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Although a bachelor’s degree is not nec­es­sary to obtain an intern­ship or an entry-lev­el role as a para­le­gal, you should be aware that it is nec­es­sary for posi­tions in a gov­ern­ment agency, cor­po­rate legal depart­ments, and some law firms. A law firm may offer an intern­ship if you have an associate’s degree, but may require a bachelor’s degree for more advanced roles or to move into a per­ma­nent posi­tion with­in the firm. Keep in mind that stan­dards for pri­vate com­pa­nies and law firms may vary wide­ly based on the needs and stan­dards of the firm.

To rank the best tra­di­tion­al legal stud­ies degree pro­gram, Bachelor’s Degree Cen­ter went to the source – the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion. For our ini­tial pool, we select­ed only accred­it­ed, ABA-approved para­le­gal and legal stud­ies bachelor’s degrees. (To be clear, the ABA only approves on-cam­pus degree pro­grams – not online.). In the final rank­ing, para­le­gal bach­e­lor degree pro­grams are judged by five criteria:

  • Cost
  • Grad­u­a­tion Rate
  • Job Place­ment Rate
  • Salary Poten­tial
  • Stu­dent Reviews

Data is drawn from IPEDS, Col­lege Score­card, and Niche. With these five fac­tors, stu­dents can trust they are get­ting a sol­id return on investment.

1. Auburn University

Auburn University’s BA in Legal Stud­ies degree pro­gram comes from the Mont­gomery Crim­i­nal Jus­tice Depart­ment. Auburn’s legal stud­ies degree has received approval from the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion (ABA) for the past two decades. Those stu­dents who have com­plet­ed the pro­gram receive an ABA cer­tifi­cate of com­ple­tion. Auburn University’s bach­e­lor degree in Legal Stud­ies pre­pares stu­dents for many legal-relat­ed careers by ensur­ing each stu­dent grad­u­ates with a func­tion­al under­stand­ing of the law.

Auburn Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1856 and is one of two uni­ver­si­ties in the state of Alaba­ma con­sid­ered a flag­ship school. Auburn Uni­ver­si­ty is also a land grant insti­tu­tion of high­er edu­ca­tion. The school’s 1,800+acre col­lege town cam­pus is home to more than 30,000 students.

What We Like: Auburn Uni­ver­si­ty has been rec­og­nized among the best region­al uni­ver­si­ties in the south­ern region by sev­er­al aca­d­e­m­ic over­sight agencies.

2. Quinnipiac University

Quin­nip­i­ac Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BA in Law in Soci­ety degree pro­gram which pre­pares grad­u­ates with a lib­er­al edu­ca­tion with the skills required to suc­ceed in the areas of ana­lyt­ic writ­ing and crit­i­cal think­ing. Quin­nip­i­ac University’s human­i­ties-based legal stud­ies bach­e­lor degree has been approved by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion (ABA). Degree grad­u­ates com­plete an intern­ship sem­i­nar to prac­ti­cal­ly apply the knowl­edge they have gained. Grad­u­ates are pre­pared with the legal skills that can be applied to a cour­t­house set­ting, a law firm, or as part of a gov­ern­men­tal law agency.

Quin­nip­i­ac Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1929. The school’s sub­ur­ban cam­pus is home to more than 10,000 stu­dents study­ing from Quinnipiac’s nine schools/colleges. Quin­nip­i­ac Uni­ver­si­ty is rec­og­nized among the top north­ern region­al universities.

What We Like: Quin­nip­i­ac University’s cam­pus is home to the renowned Quin­nip­i­ac Uni­ver­si­ty Polling Insti­tute, which began as a mar­ket­ing class in the late 1980s.

Pro­gram: BA in Law in Society

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

3. Montclair State University

Mont­clair State Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BA in Jus­tice Stud­ies with a con­cen­tra­tion in Para­le­gal Stud­ies degree pro­gram that has been approved by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion (ABA). Course­work for this legal stud­ies degree includes areas fam­i­ly law, pro­bate, cor­po­rate law, real estate, and crim­i­nal law, among oth­ers. Degree can­di­dates are required to com­plete 120 cred­it units with a min­i­mum Grade Point Aver­age of 2.75; how­ev­er, some spe­cif­ic spe­cial­ties may require addi­tion­al cred­it hours.

