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Paralegal secretary education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a paralegal secretary. Paralegal secretaries usually study legal support services, business, or criminal justice. 44% of paralegal secretaries hold a associate degree, and 36% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 934 real paralegal secretary resumes to see exactly what paralegal secretary education sections show.
The most common colleges for paralegal secretaries are the Temple University and the Temple University.
There are also many online paralegal secretary courses to help get the education required to be a paralegal secretary.
There are certain paralegal secretary certifications that you should consider. These paralegal secretary certifications include Certified Paralegal (CP) and Professional Legal Secretary (PLS).
What education do you need to become a paralegal secretary?
What degree do you need to be a paralegal secretary?
- Associate, 44%
- Bachelor's, 36%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 2%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a paralegal secretary?
- Business, 15%
- Criminal Justice, 8%
- Legal Studies, 6%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for paralegal secretaries
| Paralegal secretary common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Temple University | 9.09% |
| Mississippi College | 7.27% |
| Sacred Heart University | 5.45% |
| Broward College | 5.45% |
| University of New Orleans | 5.45% |
Best majors for paralegal secretaries
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legal Support Services | 30.6% |
| 2 | Business | 15.3% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 8.3% |
| 4 | Legal Studies | 5.6% |
| 5 | Psychology | 4.7% |
Best colleges for paralegal secretaries
The best colleges for paralegal secretaries are Northwestern University, Boston University, and George Washington University, The.
A paralegal secretary 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 secretaries. 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 secretaries.
1. Texas Wesleyan University
Fort Worth, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$30,300
Enrollment
1,445
2. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. Cedar Crest College
Allentown, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$39,216
Enrollment
1,303
6. Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$41,290
Enrollment
2,077
7. Doane University
Crete, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$33,800
Enrollment
1,002
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. College of Our Lady of the Elms
Chicopee, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$35,788
Enrollment
1,127
10. Touro College
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$19,870
Enrollment
5,243
20 best online courses for paralegal secretaries
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Top 10 most affordable universities for paralegal secretaries
The most affordable schools for paralegal secretaries are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for paralegal secretaries 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 secretaries.
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
10. The University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,360
Cost of attendance
16,595
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for paralegal secretaries
The hardest universities for paralegal secretaries to get into are Northwestern University, Boston University, and George Washington University, The.
Some great schools for paralegal secretaries 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 secretaries 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
7. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. American University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,320
10. University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,300
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for paralegal secretaries
The easiest schools for paralegal secretaries to get into are Wayland Baptist University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and manor college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a paralegal secretary 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 secretaries.
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. Manor College
Jenkintown, PA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
898
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
6. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
7. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
Average paralegal secretary salary by education level
| Paralegal secretary education level | Paralegal secretary salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,605 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,767 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,059 |
| Doctorate Degree | $58,587 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,112 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025