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Freelance court reporter education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a freelance court reporter. Freelance court reporters usually study legal support services, business, or health care administration. 60% of freelance court reporters hold a associate degree, and 20% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 619 real freelance court reporter resumes to see exactly what freelance court reporter education sections show.

The most common colleges for freelance court reporters are the Temple University and the Temple University.

There are also many online freelance court reporter courses to help get the education required to be a freelance court reporter.

There are certain freelance court reporter certifications that you should consider. These freelance court reporter certifications include Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) and Certified Reporting Specialist (CRS).

What education do you need to become a freelance court reporter?

What degree do you need to be a freelance court reporter?

The most common degree for freelance court reporters is associate degree, with 60% of freelance court reporters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 20% and bachelor's degree degree at 7%.
  • Associate, 60%
  • Bachelor's, 20%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a freelance court reporter?

You should major in legal support services to become a freelance court reporter. 49% of freelance court reporters major in legal support services. Other common majors for a freelance court reporter include business and health care administration.

Most common colleges for freelance court reporters

Freelance court reporters often get their degrees at Temple University, Ferris State University, and Springfield College. Here are the most common colleges for freelance court reporters in the US based on their resumes.
Freelance court reporter common collegePercentages
Temple University9.76%
Ferris State University9.76%
Springfield College9.76%
Peirce College7.32%
Johnson & Wales University4.88%

Best majors for freelance court reporters

Best colleges for freelance court reporters

The best colleges for freelance court reporters are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

A freelance court reporter with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for freelance court reporters. 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 freelance court reporters.

1. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

3. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

4. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. Daemen College

Amherst, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$28,580

Enrollment

1,712

7. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

8. Texas Wesleyan University

Fort Worth, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$30,300

Enrollment

1,445

9. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for freelance court reporters

Advertising disclosure

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Top 10 most affordable universities for freelance court reporters

The most affordable schools for freelance court reporters are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for freelance court reporters 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 freelance court reporters.

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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

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 freelance court reporters

The hardest universities for freelance court reporters to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for freelance court reporters 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 freelance court reporters 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

5. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for freelance court reporters

The easiest schools for freelance court reporters to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, manor college, and lim college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a freelance court reporter 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 freelance court reporters.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

3. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Ursuline College

Pepper Pike, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,102

8. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

9. Lewis-Clark State College

Lewiston, ID • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,009

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average freelance court reporter salary by education level

According to our data, freelance court reporters with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $106,793 annually. Freelance court reporters with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $96,102.
Freelance court reporter education levelFreelance court reporter salary
Master's Degree$96,102
High School Diploma or Less$62,595
Bachelor's Degree$77,565
Doctorate Degree$106,793
Some College/ Associate Degree$70,786

Freelance court reporter 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.