Paralegal/office manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a paralegal/office manager. Paralegal/office managers usually study legal support services, business, or criminal justice. 45% of paralegal/office managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 36% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 6,256 real paralegal/office manager resumes to see exactly what paralegal/office manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for paralegal/office managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain paralegal/office manager certifications that you should consider. These paralegal/office manager certifications include Certified Paralegal/Certified Legal Assistant (CP/CLA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

What education do you need to become a paralegal/office manager?

What degree do you need to be a paralegal/office manager?

The most common degree for paralegal/office managers is bachelor's degree, with 45% of paralegal/office managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 36% and associate degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 45%

Associate, 36%

Master's, 5%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a paralegal/office manager?

You should major in legal support services to become a paralegal/office manager. 33% of paralegal/office managers major in legal support services. Other common majors for a paralegal/office manager include business and criminal justice.

Legal Support Services, 33%

Business, 16%

Criminal Justice, 8%

Political Science, 6%

Other Majors, 37%

Most common colleges for paralegal/office managers

Paralegal/office managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Miami Dade College, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for paralegal/office managers in the US based on their resumes.

Paralegal/office manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	17.20%
Miami Dade College	5.54%
University of Florida	5.25%
Arizona State University	4.96%
University of Central Florida	4.96%

Show more common paralegal/office manager colleges

Best majors for paralegal/office managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Legal Support Services	33.4%
2	Business	15.8%
3	Criminal Justice	8.5%
4	Political Science	6.0%
5	Legal Studies	5.8%

Show more common paralegal/office manager majors

Best colleges for paralegal/office managers

The best colleges for paralegal/office managers are Boston University, George Washington University, The, and SUNY at Binghamton.

A paralegal/office manager 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/office managers. 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/office managers.

1. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

2. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

3. Texas Wesleyan University

Fort Worth, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$30,300

Enrollment

1,445

4. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

5. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Cedar Crest College

Allentown, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$39,216

Enrollment

1,303

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Hamline University

Saint Paul, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$41,290

Enrollment

2,077

20 best online courses for paralegal/office managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for paralegal/office managers

The most affordable schools for paralegal/office managers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for paralegal/office managers 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/office managers.

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

6. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. The University of West Florida

Pensacola, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,360

Cost of attendance

16,595

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for paralegal/office managers

The hardest universities for paralegal/office managers to get into are Boston University, George Washington University, The, and SUNY at Binghamton.

Some great schools for paralegal/office managers 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/office managers 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

2. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

4. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

7. University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,401

8. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

9. University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,300

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for paralegal/office managers

The easiest schools for paralegal/office managers to get into are Manor College, notre dame college, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a paralegal/office manager 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/office managers.

1. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

7. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

Average paralegal/office manager salary by education level

According to our data, paralegal/office managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $67,039 annually. Paralegal/office managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $64,107.

Paralegal/office manager education level	Paralegal/office manager salary
Master's Degree	$67,039
High School Diploma or Less	$58,787
Bachelor's Degree	$64,107
Some College/ Associate Degree	$59,961

Paralegal/office manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Paralegal/Office Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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