Circuit judge education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a circuit judge. Circuit judges usually study law, criminal justice, or business. 58% of circuit judges hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 84 real circuit judge resumes to see exactly what circuit judge education sections show.

The most common colleges for circuit judges are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.

There are also many online circuit judge courses to help get the education required to be a circuit judge.

What education do you need to become a circuit judge?

What degree do you need to be a circuit judge?

The most common degree for circuit judges is bachelor's degree, with 58% of circuit judges earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 33% and doctoral degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 58%

Doctorate, 33%

Master's, 5%

Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a circuit judge?

You should major in law to become a circuit judge. 27% of circuit judges major in law. Other common majors for a circuit judge include criminal justice and business.

Law, 27%

Criminal Justice, 9%

Business, 7%

Psychology, 7%

Other Majors, 50%

Most common colleges for circuit judges

Circuit judges often get their degrees at Florida State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of Missouri - Kansas City. Here are the most common colleges for circuit judges in the US based on their resumes.

Circuit judge common college	Percentages
Florida State University	11.54%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	7.69%
University of Missouri - Kansas City	7.69%
The University of Alabama	7.69%
DePauw University	7.69%

Show more common circuit judge colleges

Best majors for circuit judges

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Law	27.3%
2	Criminal Justice	9.1%
3	Business	7.3%
4	Psychology	7.3%
5	Political Science	7.3%

Show more common circuit judge majors

Best colleges for circuit judges

The best colleges for circuit judges are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A circuit judge with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for circuit judges. 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 circuit judges.

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 circuit judges

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Top 10 most affordable universities for circuit judges

The most affordable schools for circuit judges are Brigham Young University, florida state university, and university of florida.

If the best universities for circuit judges 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 circuit judges.

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 circuit judges

The hardest universities for circuit judges to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for circuit judges 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 circuit judges 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

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

SAT average

1,520

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

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

SAT average

1,492

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

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 circuit judges

The easiest schools for circuit judges 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 a circuit judge 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 circuit judges.

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 circuit judge salary by education level

Circuit judge education level	Circuit judge salary
Doctorate Degree	$60,005

Circuit judge education FAQs

What is the best college for Circuit Judges?

Have more questions? See all answers to common legal questions.

Search for circuit judge jobs

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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