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Attorney general education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an attorney general. Attorneys general usually study law, political science, or business. 56% of attorneys general hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 1,940 real attorney general resumes to see exactly what attorney general education sections show.

The most common colleges for attorneys general are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.

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

What education do you need to become an attorney general?

What degree do you need to be an attorney general?

The most common degree for attorneys general is bachelor's degree, with 56% of attorneys general earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 25% and doctoral degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 56%
  • Doctorate, 25%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an attorney general?

You should major in law to become an attorney general. 29% of attorneys general major in law. Other common majors for an attorney general include political science and business.

Most common colleges for attorneys general

Attorneys general often get their degrees at Ohio State University, New York Law School, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for attorneys general in the US based on their resumes.
Attorney general common collegePercentages
Ohio State University12.95%
New York Law School7.25%
Arizona State University6.22%
University of Houston5.70%
University of Pittsburgh5.18%

Best majors for attorneys general

RankMajorPercentages
1Law29.1%
2Political Science16.2%
3Business10.5%
4Criminal Justice8.9%
5Psychology4.4%

Best colleges for attorneys general

The best colleges for attorneys general are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

An attorney general with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for attorneys general. 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 attorneys general.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

20 best online courses for attorneys general

Advertising disclosure

1. International Law in Action: A Guide to the International Courts and Tribunals in The Hague

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International Law in Action explains the functions of each international court and tribunal present in The Hague, and it looks at how these institutions address contemporary problems. On the basis of selected cases, and through interviews with judges and lawyers, you will explore the role of these courts and tribunals and their potential to contribute to global justice. The first module of the course will investigate how judicial settlement is different from other more political forms of...

2. International Law In Action: Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes

coursera

‘Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes’ is the second course in Leiden University’s new series on International Law in Action. The first course covered international courts and tribunals in The Hague in general. This second course provides an insider perspective into the work of international criminal courts and tribunals. You will learn about the investigation and prosecution of international crimes in The Hague. Atrocities produce unspeakable forms of violence. We will explore...

3. Effective Legal Office Administration

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4.5
(1,067)

Effective Legal Office Administration...

4. The Guide To Office & Industrial Real Estate Investing

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4.9
(296)

How To Analyze Office and Industrial Real Estate Investments For Smarter Investing...

5. ERPO: A Civil Approach to Gun Violence Prevention Teach-Out

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Evidence shows that 1 life is saved for every 10-20 Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) issued. ERPOs are legally issued civil orders that allow people on the front lines to ask a court to prevent a person at imminent risk of harm to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing firearms during a critical period of risk. As of October 2020, ERPO laws have been enacted by nineteen states and the District of Columbia and while some aspects differ by state, the general process for applying...

6. Cloud Computing Law: Data Protection and Cybersecurity

coursera

Vast amounts of personal information are processed in the cloud. But who is legally responsible for such ‘personal data’ in cloud environments? What duties do cloud providers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have? And what rights can you, as an individual, exercise under data protection law? If you’d like to find out, then this course is for you! First, we’ll look at how the European Union’s ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ (‘GDPR’) regulates the processing of personal data in cloud...

7. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy

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4.7
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A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...

8. Legal English

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4.5
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Legal language and communication skills...

9. Privacy Law and Data Protection

coursera

What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...

10. Privacy Law and HIPAA

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What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...

11. MS Office Course Bundle- Word , Powerpoint , Excel & Outlook

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4.3
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MS Office Learn and Polish the Most Desirable Office Courses at work , MS Word , MS Excel , MS Powerpoint and MS Outlook...

12. English for Business and Law - Contract Law

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4.5
(552)

An English language course for business and law...

13. Cloud Computing Law

coursera

This Specialization is intended for anyone interested in understanding the legal rights and obligations of providers and customers of cloud services. Our three Courses cover the key legal and regulatory issues for cloud services, including cloud contracts, data protection law, law enforcement access, and much more! You will learn to describe cloud providers’ and customers’ legal rights, to identify and assess legal risks, and to suggest possible legal and technological solutions...

14. Cross-border road transport in EU law context

coursera

Have you ever wondered which legal rules are applicable to cross-border EU road transport? Are you interested in the issues revolving around EU employment law in the international road transport sector? Then, on behalf of the University of Antwerp, Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of Gdańsk, University of Luxembourg and Tilburg University, we would like to welcome you to this MOOC on Cross-border Road Transport in EU law context. This MOOC is a part of the Erasmus + Project funded by...

15. Social Media Monitoring and Privacy Law

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4.4
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Learn to monitor social networks without violating privacy rights in this course on lawful social media surveillance...

16. Intro to Real Estate Development

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4.4
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Learn professional techniques and use investment-grade models to analyze real estate development deals...

17. European Business Law: Understanding the Fundamentals

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The European Union is one of the world’s largest and most important economies. This six week course is the first in a series of three that will provide students with an insight into European Business Law. The series ranges from considering the basic structures and principles of the European Union to focusing on various specialized areas of law. Each course will give the students an understanding of the laws and policies that regulate the internal market of European Union, as well as relevant...

18. The ultimate real-life Office 365 productivity course

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4.4
(5,368)

Transition to a digital workplace and boost Office 365 productivity through real life storytelling and best practices...

19. Commercial Real Estate Investing 101

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4.7
(1,703)

The Comprehensive Beginner's Guide to Apartment, Retail, Office, and Industrial Real Estate Investing...

20. Microsoft Office 365 Administration

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4.5
(2,676)

Microsoft Office 365 Administration...

Top 10 most affordable universities for attorneys general

The most affordable schools for attorneys general are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for attorneys general 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 attorneys general.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for attorneys general

The hardest universities for attorneys general to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for attorneys general 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 attorneys general 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for attorneys general

The easiest schools for attorneys general to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur 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 attorney general 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 attorneys general.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average attorney general salary by education level

Attorney general education levelAttorney general salary
Doctorate Degree$104,190

Attorney general 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.