Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate) at Suffolk University

Suffolk University's legal studies program shows a troubling disconnect between its initial promise and actual career trajectory. While graduates start at $44,354—placing them in the 77th percentile nationally and solidly above both the national and Massachusetts medians—earnings drop 12% to just $39,071 by year four. That downward slide suggests graduates may be landing in roles that don't offer clear advancement paths or require additional credentials to progress.

The $27,000 median debt sits right at Massachusetts' average for this program, making the debt load itself manageable at 61% of first-year earnings. However, that calculation looks worse when you consider where earnings actually land after a few years in the workforce. At $39,071 four years out, graduates are earning barely above what typical legal studies majors make nationally right after graduation. Meanwhile, top performers in Massachusetts like Bentley's program deliver nearly double these four-year earnings, though admittedly those may be more business-oriented legal studies tracks.

For parents considering this program, the key question is whether their child plans to use this degree as a stepping stone to law school or another graduate program. As a terminal bachelor's degree, the earnings trajectory doesn't inspire confidence. The decline suggests graduates may need additional qualifications to break into better-paying legal or compliance roles, turning what looks like reasonable debt into a longer-term burden.