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Certified shorthand reporter education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a certified shorthand reporter. Certified shorthand reporters usually study legal support services, business, or psychology. 36% of certified shorthand reporters hold a associate degree, and 30% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 133 real certified shorthand reporter resumes to see exactly what certified shorthand reporter education sections show.

The most common colleges for certified shorthand reporters are the South College and the South College.

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

What education do you need to become a certified shorthand reporter?

What degree do you need to be a certified shorthand reporter?

The most common degree for certified shorthand reporters is associate degree, with 36% of certified shorthand reporters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 30% and bachelor's degree degree at 10%.
  • Associate, 36%
  • Bachelor's, 30%
  • Diploma, 10%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 19%

What should I major in to become a certified shorthand reporter?

You should major in legal support services to become a certified shorthand reporter. 32% of certified shorthand reporters major in legal support services. Other common majors for a certified shorthand reporter include business and psychology.

Most common colleges for certified shorthand reporters

Certified shorthand reporters often get their degrees at South College, University of Northern Iowa, and American International College. Here are the most common colleges for certified shorthand reporters in the US based on their resumes.
Certified shorthand reporter common collegePercentages
South College13.64%
University of Northern Iowa4.55%
American International College4.55%
Loyola University Chicago4.55%
Ohio State University4.55%

Best majors for certified shorthand reporters

RankMajorPercentages
1Legal Support Services31.6%
2Business12.3%
3Psychology7.0%
4Social Work7.0%
5Liberal Arts5.3%

Best colleges for certified shorthand reporters

The best colleges for certified shorthand reporters are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

A certified shorthand reporter 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 shorthand reporters. 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 shorthand reporters.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

3. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

8. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

9. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

20 best online courses for certified shorthand reporters

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Top 10 most affordable universities for certified shorthand reporters

The most affordable schools for certified shorthand reporters are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for certified shorthand reporters 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 shorthand reporters.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

6. Trident University International

Cypress, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,240

Cost of attendance

17,912

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for certified shorthand reporters

The hardest universities for certified shorthand reporters to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for certified shorthand reporters 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 shorthand reporters 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

7. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for certified shorthand reporters

The easiest schools for certified shorthand reporters to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a certified shorthand reporter 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 shorthand reporters.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Ursuline College

Pepper Pike, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,102

7. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

8. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average certified shorthand reporter salary by education level

According to our data, certified shorthand reporters with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $89,556 annually. Certified shorthand reporters with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $83,825.
Certified shorthand reporter education levelCertified shorthand reporter salary
Master's Degree$83,825
High School Diploma or Less$64,068
Bachelor's Degree$73,287
Doctorate Degree$89,556
Some College/ Associate Degree$69,203

Certified shorthand reporter 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.