Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate) at University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne

A bachelor's in legal studies that leads to an estimated $39,000 first-year salary while carrying $27,000 in debt sits right at the national median for this degree—but that's where the reassurance ends. This is essentially a pre-law or paralegal studies degree, and the career paths it unlocks typically don't require a four-year bachelor's or justify the investment when two-year paralegal certificates exist at a fraction of the cost.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69 means your child would owe roughly eight months of their gross first-year salary. While manageable on paper, the real concern is trajectory: legal studies bachelor's degrees rarely lead to careers with significant upward mobility unless your child continues to law school. If that's the plan, be aware they'll be adding substantial law school debt on top of this undergraduate load. If law school isn't part of the equation, they could end up in administrative or paralegal roles that similar programs nationally suggest pay in this same range—work that community college graduates often secure without the four-year debt burden.

The 43% Pell grant rate here suggests this school serves many cost-conscious families, yet Indiana's median debt for this program runs considerably higher at $57,500 at other schools. Given the limited career ceiling without further education, consider whether a more affordable path—or a major with stronger standalone earning potential—makes better financial sense.