Mont­clair State Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1908 as the New Jer­sey State Nor­mal School at Mont­clair. The school’s sub­ur­ban cam­pus cov­ers 500 acres in north­ern New Jer­sey and is home to more than 21,000 stu­dents; this makes Mont­clair State Uni­ver­si­ty the 2nd largest in the Gar­den State. The school oper­ates with eleven colleges/schools that offer more than 275 majors/minor/concentrations.

What We Like: MSU’s cam­pus includes the New Jer­sey School of Con­ser­va­tion in Stokes State Forest.

Pro­gram: BA in Jus­tice Stud­ies: Paralegal

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

4. Grand Valley State University

The School of Crim­i­nal Jus­tice offers Grand Val­ley State University’s BA or BS in Legal Stud­ies degree, both Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion-approved pro­grams. GVSU’s pre­pares stu­dents for a reward­ing career with­in the legal pro­fes­sion work­ing as a para­le­gal or as the first aca­d­e­m­ic leg to becom­ing a Juris Doc­tor. The BS degree requires the com­ple­tion of research and sta­tis­ti­cal method­ol­o­gy. The BA degree does not require the above not­ed but does require stu­dents to become pro­fi­cient in a for­eign lan­guage dur­ing their sec­ond year of schooling.

Grand Val­ley State Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1960; with its first fresh­man class enter­ing in 1963. Grand Val­ley State University’s 1,300+-acre cam­pus is home to near­ly 25,000 stu­dents and is sit­u­at­ed about ten miles west of its down­town Grand Rapids cam­pus. Grand Val­ley State Uni­ver­si­ty offers more than 3,900 study abroad oppor­tu­ni­ties for its students.

What We Like: Grand Val­ley State Uni­ver­si­ty oper­ates addi­tion­al cam­pus­es in Hol­land, Muskegon, Tra­verse City and Detroit, MI, so stu­dents all over the state can ben­e­fit from the on-cam­pus experience.

Pro­gram: BA or BS in Legal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

5. Winona State University

Winona State Uni­ver­si­ty offers a four-year BS in Legal Stud­ies degree pro­gram that pre­pares degree grad­u­ates for careers work­ing for banks, the gov­ern­ment, insur­ance agen­cies, and law firms. The Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion (ABA) approved bach­e­lor degree in legal stud­ies pro­gram requires the com­ple­tion of 120 cred­it hours, which cul­mi­nates in a semes­ter-long intern­ship pri­or to graduation.

Winona State Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished as a pub­lic insti­tu­tion of high­er edu­ca­tion in 1858. The school’s small city cam­pus is home to near­ly 10,000 stu­dents study­ing from near­ly 80 dif­fer­ent under­grad­u­ate and grad­u­ate degree programs.

What We Like: Winona State Uni­ver­si­ty was found­ed as a nor­mal school and holds the dis­tinc­tion of being the old­est mem­ber school with­in the Min­neso­ta State Col­leges and Uni­ver­si­ties Sys­tem and the first school west of the Mis­sis­sip­pi Riv­er to oper­ate from tax funding.

Pro­gram: BS in Legal Studies

6. Ball State University

Ball State Uni­ver­si­ty offers either a BA or a BS in Legal Stud­ies degree pro­gram that is Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion-approved. Degree grad­u­ates are pre­pared for reward­ing careers in dis­pute res­o­lu­tion, con­sti­tu­tion­al law, criminal/civil law, and busi­ness law, among oth­ers. Ball State University’s legal stud­ies bach­e­lor degree offers two aca­d­e­m­ic path­ways to degree can­di­dates — The Pub­lic Law path­way or the Busi­ness pathway.

Ball State Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1918. Ball State Uni­ver­si­ty oper­ates with the main cam­pus in Muncie and two addi­tion­al facil­i­ties in Indi­anapo­lis and Fish­ers, IN. The school’s 1,100+-acre cam­pus is home to more than 22,000 stu­dents study­ing from 330-degree pro­grams offered at the bac­calau­re­ate, mas­ter’s, and doc­tor­al levels.

