Est. Earnings (1yr)
$41,695
Est. from CA median (4 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$14,947
Est. from national median (42 programs)

Analysis

California's legal support programs cluster in a tight range, and Los Angeles Mission College appears positioned right at that state median of roughly $42,000 in first-year earnings. The projected debt load of about $15,000—significantly below the national median of $25,166—suggests this community college route may deliver similar outcomes to pricier alternatives without the same financial burden. That 0.36 debt-to-earnings ratio means students would owe roughly four months of their first year's salary, which is manageable territory.

The challenge is uncertainty. We're working from what similar California programs typically produce, not verified outcomes from Mission College itself. The state's top programs show substantial variation—from MTI College's $47,500 down to Mt San Antonio's $29,500—so your child's actual outcome could land anywhere in that spectrum depending on factors the estimates can't capture: instructor connections, local employer relationships, or how well the curriculum matches current industry software and procedures.

The practical path forward: if your child is committed to paralegal work specifically and can manage the estimated debt load, this represents a lower-cost entry point than most alternatives. But verify the program's job placement track record and employer relationships directly with the college, since those tangible connections matter more than statistical projections when the sample size is too small to publish.

Where Los Angeles Mission College Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all legal support services associates's programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in California

Legal Support Services associates's programs at peer institutions in California (63 total in state)

Scroll to see more →

SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
Los Angeles Mission CollegeSylmar$1,238$41,695*—$14,947*—
MTI CollegeSacramento—$47,535*$48,502$13,758*0.29
South Coast CollegeOrange$13,409$44,536*$48,586—*—
Fremont UniversityCerritos—$38,854*$39,533$21,312*0.55
Mt San Antonio CollegeWalnut$1,364$29,569*$34,315$14,353*0.49
National Median—$34,421*—$25,166*0.73
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with legal support services graduates

Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners

Use verbatim methods and equipment to capture, store, retrieve, and transcribe pretrial and trial proceedings or other information. Includes stenocaptioners who operate computerized stenographic captioning equipment to provide captions of live or prerecorded broadcasts for hearing-impaired viewers.

$67,310/yrJobs growth:Postsecondary nondegree award

Paralegals and Legal Assistants

Assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal documents, or researching legal precedent. Conduct research to support a legal proceeding, to formulate a defense, or to initiate legal action.

$61,010/yrJobs growth:Associate's degree

Interpreters and Translators

Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another.

$59,440/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Perform secretarial duties using legal terminology, procedures, and documents. Prepare legal papers and correspondence, such as summonses, complaints, motions, and subpoenas. May also assist with legal research.

$47,460/yrJobs growth:High school diploma or equivalent

Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers

Search real estate records, examine titles, or summarize pertinent legal or insurance documents or details for a variety of purposes. May compile lists of mortgages, contracts, and other instruments pertaining to titles by searching public and private records for law firms, real estate agencies, or title insurance companies.

Legal Support Workers, All Other

All legal support workers not listed separately.

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Los Angeles Mission College, approximately 21% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 4 similar programs in CA. Actual outcomes may vary.