by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 3 U.S. colleges awarded 38 degrees and certificates in Compliance Law. Graduates earn a median $78,306 one year after completing, rising to $107,082 after four years.
A degree in Compliance Law involves the study of An Advanced, Professional Study Of The Law, Policies, And Regulations For Lawyers And Non-Legal Professionals In Compliance, Ethics, Internal Monitoring, Regulatory Affairs, And Related Areas. Examples: [Corporate Compliance], [Enterprise Risk Management And Compliance Law].
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, compliance law is a widely-pursued major, with 38 degrees awarded annually. 3 colleges award compliance law degrees, an average of 13 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 17.
All 38 of the awards are master’s degrees, the only level colleges reported.
Women earned 68% of compliance law degrees and certificates in the latest year (26 of 38). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (18) and Black or African American (7), and international students earned 3.
O*NET rates Speaking the most important skill for jobs related to compliance law, at 4.6 out of 5. The key knowledge areas are Law and Government, English Language and Education and Training. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Written Comprehension and Oral Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a compliance law degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 38 |
First professional degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to compliance law, at 43.2%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| First professional degree | 43.2% |
| Doctoral degree | 40.6% |
| Master’s degree | 13.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.8% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 0.9% |
Source: O*NET Online.
2 occupations are related to Compliance Law, with an average median salary of $82,454; the strongest outlook belongs to Lawyers, at 2.6% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Legal Writing Professor, Environmental Law Professor, Law Professor and Adjunct Professor.
The occupation related to compliance law with the most projected jobs is Law Teachers, Postsecondary, at 1,017,747.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,017,747 | -2.9% |
| Lawyers | 155,305 | 2.6% |
Compliance Law graduates earn a median $78,306 one year after completing their program, $107,082 after four years and $107,285 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $78,306 |
| 4 years | $107,082 |
| 5 years | $107,285 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to compliance law, with a median salary of $91,726.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $91,726 |
| Lawyers | $73,181 |
Compliance Law has 19 similar majors in the Legal Professions field, which together award 12,140 degrees a year; the largest are Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General (5,066), Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, Other (1,551) and Programs for Foreign Lawyers (1,380). Browse all Legal Professions majors or the full list of college majors.
More about our data sources and methodologies.