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Assistant paralegal education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an assistant paralegal. Assistant paralegals usually study political science, legal support services, or criminal justice. 67% of assistant paralegals hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 735 real assistant paralegal resumes to see exactly what assistant paralegal education sections show.
The most common colleges for assistant paralegals are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online assistant paralegal courses to help get the education required to be an assistant paralegal.
There are certain assistant paralegal certifications that you should consider. These assistant paralegal certifications include Certified Paralegal (CP) and Certified Paralegal/Certified Legal Assistant (CP/CLA).
What education do you need to become an assistant paralegal?
What degree do you need to be an assistant paralegal?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 5%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become an assistant paralegal?
- Political Science, 16%
- Criminal Justice, 11%
- Business, 9%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for assistant paralegals
| Assistant paralegal common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 12.62% |
| New York University | 9.71% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.77% |
| University of Washington | 6.80% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 5.83% |
Best majors for assistant paralegals
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Political Science | 15.6% |
| 2 | Legal Support Services | 14.0% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 11.0% |
| 4 | Business | 9.2% |
| 5 | Psychology | 6.1% |
Best colleges for assistant paralegals
The best colleges for assistant paralegals are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
An assistant paralegal 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 paralegals. 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 paralegals.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. Texas Wesleyan University
Fort Worth, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$30,300
Enrollment
1,445
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$41,290
Enrollment
2,077
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
9. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for assistant paralegals
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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant paralegals
The most affordable schools for assistant paralegals are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for assistant paralegals 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 paralegals.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
10. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant paralegals
The hardest universities for assistant paralegals to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for assistant paralegals 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 paralegals 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
9. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant paralegals
The easiest schools for assistant paralegals to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant paralegal 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 paralegals.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
6. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
7. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
8. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
9. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average assistant paralegal salary by education level
| Assistant paralegal education level | Assistant paralegal salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $64,746 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $53,577 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $65,651 |
| Doctorate Degree | $70,786 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $56,073 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025