Non-Professional Legal Studies: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Non-Professional Legal Studies graduates earn a median $61,959 four years after finishing — $13,599/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 5 years. Federal data pools 167 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 3,030 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Non-Professional Legal Studies ranks #100 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 51% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bentley University | MA | $148,087 |
| 2 | University of Miami | FL | $99,836 |
| 3 | Quinnipiac University | CT | $74,835 |
| 4 | University of the District of Columbia | DC | $74,158 |
| 5 | American University | DC | $72,792 |
| 6 | Michigan State University | MI | $72,414 |
| 7 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | $71,042 |
| 8 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus | WA | $71,042 |
| 9 | University of Maryland Global Campus | MD | $70,845 |
| 10 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $70,636 |
| 11 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | $70,429 |
| 12 | Suffolk University | MA | $70,274 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.