Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies at Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX · Master's Degree · about 38 graduates a year

$78,515
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$84,447
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$101,000
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#32 of 43
Rank by pay
#31 of 43
Rank, wage-adjusted
$60,100
Median federal debt

Southern Methodist University graduates in legal research and advanced professional studies earn 16% less than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 71% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Southern Methodist University Compares for Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies

All 43 colleges reporting legal research and advanced professional studies earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjustedAdj. rank1 yr after
1Georgetown University Washington, DC$171,631$150,393#2$130,394
2Boston University Boston, MA$156,087$137,451#4$113,679
3University of San Diego San Diego, CA$148,235$134,884#6$108,016
4University of Florida Gainesville, FL$142,291$151,451#1$106,227
5Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA$140,519$127,863#8$107,961
6University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA$136,623$124,318#10$122,124
7Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ$131,892$115,760#13$105,031
8Golden Gate University San Francisco, CA$131,366$119,534#12$106,626
9Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX$128,518$130,665#7$102,721
10Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL$123,695$121,530#11$98,283
…
29Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL$91,014$96,873#27$78,762
30University of the Pacific Stockton, CA$87,881$79,966#35$73,893
31University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA$84,932$77,283#38$68,058
32Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX$84,447$85,858#31$78,515
33University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO$83,264$89,277#30$53,750
34Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ$80,281$82,490#33$55,326
35Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ$80,281$82,490#34$55,326

Other Majors at Southern Methodist University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Business Administration, Management and Operations$188,716$135,130#24 of 861
Information Science/Studies$173,816$127,788#1 of 71
Computer Systems Analysis$172,353——
Systems Engineering$163,769$115,443#4 of 27
Finance and Financial Management Services$155,769$126,888#10 of 69
Real Estate$147,770$113,369#8 of 15
Applied Mathematics$144,761$80,690#3 of 17
Manufacturing Engineering$141,296$115,893—
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$140,799$87,906#21 of 92
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations$133,137$109,531#2 of 9
Computer Engineering—$130,488—
Marketing$124,730$99,698#4 of 37
Accounting and Related Services$112,268$67,365#32 of 349
Engineering-Related Fields—$111,319—
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution$84,703$64,190#4 of 14
Educational Administration and Supervision—$74,035—
Education$73,179$63,006#8 of 32
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$71,193$36,939#19 of 165
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$69,368$57,967#15 of 34
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$62,718$42,474#79 of 204
Theological and Ministerial Studies$55,347$54,351#67 of 94
Music$44,670$29,456#65 of 98

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Southern Methodist University legal research and advanced professional studies graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $78,515 one year after graduating and $84,447 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Southern Methodist University rank for legal research and advanced professional studies?

Among 43 colleges reporting earnings for legal research and advanced professional studies graduates, Southern Methodist University ranks #32 by median pay four years after graduation, and #31 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is legal research and advanced professional studies at Southern Methodist University worth it?

Its graduates earn 16% less than the national median for legal research and advanced professional studies ($101,000), and the median federal debt at graduation is $60,100.

← All data for Southern Methodist University · Methodology

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.