Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Corporate attorney education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a corporate attorney. Corporate attorneys usually study law, political science, or legal research and advanced professional studies. 48% of corporate attorneys hold a doctoral degree, and 43% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 691 real corporate attorney resumes to see exactly what corporate attorney education sections show.
The most common colleges for corporate attorneys are the New York Law School and the New York Law School.
There are also many online corporate attorney courses to help get the education required to be a corporate attorney.
What education do you need to become a corporate attorney?
What degree do you need to be a corporate attorney?
- Doctorate, 48%
- Bachelor's, 43%
- Master's, 7%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a corporate attorney?
Most common colleges for corporate attorneys
| Corporate attorney common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York Law School | 11.59% |
| Georgetown University | 10.14% |
| University of Florida | 6.52% |
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | 6.52% |
| Harvard University | 5.80% |
Best majors for corporate attorneys
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law | 50.2% |
| 2 | Political Science | 8.2% |
| 3 | Legal Research And Advanced Professional Studies | 7.1% |
| 4 | Economics | 4.5% |
| 5 | Business | 4.3% |
Best colleges for corporate attorneys
The best colleges for corporate attorneys are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A corporate attorney with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for corporate attorneys. 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 corporate attorneys.
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 corporate attorneys
Advertising disclosure
1. Corporate Strategy
Corporate strategy is the strategy a firm uses to compete across multiple businesses. Many small firms want to grow by entering new businesses. Many large firms already are in multiple businesses, e.g. a photo camera producer selling also sunglasses. We developed this course to help you make good corporate strategy decisions. Of the many decisions a firm has to make, corporate strategy decisions are among the most consequential. We will look at these key corporate strategy decisions: -...
2. Corporate Entrepreneurship: Innovating within Corporations
For an increasing number of established companies, creating new business opportunities within the company is an imperative for success. Maturing technologies and aging product portfolios are requiring companies to create, develop, and sustain innovative new businesses. The Corporate Entrepreneurship Specialization is designed for those interested in learning how to innovate and apply entrepreneurship principles in the corporate setting.\n\nLearners will develop knowledge on how to navigate the...
3. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy
A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...
4. Essentials of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
The Who, What, When, Where, and How of the World's Most Common Business Contract...
5. Corporate and Business Law
The need to know course for everything relating to Corporate and Business Law...
6. Effectively Lease Commercial Real Estate Properties
Learn how to lease industrial, office, and retail properties with ease...
7. HR 101: Compliance Made Easy - U.S. Employers Must Have
Streamline the most critical human resource (HR) processes and be in compliance with U.S. employment regulations...
8. Learn Federal Government Contracting From An Expert
A comprehensive guide to Register, Search Opportunities, GSA, Certifications, Accounting, Marketing& Bidding to the feds...
9. Corporate ESG and Sustainability - 101 Level Masterclass
Building a Best-in-Class ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Program (cf. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR))...
10. Labor Relations for Human Resources
Understand the basics of the collective bargaining agreement process...
11. Learning Business Contracts for Beginners
An Introductory Guide to Drafting Winning Contracts, Negotiating Well, and Getting What You Want...
12. U.S. Residential Real Estate, Property & Mortgage Business
Property & Mortgage Underwriting Loan Processing Financial Analysis Mortgage Operations Origination...
13. The Corporate Finance Course
Corporate Governance, Capital Budgeting, Cost of Capital, Leverage, Working Capital: Complete Corporate Finance Training...
14. Relationship Management in Corporate Banking
How to acquire and manage successful Corporate Client Relationships in Corporate Banking...
15. Corporate ESG Fundamental for Business leaders
An introductory course for entrepreneurs to understand ESG and start preparing for ESG reporting...
16. English for Business and Law - Contract Law
An English language course for business and law...
17. Business Fundamentals: Corporate Strategy
Business Strategy: Understand What It Takes To Be Successful In Business...
18. The Complete Guide to Corporate Governance
Governance: Understand the workings of a properly run and sustainable business...
19. Build Powerful Compliance Programs & Prevent Corporate Fraud
Learn everything you need to know to build an effective and powerful compliance culture and prevent corporate fraud...
20. Property Management 101
Learn the basics of managing rental property and becoming a landlord...
Top 10 most affordable universities for corporate attorneys
The most affordable schools for corporate attorneys are Brigham Young University, florida state university, and university of florida.
If the best universities for corporate attorneys 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 corporate attorneys.
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 corporate attorneys
The hardest universities for corporate attorneys to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for corporate attorneys 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 corporate attorneys 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 corporate attorneys
The easiest schools for corporate attorneys 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 corporate attorney 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 corporate attorneys.
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 corporate attorney salary by education level
| Corporate attorney education level | Corporate attorney salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $119,703 |
Search for corporate attorney jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025