edmonds College$68,7195North Hennepin Community College$65,2226Loyola University Chicago$63,1357Hillsborough College$62,3908William Rainey Harper College$62,0819Inver Hills Community College$61,53810Hamline University$61,388Observed 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. 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 | San Francisco State UniversityUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | San Francisco, CA | $92,546 | Not available | Baseline needed | $12,278 |
| 2 | Marist UniversityUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Poughkeepsie, NY | $80,844 | $26,000 | Baseline needed | $41,544 |
| 3 | Cerritos CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Norwalk, CA | $76,742 | Not available | Baseline needed | $2,424 |
| 4 | Edmonds CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Lynnwood, WA | $68,719 | $23,471 | Baseline needed | $11,010 |
| 5 | North Hennepin Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Brooklyn Park, MN | $65,222 | Not available | Baseline needed | $12,186 |
| 6 | Loyola University ChicagoUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Chicago, IL | $63,135 | $35,000 | Baseline needed | $36,079 |
| 7 | Hillsborough CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Tampa, FL | $62,390 | $27,000 | Baseline needed | $3,861 |
| 8 | William Rainey Harper CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Palatine, IL | $62,081 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,607 |
| 9 | Inver Hills Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Inver Grove Heights, MN | $61,538 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,636 |
| 10 | Hamline UniversityUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Saint Paul, MN | $61,388 | $24,250 | Baseline needed | $20,744 |
| 11 | Front Range Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Westminster, CO | $61,322 | $19,760 | Baseline needed | $13,031 |
| 12 | Hofstra UniversityUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Hempstead, NY | $59,168 | $21,693 | Baseline needed | $34,176 |
| 13 | Rasmussen University-FloridaUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Ocala, FL | $58,038 | $28,796 | Baseline needed | $21,909 |
| 14 | Rasmussen University-MinnesotaUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | St. Cloud, MN | $58,038 | $28,796 | Baseline needed | $17,962 |
| 15 | Rasmussen University-North DakotaUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Fargo, ND | $58,038 | $28,796 | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 16 | Rasmussen University-IllinoisUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Rockford, IL | $58,038 | $28,796 | Baseline needed | $19,854 |
| 17 | Rasmussen University-WisconsinUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Green Bay, WI | $58,038 | $28,796 | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 18 | Rasmussen University-KansasUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Topeka, KS | $58,038 | $28,796 | Baseline needed | $23,980 |
| 19 | Phoenix CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Phoenix, AZ | $56,853 | $18,358 | Baseline needed | $12,055 |
| 20 | Indiana University-IndianapolisUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Indianapolis, IN | $56,427 | $21,963 | Baseline needed | $11,668 |
| 21 | Clayton State UniversityUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Morrow, GA | $55,971 | $32,620 | Baseline needed | $8,365 |
| 22 | Bunker Hill Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Boston, MA | $55,826 | Not available | Baseline needed | $7,818 |
| 23 | Johnson County Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Overland Park, KS | $54,535 | $19,367 | Baseline needed | $14,176 |
| 24 | Lone Star College SystemUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | The Woodlands, TX | $53,690 | $17,251 | Baseline needed | $11,252 |
| 25 | Oakland Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Auburn Hills, MI | $53,595 | Not available | Baseline needed | $5,777 |
| 26 | Monroe Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Rochester, NY | $48,602 | Not available | Baseline needed | $6,353 |
| 27 | Community College of Allegheny CountyUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Pittsburgh, PA | $47,545 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,970 |
| 28 | Downey Adult SchoolUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Downey, CA | $46,833 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,695 |
| 29 | Fresno City CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Fresno, CA | $45,805 | Not available | Baseline needed | $8,069 |
| 30 | Saint Louis Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Bridgeton, MO | $45,509 | Not available | Baseline needed | $8,440 |
| 31 | Center for Advanced Legal StudiesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Houston, TX | $44,894 | $14,704 | Baseline needed | $13,959 |
| 32 | Community College of AuroraUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Aurora, CO | $42,509 | Not available | Baseline needed | $8,656 |
| 33 | Tidewater Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Norfolk, VA | $42,246 | $13,490 | Baseline needed | $11,762 |
| 34 | Post UniversityUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Waterbury, CT | $41,539 | $27,523 | Baseline needed | $21,634 |
| 35 | Forsyth Technical Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Winston-Salem, NC | $41,007 | $16,702 | Baseline needed | $7,200 |
| 36 | Purdue University GlobalUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | West Lafayette, IN | $39,788 | $11,642 | Baseline needed | $7,770 |
| 37 | Stautzenberger College-MaumeeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Maumee, OH | $39,359 | $20,834 | Baseline needed | $21,756 |
| 38 | Stautzenberger College-BrecksvilleUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Brecksville, OH | $39,359 | $20,834 | Baseline needed | $24,037 |
| 39 | Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Rockford, IL | $39,359 | $20,834 | Baseline needed | $21,601 |
| 40 | Davidson-Davie Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Thomasville, NC | $35,729 | Not available | Baseline needed | $8,753 |
| 41 | Odessa CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Odessa, TX | $33,739 | Not available | Baseline needed | $6,368 |
| 42 | Hinds Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Raymond, MS | $23,012 | Not available | Baseline needed | $4,060 |
| 43 | University of New HavenUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | West Haven, CT | Not available | $27,000 | Baseline needed | $34,192 |
| 44 | College of DuPageUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Glen Ellyn, IL | Not available | $21,625 | Baseline needed | $7,401 |
| 45 | Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse NorthUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Liverpool, NY | Not available | $18,335 | Baseline needed | $15,217 |
| 46 | Bryant & Stratton College-BuffaloUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Buffalo, NY | Not available | $18,335 | Baseline needed | $14,135 |
| 47 | Bryant & Stratton College-GreeceUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Rochester, NY | Not available | $18,335 | Baseline needed | $11,503 |
| 48 | Bryant & Stratton College-ParmaUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Parma, OH | Not available | $18,335 | Baseline needed | $12,849 |
| 49 | Austin Community College DistrictUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Austin, TX | Not available | $24,359 | Baseline needed | $6,390 |
| 50 | Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia BeachUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Virginia Beach, VA | Not available | $18,335 | Baseline needed | $12,038 |
| 51 | Tacoma Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Tacoma, WA | Not available | $17,629 | Baseline needed | $8,376 |
| 52 | Suffolk County Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Selden, NY | Not available | $19,500 | Baseline needed | $5,258 |
| 53 | Community Care CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Tulsa, OK | Not available | $11,995 | Baseline needed | $26,489 |
| 54 | Bryant & Stratton College-OnlineUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Orchard Park, NY | Not available | $18,335 | Baseline needed | $15,187 |
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.