Legal Support Services at Rasmussen University-Florida

This certificate program carries significantly more debt than comparable options in Florida while delivering below-average earnings. At $28,796, graduates borrow nearly $6,000 more than the national median for legal support programs, yet their first-year earnings of $40,492 trail the state median by roughly $1,700. That 40th percentile ranking among Florida programs means six out of ten comparable programs in the state produce better outcomes.

The debt burden here stands out most sharply. While the 0.71 debt-to-earnings ratio remains manageable on paper, you're looking at one of the highest debt loads nationally (5th percentile) for a certificate that typically requires much less borrowing. Hillsborough Community College, for example, produces graduates earning $3,400 more annually—likely with substantially less debt given typical community college pricing. For a credential designed to provide quick workforce entry, this level of borrowing undermines the certificate's fundamental value proposition.

If your child is set on paralegal work in Florida, look hard at community college alternatives first. The earnings difference between this program and better-performing options may seem modest, but paired with significantly lower debt at public institutions, those few thousand dollars in annual salary become far more meaningful. This program serves its students adequately but charges premium pricing for middle-of-the-pack results.