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Magisterial district judge education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a magisterial district judge. Magisterial district judges usually study law, political science, or criminal justice. 59% of magisterial district judges hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 272 real magisterial district judge resumes to see exactly what magisterial district judge education sections show.

The most common colleges for magisterial district judges are the Harvard University and the Harvard University.

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

What education do you need to become a magisterial district judge?

What degree do you need to be a magisterial district judge?

The most common degree for magisterial district judges is bachelor's degree, with 59% of magisterial district judges earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 26% and doctoral degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 59%
  • Doctorate, 26%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a magisterial district judge?

You should major in law to become a magisterial district judge. 32% of magisterial district judges major in law. Other common majors for a magisterial district judge include political science and criminal justice.

Most common colleges for magisterial district judges

Magisterial district judges often get their degrees at Harvard University, American University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for magisterial district judges in the US based on their resumes.
Magisterial district judge common collegePercentages
Harvard University7.41%
American University7.41%
Pennsylvania State University7.41%
Emory University5.56%
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor5.56%

Best majors for magisterial district judges

RankMajorPercentages
1Law31.9%
2Political Science17.2%
3Criminal Justice6.7%
4Business6.7%
5History6.1%

Best colleges for magisterial district judges

The best colleges for magisterial district judges are University of Chicago, Stanford University, and Northeastern University.

A magisterial district judge with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for magisterial district judges. 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 magisterial district judges.

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. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

7. University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,610

Enrollment

3,215

8. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

20 best online courses for magisterial district judges

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1. Introduction to International Criminal Law

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

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4. Criminal Law in 120 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

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A 2 hour fast track summary of Criminal Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

5. A Law Student's Toolkit

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Whether you are an advanced law student looking to review the basics, or an aspiring law student looking for head start, this course will help you build the foundation you will need to succeed in law school and beyond. This course will introduce you to terminology, concepts, and tools lawyers and legal academics use to make their arguments. It will help you follow these arguments—and make arguments of your own. This course consists of a series of short lectures and assignments. A reading list...

6. European Business Law: Understanding the Fundamentals

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10. Cross-border road transport in EU law context

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Top 10 most affordable universities for magisterial district judges

The most affordable schools for magisterial district judges are Brigham Young University, florida international university, and florida state university.

If the best universities for magisterial district judges 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 magisterial district judges.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for magisterial district judges

The hardest universities for magisterial district judges to get into are University of Chicago, Stanford University, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for magisterial district judges 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 magisterial district judges 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

9. University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,401

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for magisterial district judges

The easiest schools for magisterial district judges to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, wayland baptist university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a magisterial district judge 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 magisterial district judges.

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

5. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

6. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

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

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

8. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average magisterial district judge salary by education level

Magisterial district judge education levelMagisterial district judge salary
Doctorate Degree$60,269

Magisterial district judge 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.