Legal Support Services at Ursuline College

A paralegal certificate carrying an estimated $18,335 in debt doesn't look terrible on paper—it's below both state and national medians for similar programs—but the earning potential tells a more sobering story. Based on comparable Ohio programs, first-year earnings around $35,289 fall short of the national median by about $5,000, suggesting this field pays less in Ohio than in many other states. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52 means roughly half a year's salary goes toward loans, which is manageable but leaves little cushion for someone entering an administrative support role.

The challenge here is that we're working entirely with estimates—both the debt and earnings figures come from peer programs rather than Ursuline's actual graduate outcomes. That makes it difficult to know whether Ursuline's specific approach, curriculum, or local employer connections might produce better or worse results than the state average. What we do know is that legal support roles tend to offer steady but modest pay, and Ohio's market appears less lucrative than other parts of the country for this work.

If your child is considering this path, the estimated numbers suggest a reasonable financial trade-off for a short credential, but only if they're certain about the career. The uncertainty around these estimates means you'll want to dig deeper—talk to Ursuline directly about their graduates' actual placement rates and starting salaries before committing.