Legal Support Services at Marist University

Marist's legal support certificate shows promising long-term trajectory, though the small graduate cohort means individual circumstances heavily influence these numbers. Starting at $41,431—above both the NY state median ($36,398) and the national median ($40,429)—graduates see their earnings nearly double by year four, reaching $70,394. That 70% growth rate is unusually strong for a certificate program and suggests graduates are advancing beyond typical paralegal or legal assistant roles.

The $26,000 debt load sits higher than state and national medians for this credential, but the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63 remains manageable, especially given the earnings acceleration. Within New York's legal support landscape, this program ranks in the 60th percentile—competitive but not top-tier. Hofstra leads the state at $39,740, though Marist's graduates appear to catch up and surpass that benchmark by year four.

The critical caveat: with fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, one or two unusually successful (or struggling) alumni can dramatically skew the numbers. The strong four-year earnings might reflect a handful of graduates who leveraged Marist's Hudson Valley connections or pursued additional education. For families comfortable with that uncertainty and focused on the New York legal market, the combination of above-median starting salaries and exceptional growth potential makes this worth considering—just recognize you're betting on a pattern established by a very small group.