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Assistant public defender education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an assistant public defender. Assistant public defenders usually study law, political science, or criminal justice. 57% of assistant public defenders hold a doctoral degree, and 37% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,612 real assistant public defender resumes to see exactly what assistant public defender education sections show.
The most common colleges for assistant public defenders are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.
There are also many online assistant public defender courses to help get the education required to be an assistant public defender.
What education do you need to become an assistant public defender?
What degree do you need to be an assistant public defender?
- Doctorate, 57%
- Bachelor's, 37%
- Master's, 4%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become an assistant public defender?
- Law, 58%
- Political Science, 11%
- Criminal Justice, 4%
- English, 4%
- Other Majors, 23%
Most common colleges for assistant public defenders
| Assistant public defender common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Florida | 19.33% |
| University of Miami | 11.04% |
| Florida State University | 9.82% |
| George Washington University, The | 4.60% |
| University of Maryland - Baltimore | 4.29% |
Best majors for assistant public defenders
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law | 57.7% |
| 2 | Political Science | 10.7% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 4.4% |
| 4 | English | 3.5% |
| 5 | Psychology | 3.5% |
Best colleges for assistant public defenders
The best colleges for assistant public defenders are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
An assistant public defender 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 public defenders. 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 public defenders.
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 public defenders
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This specialisation guides learners through the process of designing an appropriate participatory approach to a given public health challenge, focusing on the history, theory and practice of participatory approaches to public health. You'll gain an understanding of the impact of social and cultural contexts in which public health programmes exist, as well as, why participatory approaches could better assist in meeting the population’s needs and solving certain health-related challenges...
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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant public defenders
The most affordable schools for assistant public defenders are Brigham Young University, florida state university, and university of florida.
If the best universities for assistant public defenders 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 public defenders.
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 public defenders
The hardest universities for assistant public defenders to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for assistant public defenders 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 public defenders 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 public defenders
The easiest schools for assistant public defenders 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 public defender 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 public defenders.
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 public defender salary by education level
| Assistant public defender education level | Assistant public defender salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $70,040 |
Assistant public defender education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025