Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate) at Southern Adventist University

Legal studies programs in Tennessee show significant variation in outcomes, and Southern Adventist's estimated figures place it somewhere in the middle. Based on comparable programs nationally, graduates here might expect around $39,000 in first-year earnings—notably higher than Tennessee's typical $33,000 for this field. That $6,000 premium over state peers would matter when you're carrying debt.

The estimated $27,000 in student loans sits slightly above both state and national norms for legal studies bachelor's degrees. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69, similar programs suggest graduates could reasonably expect to manage this debt load, assuming those first-year earnings hold and grow. The challenge is that legal studies bachelor's degrees often serve as stepping stones to law school or graduate programs rather than terminal credentials—which means this debt could be just the beginning if your child plans to continue their education.

The real question is what your child intends to do with this degree. If they're planning law school, factor this as base-layer debt before the much larger JD loans. If they're aiming for paralegal work or compliance roles with just the bachelor's, peer program outcomes suggest the numbers could work—but verify what career services support exists specifically for legal studies grads who stop at the undergraduate level.