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Assistant district attorney education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant district attorney. Assistant district attorneys usually study law, political science, or criminal justice. 55% of assistant district attorneys hold a doctoral degree, and 39% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 2,434 real assistant district attorney resumes to see exactly what assistant district attorney education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant district attorneys are the New York Law School and the New York Law School.

There are also many online assistant district attorney courses to help get the education required to be an assistant district attorney.

What education do you need to become an assistant district attorney?

What degree do you need to be an assistant district attorney?

The most common degree for assistant district attorneys is doctoral degree, with 55% of assistant district attorneys earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 39% and bachelor's degree degree at 4%.
  • Doctorate, 55%
  • Bachelor's, 39%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Associate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an assistant district attorney?

You should major in law to become an assistant district attorney. 55% of assistant district attorneys major in law. Other common majors for an assistant district attorney include political science and criminal justice.

Most common colleges for assistant district attorneys

Assistant district attorneys often get their degrees at New York Law School, Brooklyn Law School, and Suffolk University. Here are the most common colleges for assistant district attorneys in the US based on their resumes.
Assistant district attorney common collegePercentages
New York Law School15.81%
Brooklyn Law School10.28%
Suffolk University6.72%
Temple University5.73%
Emory University5.53%

Best majors for assistant district attorneys

RankMajorPercentages
1Law54.6%
2Political Science11.2%
3Criminal Justice5.5%
4History4.0%
5English3.7%

Best colleges for assistant district attorneys

The best colleges for assistant district attorneys are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

An assistant district attorney with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for assistant district attorneys. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become assistant district attorneys.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

7. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

20 best online courses for assistant district attorneys

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5. Hot Topics in Criminal Justice

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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant district attorneys

The most affordable schools for assistant district attorneys are Brigham Young University, florida state university, and university of florida.

If the best universities for assistant district attorneys are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for assistant district attorneys.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

6. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus

San Juan, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

11,299

7. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Cost of attendance

24,568

8. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

10. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Cost of attendance

25,497

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant district attorneys

The hardest universities for assistant district attorneys to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for assistant district attorneys are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for assistant district attorneys based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant district attorneys

The easiest schools for assistant district attorneys to get into are University of Southern Maine, cleveland state university, and western new england university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant district attorney without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for assistant district attorneys.

1. University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,050

2. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

3. Western New England University

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,160

4. Saint Thomas University

Miami Gardens, FL • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,031

5. Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,196

6. Pace University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,154

7. Quinnipiac University

Hamden, CT • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,190

8. Suffolk University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,131

9. Widener University

Chester, PA • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,115

10. Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Carbondale, IL • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,124

Average assistant district attorney salary by education level

Assistant district attorney education levelAssistant district attorney salary
Doctorate Degree$75,804

Assistant district attorney education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.