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Summer clerk education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a summer clerk. Summer clerks usually study law, political science, or business. 69% of summer clerks hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 1,030 real summer clerk resumes to see exactly what summer clerk education sections show.

The most common colleges for summer clerks are the The University of Alabama and the The University of Alabama.

There are also many online summer clerk courses to help get the education required to be a summer clerk.

What education do you need to become a summer clerk?

What degree do you need to be a summer clerk?

The most common degree for summer clerks is bachelor's degree, with 69% of summer clerks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 13% and doctoral degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 69%
  • Doctorate, 13%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a summer clerk?

You should major in law to become a summer clerk. 20% of summer clerks major in law. Other common majors for a summer clerk include political science and business.

Most common colleges for summer clerks

Summer clerks often get their degrees at The University of Alabama, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Emory University. Here are the most common colleges for summer clerks in the US based on their resumes.
Summer clerk common collegePercentages
The University of Alabama8.09%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill8.09%
Emory University7.35%
University of California, Berkeley6.62%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.62%

Best majors for summer clerks

RankMajorPercentages
1Law19.5%
2Political Science17.9%
3Business11.4%
4History7.7%
5Psychology6.7%

Best colleges for summer clerks

The best colleges for summer clerks are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A summer clerk 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 clerks. 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 clerks.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

7. University of Akron

Akron, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,463

Enrollment

13,676

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

20 best online courses for summer clerks

Advertising disclosure

1. Introduction to Intellectual Property

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Intellectual property is the currency of the tech world, with the world’s most valuable intellectual property assets dwarfing the value of their real-world counterparts. Apple’ trademarked brand was valued at over $100 billion as of 2017. J.K. Rowling’s Harry potter franchise has generated over $25 billion to date. But how did the law come to create such enormous value in intangible assets? This course will introduce the various types of U.S. intellectual property: patents, which cover...

2. Intellectual Property Law

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Intellectual property is the currency of the tech world. The pharmaceutical patent for Lipitor generated over $100 billion in revenue, the copyright for the Harry Potter franchise has generated over $25 billion to date, and the trademarked brands of the world’s largest tech companies now eclipse $100 billion in value. But what makes these intangible assets so valuable?\n\nThrough the courses in this specialization, you will learn the differences between the various forms of U.S. intellectual...

3. Effective Legal Office Administration

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4.5
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Effective Legal Office Administration...

4. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy

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4.7
(1,575)

A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...

5. Cloud Computing Law: Data Protection and Cybersecurity

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Vast amounts of personal information are processed in the cloud. But who is legally responsible for such ‘personal data’ in cloud environments? What duties do cloud providers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have? And what rights can you, as an individual, exercise under data protection law? If you’d like to find out, then this course is for you! First, we’ll look at how the European Union’s ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ (‘GDPR’) regulates the processing of personal data in cloud...

6. Intellectual Property in the Healthcare Industry

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This course begins with an overview of general intellectual property law in the United States, then examines how the policy choices behind those laws shapes the behavior of major players in the healthcare industry. We will examine how patents and trademarks shape the behavior of pharmaceutical companies, and how complex issues involving medical research in university settings, and ownership of genetic information and material, are resolved by intellectual property laws. The course concludes...

7. Company Law: A Comprehensive Summary

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4.6
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An in-depth summary of Company Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations...

8. English for Business and Law - Contract Law

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4.5
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An English language course for business and law...

9. An Introduction to American Law

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This course will give you a glimpse into six different areas of American law: Tort Law, Contract Law, Property, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure. You will gain insight into the complexities and dilemmas that arise from the application of law in different settings, and what is distinctive about American approaches...

10. Healthcare Law

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This Specialization is designed to help you navigate the complex legal framework that governs modern health systems. You will learn the fundamentals of American health law, then explore how privacy law shapes the relationship between healthcare providers and their patients. You will also learn how intellectual property law influences everything from the pharmaceutical industry, to medical research, to cutting-edge ethical issues involved in emerging technologies such as DNA-testing. Finally,...

11. Intellectual Property Security Awareness

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4.8
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How to Use Social Media without Infringing on Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets and Patents...

12. The Guide To Office & Industrial Real Estate Investing

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How To Analyze Office and Industrial Real Estate Investments For Smarter Investing...

13. Privacy Law and Data Protection

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What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...

14. A Law Student's Toolkit

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Whether you are an advanced law student looking to review the basics, or an aspiring law student looking for head start, this course will help you build the foundation you will need to succeed in law school and beyond. This course will introduce you to terminology, concepts, and tools lawyers and legal academics use to make their arguments. It will help you follow these arguments—and make arguments of your own. This course consists of a series of short lectures and assignments. A reading list...

15. Criminal Law in 120 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

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A 2 hour fast track summary of Criminal Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

16. Law: A Comprehensive Summary for LLB Students

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An essential 24 hours of Video Lectures, Spider Graphs and Case Summaries made to guide LLB students preparing for exams...

17. International Law in Action: A Guide to the International Courts and Tribunals in The Hague

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International Law in Action explains the functions of each international court and tribunal present in The Hague, and it looks at how these institutions address contemporary problems. On the basis of selected cases, and through interviews with judges and lawyers, you will explore the role of these courts and tribunals and their potential to contribute to global justice. The first module of the course will investigate how judicial settlement is different from other more political forms of...

18. Law of Contracts in 60 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

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4
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A 60 minute fast track summary of the Law of Contracts, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

19. Legal English

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4.5
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Legal language and communication skills...

20. Effectively Lease Commercial Real Estate Properties

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Learn how to lease industrial, office, and retail properties with ease...

Top 10 most affordable universities for summer clerks

The most affordable schools for summer clerks are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for summer clerks 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 clerks.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for summer clerks

The hardest universities for summer clerks to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for summer clerks 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 clerks 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for summer clerks

The easiest schools for summer clerks to get into are Barry University, university of north texas at dallas, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a summer clerk 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 clerks.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

8. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. Lewis-Clark State College

Lewiston, ID • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,009

Average summer clerk salary by education level

According to our data, summer clerks with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $35,107 annually. Summer clerks with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $34,546.
Summer clerk education levelSummer clerk salary
Master's Degree$35,107
High School Diploma or Less$32,975
Bachelor's Degree$34,546
Some College/ Associate Degree$33,606

Summer clerk 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.

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