Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate) at University of Detroit Mercy

The $27,000 debt estimate for this bachelor's program sits slightly above what similar legal studies programs typically carry, while projected first-year earnings of $39,162 track with national outcomes but notably exceed Michigan's median of $33,752. That's the double-edged reality here: you're looking at debt figures derived from comparable programs at similar private institutions, paired with earnings projections from a national pool of legal studies graduates—neither specific to Detroit Mercy's actual outcomes.

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69 suggests manageable payments if those earnings materialize, but legal studies bachelor's degrees present particular challenges. These programs don't lead to paralegal certification or law school admission on their own, leaving graduates competing for generalist positions where liberal arts majors often have equal footing. At an 80% admission rate school, career services quality and internship networks become critical differentiators that aren't captured in estimated data. The fact that Michigan State—a much larger institution with extensive employer connections—produces similar in-state earnings should factor into your thinking.

The core issue is uncertainty stacked on uncertainty: estimated debt for a credential whose career path remains ambiguous. If your student has clear plans for law school or a specific legal career requiring additional credentials, this might work as a stepping stone. Otherwise, you're gambling on outcomes we can't verify for a degree whose value proposition depends heavily on what comes next.