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Real estate paralegal education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a real estate paralegal. Real estate paralegals usually study legal support services, business, or political science. 52% of real estate paralegals hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,882 real real estate paralegal resumes to see exactly what real estate paralegal education sections show.

The most common colleges for real estate paralegals are the Roosevelt University and the Roosevelt University.

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

There are certain real estate paralegal certifications that you should consider. These real estate paralegal certifications include Certified Paralegal (CP) and Certified Real Estate Inspector (CRI).

What education do you need to become a real estate paralegal?

What degree do you need to be a real estate paralegal?

The most common degree for real estate paralegals is bachelor's degree, with 52% of real estate paralegals earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 28% and associate degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 52%
  • Associate, 28%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 13%

What should I major in to become a real estate paralegal?

You should major in legal support services to become a real estate paralegal. 30% of real estate paralegals major in legal support services. Other common majors for a real estate paralegal include business and political science.

Most common colleges for real estate paralegals

Real estate paralegals often get their degrees at Roosevelt University, New York University, and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Here are the most common colleges for real estate paralegals in the US based on their resumes.
Real estate paralegal common collegePercentages
Roosevelt University8.30%
New York University7.94%
Fairleigh Dickinson University6.50%
Miami Dade College6.14%
Florida International University6.14%

Best majors for real estate paralegals

Best colleges for real estate paralegals

The best colleges for real estate paralegals are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

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

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 real estate paralegals

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16. Pre-Investing: Essential Real Estate Investing Concepts

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17. The Guide To Office & Industrial Real Estate Investing

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18. The Real Estate Financial Modeling Bootcamp

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19. The Advanced Real Estate Pro Forma Modeling Master Class

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20. Fundamentals of Analyzing Real Estate Investments

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Learn professional investment analysis techniques for real estate investing in residential and commercial properties...

Top 10 most affordable universities for real estate paralegals

The most affordable schools for real estate paralegals are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for real estate paralegals 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 real estate paralegals.

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 real estate paralegals

The hardest universities for real estate paralegals to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for real estate paralegals 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 real estate paralegals 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 real estate paralegals

The easiest schools for real estate paralegals 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 a real estate paralegal 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 real estate paralegals.

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 real estate paralegal salary by education level

Real estate paralegals with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $77,461 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, real estate paralegals earn a median annual income of $74,492 compared to $73,958 for real estate paralegals with an Master's degree.
Real estate paralegal education levelReal estate paralegal salary
Master's Degree$73,958
High School Diploma or Less$67,036
Bachelor's Degree$74,492
Doctorate Degree$77,461
Some College/ Associate Degree$68,639

Real estate paralegal 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.