Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate) at University of Washington-Seattle Campus

UW-Seattle's legal studies program starts graduates at a modest $39,558, but what happens next matters more: earnings jump 49% to nearly $59,000 by year four. While that first-year figure sits right at Washington's median for these programs, the trajectory substantially outpaces typical growth in this field. The low debt load of $17,383—about a third less than the national median—makes this earning curve work in graduates' favor.

Here's the practical math: graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44, meaning they owe less than half their first-year salary. That's manageable even on entry-level wages, and it becomes increasingly comfortable as earnings climb. Among Washington's three programs in this field, UW-Seattle ranks in the 60th percentile for outcomes, performing slightly above the state median. The moderate sample size (30-100 graduates) suggests these numbers are reasonably stable, though not based on massive cohorts.

The key question is whether that $59,000 four-year mark justifies a four-year degree. For students genuinely interested in legal support roles—paralegals, compliance officers, legal administrators—this path offers solid growth potential without crushing debt. But students expecting law-school-adjacent earnings need to recalibrate: this bachelor's degree leads to support positions, not attorney salaries.