Ohio's Division of Securities provides public searches for filings, orders and its securities bulletin. For a master's in legal studies in Ohio, these are useful examples of the records behind financial compliance. If you want to understand investment-related regulation, compare the way schools teach legal research, business organizations and investigations. The ability to read a public filing critically is a more concrete goal than a general interest in the law.
Cincinnati leads Ohio's list for working applicants who need an entirely asynchronous route. Cleveland State provides the local campus alternative with access to JD classes. Loyola Chicago adds a compliance thesis, and Wake Forest offers a financial-services concentration. This order separates delivery access from securities-related depth: the right filing-analysis course plan may shift the applicant's preferred school.
2reviewed universities are based in Ohio. The other 2 choices are online alternatives based elsewhere. Known published enrollment exclusions are applied. Confirm authorization for your address and start date with the university. Our ranking criteria.
Compare the Legal Studies Options for Ohio
Scroll across the table to compare the study plan and price.
University
Study Format
Credits
Displayed Degree Price
University of CincinnatiCollege of Law’s Online Master of Legal Studies (MLS)Based in this state
OnlineFive semesters, less than two years
30
$26,730Calculated base tuition2026–2027
Cleveland State UniversityCSU College of Law’s On-campus Master of Legal Studies (MLS)Based in this state
On campusFull time or part time, up to six years part time
30
$35,088Calculated base tuition2026–2027
Loyola University ChicagoSchool of Law’s Online Master of Jurisprudence (MJ) in Compliance and Enterprise Risk ManagementOnline alternative · IL
OnlineTwo years, including summers
30
$53,550Calculated base tuition2026–2027
Wake Forest UniversitySchool of Law’s Online Master of Legal Studies (MLS)Online alternative · NC
Online
30
$38,520Published degree tuition
Tuition amounts use the conditions shown in each card; fees and academic years vary. Table controls change this comparison view. The full reviews below retain their original ranking order.
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Cincinnati gives an Ohio professional a predictable way to build legal study into an existing career: ten courses over five semesters, online and asynchronous, with no campus visits. For someone exploring the Division of Securities' filings and orders, the business-compliance certificate option is a useful starting point for discussing relevant coursework. Cleveland State instead offers campus access to regular law-school classes after its foundations, which may appeal if the applicant wants a more individually constructed academic route.
Where it stands out. Cincinnati is strongest here for an experienced worker who values a defined sequence and can connect the capstone to a clear professional learning goal.
What to weigh. Admission requires at least two years of professional experience and a 2.75 undergraduate GPA. A recent graduate should evaluate eligibility before choosing the convenient online format.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
Fully online and asynchronous
No campus visits
A ten-course sequence with a capstone
Admission Details
Bachelor's degree
At least two years of professional experience
Undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75
Statement of interest and one recommendation
Tuition and Rate Conditions
2026–2027. Calculated nonresident tuition for 30 credits: $876 instructional tuition plus the $15 nonresident surcharge per credit. Add $84 per credit in general, technology and distance-learning fees, plus other expenses.
$891 per credit × 30 credits = $26,730 in base tuition.
Cleveland State offers an Ohio applicant something Cincinnati's fixed online sequence does not: campus study in regular JD classes after two MLS introductory courses. An adviser helps design a track or individual concentration within the 30-credit degree. If a public securities filing has prompted an interest in a particular legal subject, this structure makes it worth asking which upper-level courses are accessible and how often they are taught.
Where it stands out. Day and evening options suit applicants who can reach Cleveland and want classroom discussion alongside students pursuing the law degree, without themselves seeking lawyer licensure.
What to weigh. The general MLS here is a campus program, separate from Cleveland State's online cybersecurity degree. Verify course times and any test requirement tied to your undergraduate GPA before relying on flexibility.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
30 semester credits
Regular JD classes after MLS foundations
Day and evening options
Admission Details
Bachelor's degree, transcripts, resume, and personal essay
Standardized test required for applicants below a 3.0 undergraduate GPA
Tuition and Rate Conditions
2026–2027. Calculated domestic nonresident MLS tuition for 30 credits when taking 1–12 credits per term. The 13-credit-and-above tuition band can lower the total for a heavier course load. Additional charges apply.
$1,169.60 per credit × 30 credits = $35,088 in base tuition.
Loyola Chicago is the Ohio alternative for an applicant who wants to carry one compliance question through a substantial written project. Its online MJ in Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management ends with a two-part thesis sequence and final project. That gives a different academic structure from Cincinnati's ten-course path or Cleveland State's individual selection of JD courses. An Ohio securities order could supply a public example when discussing the kind of research you want to undertake.
