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Senior legal assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior legal assistant. Senior legal assistants usually study business, legal support services, or criminal justice. 55% of senior legal assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,005 real senior legal assistant resumes to see exactly what senior legal assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior legal assistants are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online senior legal assistant courses to help get the education required to be a senior legal assistant.
There are certain senior legal assistant certifications that you should consider. These senior legal assistant certifications include Certified Paralegal/Certified Legal Assistant (CP/CLA) and Professional Legal Secretary (PLS).
What education do you need to become a senior legal assistant?
What degree do you need to be a senior legal assistant?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Associate, 21%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 13%
What should I major in to become a senior legal assistant?
- Business, 21%
- Criminal Justice, 8%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for senior legal assistants
| Senior legal assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 6.71% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.71% |
| University of Florida | 6.04% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.04% |
| University of Houston | 6.04% |
Best majors for senior legal assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 20.8% |
| 2 | Legal Support Services | 17.7% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 8.0% |
| 4 | Political Science | 8.0% |
| 5 | Law | 7.5% |
Best colleges for senior legal assistants
The best colleges for senior legal assistants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A senior legal assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior legal assistants. 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 senior legal assistants.
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Texas Wesleyan University
Fort Worth, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$30,300
Enrollment
1,445
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
8. Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$41,290
Enrollment
2,077
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
20 best online courses for senior legal assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior legal assistants
The most affordable schools for senior legal assistants are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for senior legal assistants 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 senior legal assistants.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior legal assistants
The hardest universities for senior legal assistants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for senior legal assistants 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 senior legal assistants 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
10. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior legal assistants
The easiest schools for senior legal assistants to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior legal assistant 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 senior legal assistants.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Manor College
Jenkintown, PA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
898
6. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average senior legal assistant salary by education level
| Senior legal assistant education level | Senior legal assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,371 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $50,068 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,781 |
| Doctorate Degree | $58,060 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,295 |
Senior legal assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025