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Immigration paralegal education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an immigration paralegal. Immigration paralegals usually study legal support services, political science, or law. 60% of immigration paralegals hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,508 real immigration paralegal resumes to see exactly what immigration paralegal education sections show.
The most common colleges for immigration paralegals are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online immigration paralegal courses to help get the education required to be an immigration paralegal.
What education do you need to become an immigration paralegal?
What degree do you need to be an immigration paralegal?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 12%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become an immigration paralegal?
- Political Science, 15%
- Law, 12%
- Business, 8%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for immigration paralegals
| Immigration paralegal common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.15% |
| John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York | 7.84% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.19% |
| San Francisco State University | 5.88% |
| City College of New York of the City University of New York, The | 5.88% |
Best majors for immigration paralegals
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legal Support Services | 17.5% |
| 2 | Political Science | 15.5% |
| 3 | Law | 12.0% |
| 4 | Business | 8.5% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 7.7% |
Best colleges for immigration paralegals
The best colleges for immigration paralegals are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania.
An immigration paralegal with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for immigration paralegals. 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 immigration paralegals.
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Texas Wesleyan University
Fort Worth, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$30,300
Enrollment
1,445
6. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for immigration paralegals
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Top 10 most affordable universities for immigration paralegals
The most affordable schools for immigration paralegals are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for immigration paralegals 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 immigration paralegals.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. 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
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for immigration paralegals
The hardest universities for immigration paralegals to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for immigration paralegals 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 immigration paralegals 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
10. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for immigration paralegals
The easiest schools for immigration paralegals to get into are Barry University, wayland baptist university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an immigration paralegal 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 immigration paralegals.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
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. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average immigration paralegal salary by education level
| Immigration paralegal education level | Immigration paralegal salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $73,550 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $65,495 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $74,178 |
| Doctorate Degree | $77,680 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $67,347 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025