Where it stands out. Look here if you already understand the operational setting and want more sustained practice explaining organizational compliance and risk decisions in writing.
What to weigh. The 30-credit plan runs for two years including summers. Courses are primarily asynchronous, with live virtual sessions, and the degree's enterprise-risk focus should match your intended responsibilities.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
30-credit compliance-focused MJ
Primarily asynchronous coursework
Final project and two-part thesis sequence
Admission Details
Bachelor's degree or equivalent
Tuition and Rate Conditions
2026–2027. Calculated tuition for the 30-credit online MJ in Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management. Technology fees and other applicable expenses are additional.
$1,785 per credit × 30 credits = $53,550 in base tuition.
Wake Forest adds a Financial Services track to an Ohio shortlist otherwise led by general legal study and enterprise compliance. Its 30-credit MLS allocates coursework to a shared foundation, the track and electives. If your interest in the Division of Securities' records concerns investment-related business activity, ask how that specialized portion compares with Cincinnati's business-compliance option before choosing based on proximity or overall university reputation.
Where it stands out. The weekly asynchronous format includes discussions and collaborative assignments, useful for an applicant who wants to practice explaining legal questions to other working professionals.
What to weigh. A financial-services label does not prove access to every securities subject. Request the actual course plan; Cleveland State's campus electives may merit attention for a narrowly defined legal interest.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
Asynchronous courses with weekly assignments
Optional campus intensives
Up to six approved graduate transfer credits
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
Business Law and Compliance
Health Law and Policy
Human Resources
Financial Services
General
Admission Details
At least one year of professional experience in any field documented on a résumé or CV
Tuition and Rate Conditions
Published tuition for the 30-credit online MLS. Add a $270 technology fee in each fall and spring term; the summer term has no technology fee. Books and materials are additional.
$1,284 per credit × 30 credits = $38,520 in base tuition.
Check the Experience Requirement Before Making a Shortlist
Cincinnati’s MLS admissions requirements include at least two years of professional experience and an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75. An Ohio applicant coming directly from a bachelor’s program should check that experience condition before planning around the university’s online schedule.
Use the Cincinnati card to gather the remaining application documents. For the campus alternative, ask Cleveland State how its admissions review applies to your record. The MLS introduction explains why these professional master’s programs can serve different applicant profiles.
Check Access to JD Electives Before Planning Campus Study
The Cleveland State MLS includes regular JD classes after its legal studies foundations. For an Ohio applicant, the useful scheduling question is which desired classes are offered at times you can attend, not whether the catalog contains an interesting subject.
Ask an adviser to identify prerequisites, enrollment permissions, and a realistic sequence for your selected electives. Then account for commuting and time away from work. Campus access earns its place in the comparison when it gives you courses or academic contact you will actually use.
Evaluating Securities-Law Depth for Ohio Work
Choose a filing or order from the Division's public portal and identify the questions it raises. Ask a program adviser how students learn to distinguish a filing from a regulator's approval of an investment, and how they analyze legal obligations. Look for securities regulation, contracts and applied writing. Check that specialized electives are open to MLS students and fit the program sequence. A broad business-law curriculum may require careful elective selection to support a securities-focused goal.
Ohio Division of Securities Public Portal supplies the state materials discussed here. Use them to question the curriculum, rather than assuming an MLS teaches the law of your state.
Using Legal Studies in Your Ohio Career
Ohio's securities portal can help you explore whether you enjoy working with detailed records and regulatory explanations. For someone already in finance, legal study may address recurring research tasks. For someone starting out, compare the degree with the experience and separate professional qualifications employers request.
Compliance Officer Pay in Ohio
10th percentile pay
$47,230
Median annual pay
$75,030
90th percentile pay
$124,230
Ohio has an estimated 11,240 compliance officer jobs. The occupation’s median annual wage is $75,030, with the 10th and 90th percentiles at $47,230 and $124,230.
BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 13-1041. Occupation wages cover workers with varied education and experience; these are not MLS graduate outcomes or starting salary estimates. BLS compliance officer wage data.
Each ranking card contains the university sources for its curriculum, admission, delivery, and tuition details.
Questions About Legal Studies in Ohio
What Can Ohio Securities Records Tell an MLS Applicant?+
They provide examples of filings, enforcement orders and regulatory publications. Use them to identify the research and writing skills you want a degree to teach, rather than treating a filing as an investment endorsement.
Should Ohio Applicants Choose a General Business-Law MLS for Securities Work?+
Inspect its specialized electives first. A program needs enough relevant coursework within the degree requirements to justify a securities-focused educational plan. Ask how often those courses run.
