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Criminal district attorney education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a criminal district attorney. Criminal district attorneys usually study law, criminal justice, or political science. 47% of criminal district attorneys hold a doctoral degree, and 46% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 167 real criminal district attorney resumes to see exactly what criminal district attorney education sections show.

The most common colleges for criminal district attorneys are the South Texas College of Law and the South Texas College of Law.

There are also many online criminal district attorney courses to help get the education required to be a criminal district attorney.

What education do you need to become a criminal district attorney?

What degree do you need to be a criminal district attorney?

The most common degree for criminal district attorneys is doctoral degree, with 47% of criminal district attorneys earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 46% and bachelor's degree degree at 4%.
  • Doctorate, 47%
  • Bachelor's, 46%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Master's, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a criminal district attorney?

You should major in law to become a criminal district attorney. 46% of criminal district attorneys major in law. Other common majors for a criminal district attorney include criminal justice and political science.

Most common colleges for criminal district attorneys

Criminal district attorneys often get their degrees at South Texas College of Law, St. Mary's University, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for criminal district attorneys in the US based on their resumes.
Criminal district attorney common collegePercentages
South Texas College of Law11.76%
St. Mary's University9.80%
University of Houston7.84%
University of Texas at Austin5.88%
Lamar University5.88%

Best majors for criminal district attorneys

Best colleges for criminal district attorneys

The best colleges for criminal district attorneys are University of Chicago, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A criminal district 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 criminal district 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 criminal district attorneys.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$58,230

Enrollment

6,600

3. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

6. University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,610

Enrollment

3,215

7. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

20 best online courses for criminal district attorneys

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1. Introduction to International Criminal Law

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‘Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes’ is the second course in Leiden University’s new series on International Law in Action. The first course covered international courts and tribunals in The Hague in general. This second course provides an insider perspective into the work of international criminal courts and tribunals. You will learn about the investigation and prosecution of international crimes in The Hague. Atrocities produce unspeakable forms of violence. We will explore...

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10. American Contract Law II

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13. International Law in Action: A Guide to the International Courts and Tribunals in The Hague

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International Law in Action explains the functions of each international court and tribunal present in The Hague, and it looks at how these institutions address contemporary problems. On the basis of selected cases, and through interviews with judges and lawyers, you will explore the role of these courts and tribunals and their potential to contribute to global justice. The first module of the course will investigate how judicial settlement is different from other more political forms of...

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20. Law of Contracts in 60 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

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Top 10 most affordable universities for criminal district attorneys

The most affordable schools for criminal district attorneys are University of Florida, brigham young university, and florida international university.

If the best universities for criminal district 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 criminal district attorneys.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

7. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

10. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus

San Juan, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

11,299

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for criminal district attorneys

The hardest universities for criminal district attorneys to get into are University of Chicago, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for criminal district 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 criminal district 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. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for criminal district attorneys

The easiest schools for criminal district attorneys to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, nyack college, and university of baltimore.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a criminal district 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 criminal district attorneys.

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

6. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

7. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Saint Thomas University

Miami Gardens, FL • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,031

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average criminal district attorney salary by education level

Criminal district attorney education levelCriminal district attorney salary
Doctorate Degree$82,827

Criminal district attorney 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.