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Office manager and legal assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an office manager and legal assistant. Office managers and legal assistant usually study business, legal support services, or criminal justice. 51% of office managers and legal assistant hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,827 real office manager and legal assistant resumes to see exactly what office manager and legal assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for office managers and legal assistant are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online office manager and legal assistant courses to help get the education required to be an office manager and legal assistant.

There are certain office manager and legal assistant certifications that you should consider. These office manager and legal assistant certifications include Certified Paralegal/Certified Legal Assistant (CP/CLA) and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

What education do you need to become an office manager and legal assistant?

What degree do you need to be an office manager and legal assistant?

The most common degree for office managers and legal assistant is bachelor's degree, with 51% of office managers and legal assistant earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 28% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 51%
  • Associate, 28%
  • High School Diploma, 9%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become an office manager and legal assistant?

You should major in business to become an office manager and legal assistant. 21% of office managers and legal assistant major in business. Other common majors for an office manager and legal assistant include legal support services and criminal justice.

Most common colleges for office managers and legal assistant

Office managers and legal assistant often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Miami Dade College, and Florida Atlantic University. Here are the most common colleges for office managers and legal assistant in the US based on their resumes.
Office manager and legal assistant common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix15.79%
Miami Dade College7.02%
Florida Atlantic University7.02%
Florida State University5.61%
New York University5.26%

Best majors for office managers and legal assistant

Best colleges for office managers and legal assistant

The best colleges for office managers and legal assistant are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

An office manager and 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 office managers and legal assistant. 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 office managers and legal assistant.

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 office managers and legal assistant

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Top 10 most affordable universities for office managers and legal assistant

The most affordable schools for office managers and legal assistant are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for office managers and legal assistant 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 office managers and legal assistant.

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 office managers and legal assistant

The hardest universities for office managers and legal assistant to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for office managers and legal assistant 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 office managers and legal assistant 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 office managers and legal assistant

The easiest schools for office managers and legal assistant 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 office manager and 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 office managers and legal assistant.

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 office manager and legal assistant salary by education level

According to our data, office managers and legal assistant with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $63,512 annually. Office managers and legal assistant with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $61,157.
Office manager and legal assistant education levelOffice manager and legal assistant salary
Master's Degree$60,732
High School Diploma or Less$55,227
Bachelor's Degree$61,157
Doctorate Degree$63,512
Some College/ Associate Degree$56,503

Office manager and legal assistant 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.