What We Like: Ball State University’s Owsley Art Muse­um is home to more than 10,000 works of art with an esti­mat­ed val­ue that exceeds $38 mil­lion dollars.

Pro­gram: BA or BS in Legal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

7. Loyola University Chicago

Loy­ola Uni­ver­si­ty Chicago’s Insti­tute for Para­le­gal Stud­ies offers a BA in Para­le­gal Stud­ies degree pro­gram that has received approval by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion (ABA). These legal stud­ies degree pro­grams require are a great segue towards a Juris Doc­tor degree. The pro­gram offers a Lit­i­ga­tion and Cor­po­rate Track that pre­pares grad­u­ates to assist attor­neys to pre­pare for a case tri­al. Degree can­di­dates are required to com­plete a min­i­mum of 120 cred­it hours offers through eight-week segments.

Loy­ola Uni­ver­si­ty Chica­go was estab­lished in 1870. The school is affil­i­at­ed with the Roman Catholic Church. The school’s urban cam­pus is home to more than 16,000 stu­dents study­ing from among more than 225 under­grad­u­ate and grad­u­ate degrees offers by the university’s 11 schools/colleges. US News and World Report rec­og­nize Loy­ola Uni­ver­si­ty Chica­go as a best-val­ue school.

What We Like: Loy­ola Uni­ver­si­ty Chica­go holds the dis­tinc­tion of being one of the largest Catholic insti­tu­tions of high­er learn­ing in the nation.

Pro­gram: BA in Para­le­gal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

8. University of La Verne

The Uni­ver­si­ty of La Verne offers a Bach­e­lor Degree in Legal Stud­ies major degree pro­gram that has received approval from the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion (ABA). The Uni­ver­si­ty of La Verne’s legal stud­ies degree pro­gram allows for trans­fer cred­its that meet its cri­te­ria. Degree grad­u­ates must com­plete 128 cred­it hours to grad­u­ate. Cours­es are offered in the evenings and each class meets once per week.

Mem­bers of the Ger­man Chris­t­ian Church estab­lished the Uni­ver­si­ty of La Verne as Lords­burg Col­lege in 1891. The Uni­ver­si­ty of La Verne is a pri­vate insti­tu­tion of high­er learn­ing that oper­ates with four schools cov­er­ing Business/Public Man­age­ment, Edu­ca­tion Law and Arts & Sci­ences. More than 8,000 stu­dents study on the main cam­pus, online, or among the sev­en loca­tions and two mil­i­tary satel­lite facilities.

What We Like: Legal stud­ies stu­dents must com­plete a 90-hour intern­ship pri­or to graduating.

Pro­gram: Legal Stud­ies Major

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

9. Lewis University

Lewis University’s Jus­tice Law and Pub­lic Safe­ty Stud­ies (JLPSS) offers a Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) in Legal Stud­ies degree pro­gram that has been approved by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion (ABA). Lewis Uni­ver­si­ty also offers a legal stud­ies bach­e­lor degree accel­er­at­ed option that pro­vides the flex­i­bil­i­ty and con­ve­nience work­ing learn­ers need to com­plete their stud­ies. Bac­calau­re­ate lev­el degree pro­grams at Lewis Uni­ver­si­ty require the com­ple­tion of 128 cred­it hours and a practicum/capstone project.

Lewis Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1932 and is affil­i­at­ed with the Roman Catholic Lasal­lians Church and found­ed by Chicago’s Arch­dio­cese. The school’s sub­ur­ban cam­pus is home to more than 4,600 stu­dents study­ing from more than 100 grad­u­ate and under­grad­u­ate degrees. Lewis Uni­ver­si­ty oper­ates with five schools/colleges in the areas of busi­ness, edu­ca­tion, health pro­fes­sions, pro­fes­sion­al and arts & sciences.

What We Like: Pro­fes­sion­als work­ing for the state of Illi­nois can receive a 100% tuition dis­count if they are approved for the Upward Mobil­i­ty Program.

