ROI Major

Legal Support Services at Hampton University

VA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 22.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Legal Support Services degree from Hampton University earn a median salary of $49,659 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $48,448. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.8 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$37,592

Typical Career

$49,659

Top Performers

$65,986

Estimated break-even: 10.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$331

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,138. Most students can comfortably afford about a $331 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Virginia buys what costs $1.03 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 20.7%
Educational Services 16.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 13.6%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$48,448

Nominal: $49,659 in Virginia (COL 102.5% of national avg) · 2.4% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

10.8 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $34,840 $58,065 $89,177
5 Years After Graduation $37,592 $49,659 $65,986
10 Years After Graduation $37,706 $54,051 $81,200

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $49,659 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in VA, which has a cost-of-living index of 102.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $49,659 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250) = $48,448 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Legal Support Services at Hampton University shows a notable increase in median earnings one year after graduation at $58,065. However, this figure declines to $49,659 after five years, before slightly recovering to $54,051 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $48,447.8, indicating that the cost of living in Virginia, with a COL index of 1.025, slightly impacts the real value of these earnings compared to the national average.

Graduates primarily enter sectors such as Health Care & Social Assistance (20.7%), Educational Services (16.6%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (13.6%). The estimated break-even point for those pursuing this path versus a high-school-only route is approximately 10.8 years, suggesting a significant investment in education. Overall, while the initial earnings are promising, the long-term financial return may require careful consideration given the fluctuations in salary over time and the impact of living costs.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Legal Support Services degree at Hampton University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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