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Tax attorney education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a tax attorney. Tax attorneys usually study law, accounting, or taxation. 42% of tax attorneys hold a doctoral degree, and 39% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 405 real tax attorney resumes to see exactly what tax attorney education sections show.
The most common colleges for tax attorneys are the New York Law School and the New York Law School.
There are also many online tax attorney courses to help get the education required to be a tax attorney.
What education do you need to become a tax attorney?
What degree do you need to be a tax attorney?
- Doctorate, 42%
- Bachelor's, 39%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become a tax attorney?
- Law, 38%
- Accounting, 14%
- Taxation, 10%
- Other Majors, 30%
Most common colleges for tax attorneys
| Tax attorney common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York Law School | 11.90% |
| University of Florida | 7.14% |
| Boston University | 7.14% |
| New York University | 7.14% |
| Georgetown University | 5.95% |
Best majors for tax attorneys
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law | 37.8% |
| 2 | Accounting | 14.4% |
| 3 | Taxation | 10.2% |
| 4 | Legal Research And Advanced Professional Studies | 8.4% |
| 5 | Business | 6.9% |
Best colleges for tax attorneys
The best colleges for tax attorneys are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A tax attorney with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for tax attorneys. 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 tax attorneys.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$50,226
Enrollment
10,873
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for tax attorneys
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16. Audit - Financial Statement
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17. S Corporation Income Tax - Form 1120S
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18. GST: The Goods and Services Tax Certificate Course
A GST Course for Beginners to learn the basics of GST, GST filing, Registration, ITC Returns and Taxation...
19. QuickBooks Payroll - QuickBooks Online
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20. Tax & Adjusting Entry Year-End Accounting Excel Worksheet
Build Excel worksheet for adjusting adjusting & tax entries, reconciling net income calculated on a book and tax basis...
Top 10 most affordable universities for tax attorneys
The most affordable schools for tax attorneys are Florida International University, brigham young university, and university of florida.
If the best universities for tax attorneys 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 tax attorneys.
1. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
8. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
San Juan, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
11,299
9. University of Missouri - Kansas City
Kansas City, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$8,178
Cost of attendance
20,934
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Cost of attendance
25,228
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for tax attorneys
The hardest universities for tax attorneys to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for tax attorneys 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 tax attorneys 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for tax attorneys
The easiest schools for tax attorneys to get into are University of Baltimore, suffolk university, and widener university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a tax attorney 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 tax attorneys.
1. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
2. Suffolk University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,131
3. Widener University
Chester, PA • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,115
4. Saint Thomas University
Miami Gardens, FL • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
1,031
5. Pace University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
76%
SAT average
1,154
6. Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL • Private
Admissions rate
79%
SAT average
1,196
7. University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,050
8. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
9. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,111
10. Western New England University
Springfield, MA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,160
Average tax attorney salary by education level
| Tax attorney education level | Tax attorney salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $88,631 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025