Legal Support Services at Mt San Antonio College

Mt San Antonio College's legal support services program produces graduates earning $29,569 in their first year—significantly below both California's state median of $41,695 and the national average of $34,421. This ranks in just the 25th percentile among California programs, meaning three-quarters of similar programs in the state produce better earning outcomes. While graduates see modest growth to $34,315 by year four, they're still trailing the median first-year earnings of comparable programs statewide.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $14,353, it matches California's median and sits well below the national average of $25,166. This creates a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.49, meaning graduates owe roughly half their first-year salary. For a community college serving a substantial population of Pell-eligible students, keeping debt contained matters. However, you can't ignore that top California programs like MTI College and South Coast College produce graduates earning $44,000-$47,000—60% more than Mt SAC grads in their first year.

If your child is considering paralegal work, this program won't saddle them with crushing debt, but the earnings gap compared to other California options is substantial. Given that several California programs deliver both higher earnings and similar or lower debt levels, it's worth exploring whether those alternatives are accessible before committing here.