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Paralegal instructor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a paralegal instructor. Paralegal instructors usually study law, legal support services, or business. 36% of paralegal instructors hold a doctoral degree, and 31% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 177 real paralegal instructor resumes to see exactly what paralegal instructor education sections show.

The most common colleges for paralegal instructors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online paralegal instructor courses to help get the education required to be a paralegal instructor.

What education do you need to become a paralegal instructor?

What degree do you need to be a paralegal instructor?

The most common degree for paralegal instructors is doctoral degree, with 36% of paralegal instructors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 31% and bachelor's degree degree at 16%.
  • Doctorate, 36%
  • Bachelor's, 31%
  • Associate, 16%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a paralegal instructor?

You should major in law to become a paralegal instructor. 38% of paralegal instructors major in law. Other common majors for a paralegal instructor include legal support services and business.

Most common colleges for paralegal instructors

Paralegal instructors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Akron, and New York Law School. Here are the most common colleges for paralegal instructors in the US based on their resumes.
Paralegal instructor common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix11.90%
University of Akron7.14%
New York Law School7.14%
Texas Southern University4.76%
Illinois State University4.76%

Best majors for paralegal instructors

RankMajorPercentages
1Law38.0%
2Legal Support Services16.0%
3Business8.7%
4Criminal Justice8.0%
5Political Science6.7%

Best colleges for paralegal instructors

The best colleges for paralegal instructors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A paralegal instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for paralegal instructors. 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 paralegal instructors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Texas Wesleyan University

Fort Worth, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$30,300

Enrollment

1,445

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. Hamline University

Saint Paul, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$41,290

Enrollment

2,077

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. Touro College

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$19,870

Enrollment

5,243

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for paralegal instructors

Advertising disclosure

1. An Introduction to American Law

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This course will give you a glimpse into six different areas of American law: Tort Law, Contract Law, Property, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure. You will gain insight into the complexities and dilemmas that arise from the application of law in different settings, and what is distinctive about American approaches...

2. European Business Law: Understanding the Fundamentals

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The European Union is one of the world’s largest and most important economies. This six week course is the first in a series of three that will provide students with an insight into European Business Law. The series ranges from considering the basic structures and principles of the European Union to focusing on various specialized areas of law. Each course will give the students an understanding of the laws and policies that regulate the internal market of European Union, as well as relevant...

3. Effective Legal Office Administration

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4.5
(1,067)

Effective Legal Office Administration...

4. English for Business and Law - Contract Law

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4.5
(552)

An English language course for business and law...

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. American Contract Law II

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Course description: Contracts I & II provides a comprehensive overview of contract law in the United States. The course covers most of the key concepts found in a first year law school class. Each lecture is based on one or more common-law cases, integrating legal doctrines with policy discussions. The course also covers key sections from the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs the sale of goods. By the end of the course, the learner should be able to understand: Formation defenses:...

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

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4.6
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A 2 hour fast track summary of Criminal Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

8. Law of Contracts in 60 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

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4
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A 60 minute fast track summary of the Law of Contracts, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

9. Privacy Law and HIPAA

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What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...

10. Introduction to International Criminal Law

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-- About the Course -- From the Nuremberg trial to the case against Saddam Hussein, from the prosecution of Al-Qaeda terrorists to the trial of Somali pirates – no area of law is as important to world peace and security as international criminal law. Taught by one of the world’s leading experts in the field, this course will educate students about the fundamentals of international criminal law and policy. We will explore the contours of international crimes such as genocide, war crimes,...

11. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy

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4.7
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A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...

12. Company Law: A Comprehensive Summary

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4.6
(250)

An in-depth summary of Company Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations...

13. Privacy Law and Data Protection

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What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...

14. Law: A Comprehensive Summary for LLB Students

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4.2
(253)

An essential 24 hours of Video Lectures, Spider Graphs and Case Summaries made to guide LLB students preparing for exams...

15. Intro to Business Law for Entrepreneurs (+Free Book!)

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4.5
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How do I Protect My Family? What Type of Company to Register. Dealing with Investors. Patents. IPO. Ethics and More...

16. Law of Attraction: Law of Attraction and your Perfect Life

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Take control - Law of Attraction - NLP coach teaches the Mastery of the LOA in one of the top law of attraction courses...

17. Law of Attraction Coach Practitioner Cert (ACCREDITED)

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Uncover the Law of Attraction & use it to help you & your clients benefit from all that the law of attraction offers us...

18. Corporate and Business Law

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4.3
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The need to know course for everything relating to Corporate and Business Law...

19. Social Media Monitoring and Privacy Law

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4.4
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Learn to monitor social networks without violating privacy rights in this course on lawful social media surveillance...

20. Law of Attraction & Allowing YOUR Success Masterclass

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4.5
(262)

Law of Attraction & psychology for manifestations, raising your vibration, abundance & happiness...

Top 10 most affordable universities for paralegal instructors

The most affordable schools for paralegal instructors are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for paralegal instructors 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 paralegal instructors.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

10. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for paralegal instructors

The hardest universities for paralegal instructors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for paralegal instructors 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 paralegal instructors 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. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,401

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for paralegal instructors

The easiest schools for paralegal instructors to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and university of north texas at dallas.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a paralegal instructor 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 paralegal instructors.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

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. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

10. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

Average paralegal instructor salary by education level

Paralegal instructors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $69,222 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, paralegal instructors earn a median annual income of $64,486 compared to $63,649 for paralegal instructors with an Master's degree.
Paralegal instructor education levelParalegal instructor salary
Master's Degree$63,649
High School Diploma or Less$53,260
Bachelor's Degree$64,486
Doctorate Degree$69,222
Some College/ Associate Degree$55,591

Paralegal instructor 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.