Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate) at University of Maryland Global Campus

University of Maryland Global Campus charges more for its legal studies program than most alternatives, but the earnings justify the premium—at least initially. First-year graduates earn $54,304, placing this program in the 95th percentile nationally, far outpacing the typical legal studies graduate who earns just $39,162. That's a 39% earnings advantage that helps contextualize the $31,017 median debt. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57, graduates can reasonably manage repayment while earning well above what most of their peers nationwide make.

The Maryland context is more modest: at the 60th percentile statewide, this program performs above average but isn't exceptional among local options. Still, earnings grow steadily to $63,865 by year four—an 18% increase that suggests career progression rather than stagnation. For a program serving a significant population of Pell recipients (28%), these outcomes represent genuine economic mobility compared to national alternatives.

The value proposition hinges on whether your student plans to leverage this degree in Maryland's robust legal and government sector around D.C. If so, the higher debt load pays for itself through substantially stronger starting salaries than legal studies programs elsewhere deliver. The moderate sample size suggests consistent rather than exceptional outcomes, but consistency at the 95th percentile nationally is precisely what anxious parents should want.