Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies graduates from South Dakota State University earn $45,770 median salary — below the national average for this program. Median debt: $24,024.
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies at South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota • Bachelor's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies at South Dakota State University
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for South Dakota State University and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Legal Research and Advanced Professional 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. Completer counts for the most recent cohort are not currently reported for this program-school pairing.
Median graduate earnings of $45,770 represent Treasury-verified wages approximately one year after program completion, drawn from Social Security Administration records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Compared to the national mean of $50,053 across all institutions offering Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, graduates here earn below the national average for this program. Across all programs at South Dakota State University, the mean median-earnings figure is $62,627, 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 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies graduates at South Dakota State University is $24,024, which translates to roughly $200 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52 is under the 1.0 threshold the College Scorecard uses to flag favorable gainful-employment outcomes — earnings in year one already exceed cumulative borrowing. Program-level debt and earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard FOS release, updated annually.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Drexel University | $87,416 | $26,900 |
| James Madison University | $61,496 | $25,000 |
| Winona State University | $48,808 | — |
| South Dakota State University (this school) | $45,770 | $24,024 |
| Amherst College | $37,208 | — |
| Pennsylvania Western University | $37,208 | — |
| Crestpoint University | $32,467 | — |
Other Programs at South Dakota State University
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $132,655 | — |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $122,169 | $25,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $117,505 | $53,543 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $109,395 | $46,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $104,596 | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $103,018 | — |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | $93,195 | $21,185 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $87,704 | $27,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $83,815 | $21,500 |
| Civil Engineering | $82,486 | $23,250 |
Other Schools with Legal Research and Advanced Professional 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.