Legal Support Services at Rasmussen University-North Dakota

Rasmussen's legal support certificate in Fargo produces graduates earning $40,492 their first year out—squarely at the national median for paralegal programs, though it ranks in the 60th percentile among North Dakota programs (though as the only such program in the state, this comparison has limited utility). The more significant story here is the debt load: at $28,796, graduates carry nearly $8,000 more debt than the national median for certificate programs in this field, placing this program in the 95th percentile for debt nationally. That's substantial borrowing for a credential that typically takes a year or less to complete.

The 0.71 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe about 71% of their first-year salary, which creates a manageable but not comfortable repayment scenario. For context, many successful certificate programs keep debt below 50% of first-year earnings. The challenge intensifies when you consider that nearly half of students here receive Pell grants, meaning many come from lower-income backgrounds where taking on nearly $29,000 in debt for a certificate carries real risk.

The practical question is whether spending this much on a credential makes sense when comparable programs nationally graduate students with $8,000 less debt for similar earnings. Unless there are compelling local employment connections or specific reasons to stay in Fargo, families should weigh whether community college alternatives or programs in nearby states might deliver similar credentials at lower cost.