Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies programs
CIP 2202 · Legal Professions & Studies · ranked by median earnings four years after completion
52 institutions report graduate earnings for Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies programs (College Scorecard, 2024-25). Across them the median is $100,339 four years after completion, with a typical debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60× and 89% of graduates earning above the federal earnings threshold. Indicatively, 3 of the 57 programs with both earnings and a benchmark fall below the earnings-premium benchmark used by the 2025 federal test (effective July 1, 2026); the rest clear it.
| # | Institution | Earn 4yr | % > threshold | Median debt | Debt/earn | Earnings premium | 2 of 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkNY · Grad cert | $312,330 n=16 | 100% 1yr | — | — | Above +340% | — |
| 2 | Georgetown UniversityDC · Master's | $171,631 n=243 | 95% 5yr | $97,008 | 0.56× | Above +99% | Clears 2/2 |
| 3 | Boston UniversityMA · Master's | $156,087 n=83 | 93% 5yr | $61,150 | 0.39× | Above +106% | Clears 2/2 |
| 4 | Northwestern UniversityIL · Professional | $155,436 n=64 | 100% 5yr | $75,943 | 0.49× | Above +127% | Clears 2/2 |
| 5 | University of San DiegoCA · Master's | $148,235 n=44 | 86% 5yr | $135,168 | 0.91× | Above +97% | Clears 2/2 |
| 6 | Florida State UniversityFL · Post-bacc cert | $143,942 n=20 | 98% 1yr | — | — | Above +159% | — |
| 7 | University of FloridaFL · Master's | $142,291 n=72 | 96% 5yr | $37,402 | 0.26× | Above +156% | Clears 2/2 |
| 8 | Loyola Marymount UniversityCA · Master's | $140,519 n=40 | 97% 1yr | $72,352 | 0.52× | Above +87% | — |
| 9 | University of San FranciscoCA · Master's | $136,623 n=24 | 89% 5yr | — | — | Above +81% | Clears 2/2 |
| 10 | Seton Hall UniversityNJ · Master's | $131,892 n=70 | 86% 5yr | $47,995 | 0.36× | Above +71% | Clears 2/2 |
| 11 | Golden Gate UniversityCA · Master's | $131,366 n=30 | 85% 1yr | $95,568 | 0.73× | Above +74% | — |
| 12 | Texas A&M University-College StationTX · Master's | $128,518 n=22 | 91% 1yr | $40,260 | 0.31× | Above +96% | — |
| 13 | Loyola University ChicagoIL · Master's | $123,695 n=116 | 91% 5yr | $58,186 | 0.47× | Above +81% | Clears 2/2 |
| 14 | Suffolk UniversityMA · Doctoral | $123,199 n=20 | — | — | — | Above +63% | — |
| 15 | Samford UniversityAL · Master's | $122,699 n=18 | — | — | — | Above +114% | — |
| 16 | University of HoustonTX · Master's | $122,385 n=25 | 86% 5yr | $43,156 | 0.35× | Above +87% | Clears 2/2 |
| 17 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusWA · Master's | $120,793 n=65 | 94% 5yr | $45,899 | 0.38× | Above +61% | Clears 2/2 |
| 18 | The University of AlabamaAL · Master's | $120,262 n=43 | 89% 5yr | $45,195 | 0.38× | Above +110% | Clears 2/2 |
| 19 | George Washington UniversityDC · Master's | $117,955 n=85 | 89% 5yr | $78,277 | 0.66× | Above +37% | Clears 2/2 |
| 20 | Fordham UniversityNY · Master's | $117,083 n=26 | 87% 1yr | $62,192 | 0.53× | Above +65% | — |
| 21 | University of Maryland BaltimoreMD · Master's | $112,984 n=71 | 88% 1yr | $42,646 | 0.38× | Above +49% | — |
| 22 | University of California-Los AngelesCA · Master's | $112,923 n=18 | — | — | — | Above +50% | — |
| 23 | University of Illinois ChicagoIL · Master's | $111,159 n=42 | 97% 5yr | $113,247 | 1.02× | Above +62% | Clears 2/2 |