Pro­gram: BA in Legal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

10. St John’s University

The Col­lege of Pro­fes­sion­al Stud­ies offers St John’s University’s ABA-approved BS in Legal Stud­ies degree pro­gram, which requires the com­ple­tion of 120 cred­it units to grad­u­ate. Grad­u­ates enter the work­force pre­pared for reward­ing posi­tions in the state and fed­er­al gov­ern­ments, court sys­tems or pri­vate law firms of any size. St John’s Uni­ver­si­ty also offers a three-year Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence in Legal Stud­ies degree pro­gram. St John’s Uni­ver­si­ty offers the tra­di­tion­al legal stud­ies pro­gram on their Queens or Stat­en Island campus.

St John’s Uni­ver­si­ty is a pri­vate insti­tu­tion of high­er learn­ing that was estab­lished in 1870. St John’s Uni­ver­si­ty is affil­i­at­ed with the Vin­cent­ian Catholic Church. St John’s University’s main urban cam­pus in Queens is home to more than to a large por­tion of the school’s total enroll­ment of more than 21,000.

What We Like: St John’s Uni­ver­si­ty oper­ates inter­na­tion­al loca­tions in Rome Italy, Lim­er­ick, Ire­land and Paris, France.

Pro­gram: BS in Legal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

11. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Indi­ana Uni­ver­si­ty-Pur­due Uni­ver­si­ty Indianapolis’s BA in Legal Stud­ies degree pro­gram has received approval from the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion (ABA). Degree can­di­dates must com­plete a total of 120 cred­it units to grad­u­ate; with 33 cred­its ded­i­cat­ed to the para­le­gal realm. Course­work cov­ers the many facets of law and includes Lit­i­ga­tion for Para­le­gals, Legal Research, Tort and Con­tract Law, and the Phi­los­o­phy of Law, to name just a few.

Indi­ana University/Purdue Uni­ver­si­ty Indi­anapo­lis was estab­lished in 1969. IUPUI is a mem­ber cam­pus of Indi­ana Uni­ver­si­ty but also has the abil­i­ty to offer Purdue’s degrees. IUPUI offers more than 220-degree pro­grams through its 18 schools/colleges. The school’s 500+-acre cam­pus is sit­u­at­ed on a penin­su­la that abuts the city of Indi­anapo­lis and is home to more than 30,000 students.

What We Like: Addi­tion­al­ly, the IUPUI legal stud­ies bach­e­lor degree pro­gram is also a part of the AAf­PE — the Amer­i­can Asso­ci­a­tion for Para­le­gal Education.

Pro­gram: BA in Para­le­gal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

12. Ursuline College

Ursu­line Col­lege offers a BA in Legal Stud­ies degree pro­gram that has been approved by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion (ABA) — the only pro­gram in the greater Cleve­land met­ro­pol­i­tan area to receive ABA approval. Stu­dents grad­u­ate pre­pared to solve legal dilem­mas with excep­tion­al research skills and crit­i­cal think­ing; under the direct super­vi­sion of a licensed attor­ney. Degree grad­u­ates are required to com­plete a first-year sem­i­nar and a cul­mi­nat­ing cap­stone seminar.

Ursu­line Col­lege was estab­lished in 1871 and is affil­i­at­ed with the Roman Catholic Church. Its founders were the Ursu­line Sis­ters of Cleve­land. Cleve­land is locat­ed about ten miles to the west of Ursuline’s cam­pus. The school’s stu­dent enroll­ment exceeds 1,100. These stu­dents study from more than 35 under­grad­u­ate and grad­u­ate degree programs.

What We Like: Ursu­line Col­lege was the first Catholic col­lege in Ohio strict­ly devot­ed to women, and remains com­mit­ted to launch­ing women into pro­fes­sion­al lead­er­ship in all fields.

