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Executive legal assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an executive legal assistant. Executive legal assistants usually study business, legal support services, or criminal justice. 52% of executive legal assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,645 real executive legal assistant resumes to see exactly what executive legal assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for executive legal assistants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online executive legal assistant courses to help get the education required to be an executive legal assistant.
There are certain executive legal assistant certifications that you should consider. These executive legal assistant certifications include Certified Paralegal/Certified Legal Assistant (CP/CLA) and Professional Legal Secretary (PLS).
What education do you need to become an executive legal assistant?
What degree do you need to be an executive legal assistant?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Associate, 27%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become an executive legal assistant?
- Business, 24%
- Criminal Justice, 6%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for executive legal assistants
| Executive legal assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.92% |
| New York University | 12.97% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.06% |
| University of Houston | 5.06% |
| Howard University | 5.06% |
Best majors for executive legal assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 24.3% |
| 2 | Legal Support Services | 17.6% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 6.1% |
| 4 | Political Science | 6.1% |
| 5 | English | 5.2% |
Best colleges for executive legal assistants
The best colleges for executive legal assistants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
An executive legal assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for executive legal assistants. 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 executive legal assistants.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Texas Wesleyan University
Fort Worth, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$30,300
Enrollment
1,445
4. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
5. Mount St. Joseph University
Cincinnati, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$30,100
Enrollment
1,185
6. Webster University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$27,900
Enrollment
2,958
7. Cedar Crest College
Allentown, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$39,216
Enrollment
1,303
8. Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$41,290
Enrollment
2,077
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
20 best online courses for executive legal assistants
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17. The Legal Implications of Social Media in the Workplace
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20. Audit - Financial Statement
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Top 10 most affordable universities for executive legal assistants
The most affordable schools for executive legal assistants are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for executive legal assistants 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 executive legal assistants.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Trident University International
Cypress, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,240
Cost of attendance
17,912
7. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for executive legal assistants
The hardest universities for executive legal assistants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for executive legal assistants 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 executive legal assistants 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
6. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,415
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Tulane University
New Orleans, LA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,428
10. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for executive legal assistants
The easiest schools for executive legal assistants to get into are Wayland Baptist University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an executive legal assistant 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 executive legal assistants.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Manor College
Jenkintown, PA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
898
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average executive legal assistant salary by education level
| Executive legal assistant education level | Executive legal assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,185 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $52,297 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $58,642 |
| Doctorate Degree | $61,183 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,656 |
Executive legal assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025