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Summer associate education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a summer associate. Summer associates usually study law, political science, or business. 72% of summer associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 13,115 real summer associate resumes to see exactly what summer associate education sections show.
The most common colleges for summer associates are the Cornell University and the Cornell University.
There are also many online summer associate courses to help get the education required to be a summer associate.
There are certain summer associate certifications that you should consider. These summer associate certifications include Certified International Trade Law Specialist (CITLS) and Certified Legal Secretary Specialist: Intellectual Property (CL§).
What education do you need to become a summer associate?
What degree do you need to be a summer associate?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Doctorate, 13%
- Master's, 12%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a summer associate?
- Law, 18%
- Political Science, 18%
- Business, 9%
- Finance, 9%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for summer associates
| Summer associate common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Cornell University | 7.73% |
| New York University | 7.68% |
| Georgetown University | 6.90% |
| University of California - Davis | 5.55% |
| University of Virginia | 5.13% |
Best majors for summer associates
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law | 18.0% |
| 2 | Political Science | 17.5% |
| 3 | Business | 9.3% |
| 4 | Finance | 8.7% |
| 5 | Economics | 7.4% |
Best colleges for summer associates
The best colleges for summer associates are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
A summer associate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for summer associates. 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 summer associates.
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
20 best online courses for summer associates
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Top 10 most affordable universities for summer associates
The most affordable schools for summer associates are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and florida international university.
If the best universities for summer associates 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 summer associates.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for summer associates
The hardest universities for summer associates to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for summer associates 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 summer associates 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for summer associates
The easiest schools for summer associates to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a summer associate 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 summer associates.
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. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
9. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
10. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
Average summer associate salary by education level
| Summer associate education level | Summer associate salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,636 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $40,670 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,366 |
| Doctorate Degree | $54,518 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $42,666 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025