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Probate judge education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a probate judge. Probate judges usually study law, political science, or history. 47% of probate judges hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 31 real probate judge resumes to see exactly what probate judge education sections show.
The most common colleges for probate judges are the College of the Holy Cross and the College of the Holy Cross.
There are also many online probate judge courses to help get the education required to be a probate judge.
What education do you need to become a probate judge?
What degree do you need to be a probate judge?
- Bachelor's, 47%
- Doctorate, 32%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 11%
What should I major in to become a probate judge?
- Law, 28%
- Political Science, 12%
- History, 8%
- Business, 8%
- Other Majors, 44%
Most common colleges for probate judges
| Probate judge common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| College of the Holy Cross | 11.76% |
| Faulkner University | 11.76% |
| Charleston School of Law | 5.88% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 5.88% |
| New Mexico State University | 5.88% |
Best majors for probate judges
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law | 28.0% |
| 2 | Political Science | 12.0% |
| 3 | History | 8.0% |
| 4 | Business | 8.0% |
| 5 | Economics | 8.0% |
Best colleges for probate judges
The best colleges for probate judges are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A probate 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 probate 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 probate judges.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for probate judges
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Top 10 most affordable universities for probate judges
The most affordable schools for probate judges are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for probate 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 probate judges.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for probate judges
The hardest universities for probate judges to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for probate 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 probate 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
10. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for probate judges
The easiest schools for probate judges to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a probate 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 probate judges.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
9. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average probate judge salary by education level
| Probate judge education level | Probate judge salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $59,724 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025