| 24 | Emory UniversityGA · Master's | $108,211 n=40 | 80% 5yr | $66,876 | 0.62× | Above +71% | Clears 2/2 |
| 25 | University of MiamiFL · Master's | $108,073 n=79 | 89% 5yr | $67,912 | 0.63× | Above +95% | Clears 2/2 |
| 26 | University of DenverCO · Master's | $107,540 n=23 | 95% 5yr | $64,121 | 0.60× | Above +59% | Clears 2/2 |
| 27 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPA · Post-bacc cert | $103,797 n=23 | 96% 1yr | — | — | Above +62% | Clears 2/2 |
| 28 | Widener UniversityPA · Master's | $100,397 n=22 | 95% 5yr | $41,000 | 0.41× | Above +56% | Clears 2/2 |
| 29 | Florida State UniversityFL · Master's | $100,339 n=17 | 90% 1yr | $45,588 | 0.45× | Above +81% | — |
| 30 | Georgetown UniversityDC · Professional | $99,212 n=25 | 91% 1yr | $170,377 | 1.72× | Above +15% | Clears 2/2 |
| 31 | Temple UniversityPA · Master's | $98,481 n=37 | 81% 5yr | $49,688 | 0.51× | Above +53% | Clears 2/2 |
| 32 | University of Southern CaliforniaCA · Grad cert | $98,030 n=46 | 85% 1yr | $69,961 | 0.71× | Above +30% | — |
| 33 | American UniversityDC · Master's | $96,768 n=43 | 88% 5yr | $65,926 | 0.68× | Above +12% | Below 1/2 |
| 34 | University of TulsaOK · Master's | $95,372 n=23 | 95% 5yr | $50,960 | 0.53× | Above +75% | Clears 2/2 |
| 35 | Hofstra UniversityNY · Master's | $93,902 n=64 | 79% 1yr | $76,913 | 0.82× | Above +32% | — |
| 36 | Champlain CollegeVT · Grad cert | $93,818 n=19 | — | — | — | Above +74% | — |
| 37 | Nova Southeastern UniversityFL · Master's | $91,014 n=53 | 95% 5yr | $54,664 | 0.60× | Above +64% | Clears 2/2 |
| 38 | Thomas M Cooley Law SchoolMI · Professional | $89,975 n=28 | 92% 5yr | $199,224 | 2.21× | Above +43% | Clears 2/2 |
| 39 | University of the PacificCA · Master's | $87,881 n=32 | 80% 1yr | $41,000 | 0.47× | Above +17% | — |
| 40 | Drexel UniversityPA · Bachelor's | $87,416 n=16 | 84% 1yr | $26,900 | 0.31× | Above +132% | — |
| 41 | University of Southern CaliforniaCA · Master's | $84,932 n=74 | 85% 5yr | $66,790 | 0.79× | Above +13% | Below 1/2 |
| 42 | Southern Methodist UniversityTX · Master's | $84,447 n=23 | 84% 5yr | $60,100 | 0.71× | Above +29% | Clears 2/2 |
| 43 | University of Missouri-ColumbiaMO · Master's | $83,264 n=29 | 94% 1yr | — | — | Above +44% | — |
| 44 | Vermont Law and Graduate SchoolVT · Professional | $81,178 n=16 | 100% | $144,351 | 1.78× | Above +51% | Clears 2/2 |
| 45 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionAZ · Master's | $80,281 n=138 | 100% 5yr | $53,770 | 0.67× | Above +31% | Clears 2/2 |
| 46 | Arizona State University Digital ImmersionAZ · Master's | $80,281 n=138 | 100% 5yr | $53,770 | 0.67× | Above +31% | Clears 2/2 |
| 47 | University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusOK · Master's | $79,624 n=136 | 85% 1yr | $41,000 | 0.52× | Above +46% | — |
| 48 | Vermont Law and Graduate SchoolVT · Master's | $76,514 n=142 | 54% | $48,348 | 0.63× | Above +42% | Clears 2/2 |
| 49 | CUNY Graduate School and University CenterNY · Post-bacc cert | $73,999 n=19 | — | — | — | Above +4% | — |
| 50 | Pepperdine UniversityCA · Master's | $73,551 n=38 | 78% 1yr | $107,520 | 1.46× | Below -2% | — |
| 51 | Liberty UniversityVA · Master's | $72,389 n=62 | 75% 1yr | $29,384 | 0.41× | Above +2% | — |
| 52 | Washington University in St LouisMO · Master's | $72,301 n=159 | 83% 1yr | $57,235 | 0.79× | Above +25% | Clears 2/2 |
