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Corporate counsel education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a corporate counsel. Corporate counsels usually study law, political science, or business. 50% of corporate counsels hold a doctoral degree, and 42% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 3,066 real corporate counsel resumes to see exactly what corporate counsel education sections show.
The most common colleges for corporate counsels are the New York Law School and the New York Law School.
There are also many online corporate counsel courses to help get the education required to be a corporate counsel.
There are certain corporate counsel certifications that you should consider. These corporate counsel certifications include Certified Manager Certification (CM) and Certified International Trade Law Specialist (CITLS).
What education do you need to become a corporate counsel?
What degree do you need to be a corporate counsel?
- Doctorate, 50%
- Bachelor's, 42%
- Master's, 7%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become a corporate counsel?
- Law, 51%
- Political Science, 10%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 26%
Most common colleges for corporate counsels
| Corporate counsel common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York Law School | 9.52% |
| University of Florida | 6.06% |
| Santa Clara University | 5.63% |
| Georgetown University | 5.63% |
| Boston University | 5.63% |
Best majors for corporate counsels
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law | 50.9% |
| 2 | Political Science | 10.3% |
| 3 | Business | 6.9% |
| 4 | Legal Research And Advanced Professional Studies | 6.0% |
| 5 | English | 3.5% |
Best colleges for corporate counsels
The best colleges for corporate counsels are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A corporate counsel 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 counsels. 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 counsels.
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 counsels
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10. Complete Contract Management Bootcamp: Zero to Hero
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11. Counselling Skills Certificate Course (Beginner to Advanced)
An in-depth counselling skills training course for personal development or as the starting point for a change in career...
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20. Navigating the Complexities of Software License Agreements
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Top 10 most affordable universities for corporate counsels
The most affordable schools for corporate counsels are Brigham Young University, florida state university, and university of florida.
If the best universities for corporate counsels 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 counsels.
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 counsels
The hardest universities for corporate counsels to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for corporate counsels 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 counsels 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 counsels
The easiest schools for corporate counsels 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 counsel 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 counsels.
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 counsel salary by education level
| Corporate counsel education level | Corporate counsel salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $145,939 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025