# Non-Professional Legal Studies

> A program of study that focuses on law and legal issues from the perspective of the social sciences and humanities.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/non-professional-legal-studies
- CIP code: 22.00 (Legal Professions and Studies)
- Colleges offering it: 169 at its most common degree level

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 43 | $58,889 | $97,028 | $18,500 |
| Associate's | 92 | $35,332 | $41,942 | $8,587 |
| Bachelor's | 169 | $43,735 | $65,388 | $20,500 |
| Master's | 24 | $62,332 | $93,039 | $40,505 |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Doctoral | 1 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| First professional | 3 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 11 | $46,354 | not reported | $30,000 |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [University of Miami](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-miami-2955) | Coral Gables, FL | $99,836 | $18,875 |
| [Quinnipiac University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/quinnipiac-university-2168) | Hamden, CT | $74,835 | $24,187 |
| [University of the District of Columbia](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-the-district-of-columbia-3058) | Washington, DC | $74,158 | $28,750 |
| [American University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/american-university-69) | Washington, DC | $72,792 | $21,375 |
| [Michigan State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/michigan-state-university-1677) | East Lansing, MI | $72,414 | $18,120 |
| [University of Washington-Seattle](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-washington-seattle-main-campus-3075) | Seattle, WA | $71,042 | $15,827 |
| [University of Washington-Tacoma Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-washington-tacoma-campus-3076) | Tacoma, WA | $71,042 | $15,827 |
| [University of California-Berkeley](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Berkeley, CA | $70,636 | $12,812 |
| [Suffolk University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/suffolk-university-2629) | Boston, MA | $70,274 | $27,000 |
| [University of Wisconsin-Madison](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-wisconsin-madison-main-campus-3084) | Madison, WI | $70,123 | $17,499 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Legal Support Workers, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/legal-support-workers-all-other): $72,110 median pay
- [Paralegals and Legal Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/paralegals-and-legal-assistants): $62,890 median pay

## More in Legal Professions and Studies

- [Legal Support Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/legal-support-services): 488 colleges
- [Law](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/law): 176 colleges
- [Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/legal-research-and-advanced-professional-studies): 138 colleges
- [Legal Professions and Studies, Other](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/legal-professions-and-studies-other): 41 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/