Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate) at Ball State University

A $23,000 debt load for a bachelor's in legal studies sounds manageable until you consider what similar programs nationally produce in first-year earnings—around $39,000. That 0.59 debt-to-earnings ratio sits in workable territory, but it assumes your child follows the typical trajectory. The real concern here is that both figures are estimates drawn from peer programs elsewhere, since Ball State's legal studies graduates are too few for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes. You're essentially betting on national patterns holding true at a school with a 72% admission rate and moderate academic profile.

The estimated debt picture does look better than Indiana's median of $57,500 for legal studies programs, which suggests Ball State may be a more affordable entry point into this field. But that sub-$40,000 starting salary creates tight margins for loan repayment, especially if your child needs additional credentials later—many legal studies graduates pursue paralegal certificates or law school to boost earning potential. With only five Indiana schools offering this program and none reporting usable data, you're flying blind on state-specific outcomes.

The bottom line: this looks like a financially cautious path into legal support careers, but the lack of program-specific data means you can't verify whether Ball State's particular approach delivers. If your child is certain about paralegal or compliance work and can graduate near that estimated debt figure, the numbers work—barely. If there's any uncertainty about the career path or likelihood of needing graduate school, that narrow financial cushion becomes a real liability.