| 53 | Drexel UniversityPA · Master's | $67,634 n=41 | 89% 1yr | $51,250 | 0.76× | Above +5% | — |
| 54 | James Madison UniversityVA · Bachelor's | $61,496 n=68 | 100% | $25,000 | 0.41× | Above +62% | Clears 2/2 |
| 55 | St. John's University-New YorkNY · Master's | $56,014 n=28 | 77% 5yr | $60,379 | 1.08× | Below -21% | Below 2/2 |
| 56 | Crestpoint UniversityAZ · Master's | $54,560 n=34 | 69% 1yr | $41,000 | 0.75× | Below -11% | — |
| 57 | Winona State UniversityMN · Bachelor's | $48,808 n=17 | — | — | — | Above +22% | — |
% > threshold is ED's own share of graduates earning above the federal earnings threshold, taken from the best available measurement window (4-, 5- or 1-year) pooled across all nine College Scorecard Field-of-Study releases; a chip marks any figure not on the 4-year window. Earnings premium compares median earnings four years out to the U.S. Census ACS median for a high-school graduate (undergraduate credentials) or bachelor's-degree holder (graduate credentials) in the institution's state. 2 of 3 yrs flags programs below that benchmark in two of the latest three reported cohort-years — the statutory trigger under the 2025 federal earnings-premium test (effective July 1, 2026). Indicative estimates; the Department of Education's official determination may differ. Figures lag the current year by 2–3 years.
| State | Median earn 4yr | Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $123,695 | 3 |
| Texas | $122,385 | 3 |
| California | $112,923 | 9 |
| District of Columbia | $108,584 | 4 |
| Florida | $108,073 | 5 |
| Pennsylvania | $98,481 | 5 |
| New York | $93,902 | 5 |
| Vermont | $81,178 | 3 |
| Arizona | $80,281 | 3 |
States with at least 3 reporting Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies programs, by median graduate earnings.
Which colleges have the highest-paying Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies programs?
By median earnings four years after completion, the highest-paying Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies programs in this dataset are Columbia University in the City of New York ($312,330), Georgetown University ($171,631), Boston University ($156,087). Earnings reflect College Scorecard field-of-study data (2024-25) and vary by credential level and location.
Are Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies programs at risk under the federal earnings-premium test?
Indicatively, 3 of the 57 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies programs with both earnings and a state/national benchmark have median graduate earnings below the earnings-premium benchmark used by the 2025 federal test (effective July 1, 2026), under which a program can lose Title IV eligibility if its graduates earn less than a typical worker without the credential for 2 of 3 years. This estimate uses College Scorecard earnings vs U.S. Census ACS medians; the Department of Education's official determination uses its own cohort definition and may differ.
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Source: U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard Field of Study, 2014–15 through 2022–23 cohorts plus the most-recent snapshot (2024-25); threshold pass-rates pooled across all nine releases. Earnings-premium benchmarks from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS). Compiled by Ibex Insights. See the methodology.