Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate) at College of Our Lady of the Elms

A legal studies degree that leaves graduates with $27,000 in debt—based on what similar Massachusetts programs report—faces an uphill battle when first-year earnings hover around $40,000. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 means you're carrying roughly eight months of gross income in loans, which translates to tight budgets during those critical early career years when many legal studies graduates are still figuring out whether law school, paralegal work, or compliance roles fit their goals.

The estimate here draws from just a handful of Massachusetts programs, and the variance among them is striking. Suffolk University graduates earn $44,000 while Bay Path sits at $35,000—that's a $9,000 swing that significantly changes monthly loan payment feasibility. College of Our Lady of the Elms likely falls somewhere in that middle range, but without actual data, you're placing a bet on outcomes that could lean either direction.

For families weighing this investment, the central question is what comes after graduation. Legal studies bachelor's degrees function as exploratory credentials—valuable if your child uses them as a springboard to law school, paralegal certification, or corporate compliance roles, but less so if they're treating it as a standalone career degree. With 42% of Elms students on Pell grants, debt burden matters more here than at wealthier institutions. If law school isn't the plan, press the school for employment outcomes and consider whether a less expensive state option might deliver similar results with lower financial risk.