Certified legal investigator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a certified legal investigator. Certified legal investigators usually study criminal justice, law, or social work. 53% of certified legal investigators hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 111 real certified legal investigator resumes to see exactly what certified legal investigator education sections show.

The most common colleges for certified legal investigators are the University of South Florida and the University of South Florida.

There are also many online certified legal investigator courses to help get the education required to be a certified legal investigator.

What education do you need to become a certified legal investigator?

What degree do you need to be a certified legal investigator?

The most common degree for certified legal investigators is bachelor's degree, with 53% of certified legal investigators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 53%

Associate, 25%

Master's, 13%

Doctorate, 7%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a certified legal investigator?

You should major in criminal justice to become a certified legal investigator. 19% of certified legal investigators major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a certified legal investigator include law and social work.

Criminal Justice, 19%

Law, 10%

Social Work, 9%

Sociology, 7%

Other Majors, 55%

Most common colleges for certified legal investigators

Certified legal investigators often get their degrees at University of South Florida, Winthrop University, and The John Marshall Law School. Here are the most common colleges for certified legal investigators in the US based on their resumes.

Certified legal investigator common college	Percentages
University of South Florida	17.39%
Winthrop University	4.35%
The John Marshall Law School	4.35%
Otterbein University	4.35%
Charleston Southern University	4.35%

Show more common certified legal investigator colleges

Best majors for certified legal investigators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	18.6%
2	Law	10.0%
3	Social Work	8.6%
4	Sociology	7.1%
5	Psychology	7.1%

Show more common certified legal investigator majors

Best colleges for certified legal investigators

The best colleges for certified legal investigators are Boston College, Boston University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

A certified legal investigator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for certified legal investigators. 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 certified legal investigators.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

4. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. Southern University and A & M College

Baton Rouge, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,122

Enrollment

5,612

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for certified legal investigators

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Computer Forensics...

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Learn digital forensics and be computer forensics investigator / Certificate after completing course / DFMC+ / DFIR 2023...

Top 10 most affordable universities for certified legal investigators

The most affordable schools for certified legal investigators are Florida International University, florida state university, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for certified legal investigators 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 certified legal investigators.

1. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

2. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

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 certified legal investigators

The hardest universities for certified legal investigators to get into are Boston College, Boston University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Some great schools for certified legal investigators 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 certified legal investigators 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. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

4. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

7. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

9. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for certified legal investigators

The easiest schools for certified legal investigators to get into are Barry University, nyack college, and the university of texas permian basin.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a certified legal investigator 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 certified legal investigators.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

6. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average certified legal investigator salary by education level

Certified legal investigators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $67,503 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, certified legal investigators earn a median annual income of $55,840 compared to $45,987 for certified legal investigators with an Associate degree.

Certified legal investigator education level	Certified legal investigator salary
Master's Degree	$67,503
High School Diploma or Less	$42,364
Bachelor's Degree	$55,840
Some College/ Associate Degree	$45,987

Certified legal investigator education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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