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Lawyer Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a lawyer. Lawyers usually study law, legal research and advanced professional studies, or political science. 51% of lawyers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 3,330 real lawyer resumes to see exactly what lawyer education sections show.
The most common colleges for lawyers are the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico and the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico.
There are also many online lawyer courses to help get the education required to be a lawyer.
What education do you need to become a lawyer?
What degree do you need to be a lawyer?
- Bachelor's, 51%
- Doctorate, 26%
- Master's, 15%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a lawyer?
Most common colleges for lawyers
Lawyer Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico | 10.97% |
| University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus | 8.86% |
| National University | 7.17% |
| University of Delaware | 7.17% |
| New York Law School | 5.91% |
Best majors for lawyers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law | 57.7% |
| 2 | Legal Research And Advanced Professional Studies | 9.4% |
| 3 | Political Science | 6.6% |
| 4 | Business | 4.4% |
| 5 | English | 3.1% |
Best colleges for lawyers
The best colleges for lawyers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A lawyer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for lawyers. 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 lawyers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
20 best online courses for lawyers
Advertising Disclosure
1. Legal Tech and the Digital Transformation of Law
The digital revolution changed the way we communicate and trade. Now, it is coming into the world of law. This program will give you a broad overview of the main trends that are affecting the legal industry: - The birth of the legal tech market and the application of technology in law. - The role of artificial intelligence in the automation of the work of lawyers. - Blockchain technology and its impact on the way we sign and execute contracts. - Initiatives to ensure access to justice through...
2. A Law Student's Toolkit
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...
3. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy
A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...
5. European Business Law: Understanding the Fundamentals
The European Union is one of the world’s largest and most important economies. This six week course is the first in a series of three that will provide students with an insight into European Business Law. The series ranges from considering the basic structures and principles of the European Union to focusing on various specialized areas of law. Each course will give the students an understanding of the laws and policies that regulate the internal market of European Union, as well as relevant...
6. An Introduction to American Law
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...
7. English for Business and Law - Contract Law
An English language course for business and law...
9. International Law in Action: A Guide to the International Courts and Tribunals in The Hague
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...
10. American Contract Law II
Course description: Contracts I & II provides a comprehensive overview of contract law in the United States. The course covers most of the key concepts found in a first year law school class. Each lecture is based on one or more common-law cases, integrating legal doctrines with policy discussions. The course also covers key sections from the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs the sale of goods. By the end of the course, the learner should be able to understand: Formation defenses:...
Top 10 most affordable universities for lawyers
The most affordable schools for lawyers are Brigham Young University, florida state university, and university of florida.
If the best universities for lawyers 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 lawyers.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
2. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,656
Cost of Attendance
21,623
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,556
Cost of Attendance
19,434
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Cost of Attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lawyers
The hardest universities for lawyers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for lawyers 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 lawyers 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
5%
SAT Average
1,520
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions Rate
6%
SAT Average
1,517
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lawyers
The easiest schools for lawyers to get into are University of Southern Maine, cleveland state university, and western new england university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lawyer 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 lawyers.
1. University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME • Private
Admissions Rate
85%
SAT Average
1,050
2. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
88%
SAT Average
1,111
3. Western New England University
Springfield, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
85%
SAT Average
1,160
4. Saint Thomas University
Miami Gardens, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
52%
SAT Average
1,031
5. Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
79%
SAT Average
1,196
Average lawyer salary by education level
| Lawyer education level | Lawyer salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $120,199 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025