Non-Professional Legal Studies graduates from American University earn $72,792 median salary, above the national average for this program. Median debt: $24,375.
Non-Professional Legal Studies at American University
Washington, District of Columbia • Bachelor's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Non-Professional Legal Studies at American University
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for American University and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Non-Professional Legal Studies at the bachelor's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program – not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 30 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at American University, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $72,792 represent Treasury-derived wages, deferred compensation, and positive self-employment earnings four years after program completion for federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. Compared to the national mean of $64,849 across all institutions offering Non-Professional Legal Studies, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at American University, the mean median-earnings figure is $83,177, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Non-Professional Legal Studies graduates at American University is $24,375, which translates to roughly $203 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The descriptive debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.33: reported annual earnings exceed cumulative debt. This is a PlainCollege comparison, not a federal gainful-employment verdict. Program-level debt and four-year post-completion earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard field-of-study snapshot retrieved in March 2026.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Non-Professional Legal Studies at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Bentley University | $148,087 | $27,000 |
| University of Miami | $99,836 | $15,565 |
| Quinnipiac University | $74,835 | $27,000 |
| University of the District of Columbia | $74,158 | $37,650 |
| American University (this school) | $72,792 | $24,375 |
| Michigan State University | $72,414 | $24,753 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus | $71,042 | $14,512 |
| University of Washington-Tacoma Campus | $71,042 | $14,512 |
| University of Maryland Global Campus | $70,845 | $26,701 |
| University of California-Berkeley | $70,636 | $13,000 |
Other Programs at American University
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $134,332 | $22,625 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $127,356 | $51,250 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $127,269 | $89,433 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $119,020 | - |
| Computer Science | $117,293 | - |
| Accounting and Related Services | $112,384 | - |
| Law | $109,523 | $161,696 |
| Public Administration | $107,866 | $55,000 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $104,878 | $26,500 |
| Economics | $103,169 | $46,108 |
Other Schools with Non-Professional Legal Studies
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About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
PlainCollege's Scorecard snapshots, retrieved March–July 2026, contain 6,243 postsecondary institutions and 70,827 school-and-program earnings records.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.