Pro­gram: BA in Legal Studies

13. University of Southern Mississippi

The Uni­ver­si­ty of South­ern Mississippi’s BA in Para­le­gal Stud­ies degree pro­gram comes from the School of Social Sci­ence & Glob­al Stud­ies and is approved by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion — the old­est para­le­gal pro­gram in the state of Mis­sis­sip­pi to receive ABA approval. Degree can­di­dates study­ing for USM’s bach­e­lor degree in legal stud­ies must com­plete 124 cred­it hours; of which thir­ty-nine cred­its can be applied towards a rel­e­vant internship.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of South­ern Mis­sis­sip­pi was estab­lished as a pub­lic insti­tu­tion of high­er edu­ca­tion in 1910 as a teacher’s train­ing ‘nor­mal’ school. The schools’ urban cam­pus is home to near­ly 15,000 stu­dents study­ing from the more than 185-degree pro­grams at the under­grad­u­ate, grad­u­ate and doc­tor­al aca­d­e­m­ic lev­els. The school oper­ates with four colleges/schools in the areas of busi­ness, health pro­fes­sions, edu­ca­tion and arts & sciences.

What We Like: The Uni­ver­si­ty of South­ern Mississippi’s is approx­i­mate­ly equidis­tant between Gulf­port, MS and New Orleans for a vari­ety of career opportunities.

Pro­gram: BA in Paralegal

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

14. National University

The BS in Para­le­gal Stud­ies offered by Nation­al Uni­ver­si­ty in La Jol­la CA gives stu­dents who want a legal stud­ies degree the option to pur­sue one of the most pop­u­lar pro­grams in the field. This pro­gram is approved by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion and gives stu­dents the skills and tools they need to become suc­cess­ful Para­le­gals upon com­ple­tion of the pro­gram. Stu­dents will gain the skills to inves­ti­gate and iden­ti­fy promi­nent legal issues with­in their field and con­duct research as a part of their legal stud­ies Bach­e­lor degree that they are pursuing.

At Nation­al Uni­ver­si­ty, stu­dents have the option to pur­sue either the online for­mat or in-class option. Nation­al Uni­ver­si­ty holds accred­i­ta­tion through the WASC Senior Col­lege and Uni­ver­si­ty Commission.

What We Like: With its found­ing hav­ing mil­i­tary roots, it is one of the most mil­i­tary-friend­ly insti­tu­tions across the nation and is a Yel­low-Rib­bon school that accepts the GI Bill for mil­i­tary students.

Pro­gram: BS in Para­le­gal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

15. Texas A&M University-Commerce

For stu­dents resid­ing in Texas and seek­ing to enter the legal field pro­fes­sion­al­ly, the BA or BS in Para­le­gal Stud­ies at Texas A&M Uni­ver­si­ty-Com­merce reigns supreme. When work­ing under­neath an attor­ney or in a law firm of any field, there are cer­tain skills that these indi­vid­u­als must have in order to be suc­cess­ful. TAMUC’s stan­dard cur­ricu­lum has this pro­gram list­ed as one of the lead­ing bach­e­lor degree in legal studies.

A uni­ver­si­ty that has been in exis­tence for over a cen­tu­ry, Texas A&M Uni­ver­si­ty-Com­merce has been pro­vid­ing aca­d­e­m­ic excel­lence to its stu­dents since the begin­ning. Because of its ongo­ing suc­cess, this insti­tu­tion has con­tin­ued on to have numer­ous loca­tions through­out the state of Texas, as well as offer online pro­grams for stu­dents out­side of these areas.

What We Like: TAMUC’s pro­gram is approved by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion and gives grad­u­ates the option to gain their Para­le­gal certification.

Pro­gram: BA or BS in Para­le­gal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

16. Madonna University

Offer­ing a BS in Para­le­gal Stud­ies, Madon­na Uni­ver­si­ty offers a pro­gram that can be accel­er­at­ed and com­plet­ed to fit the needs of the stu­dents. This approved pro­gram holds recog­ni­tion by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion and is taught by fac­ul­ty that is expe­ri­enced in the field. Because of this require­ment of excel­lence, many stu­dents are seek­ing this pro­gram out as a con­tender for a legal stud­ies degree.

At Madon­na Uni­ver­si­ty, stu­dents receive an accred­it­ed edu­ca­tion, as the High­er Learn­ing Com­mis­sion has ver­i­fied the aca­d­e­m­ic pro­grams. This insti­tu­tion is also a Chris­t­ian-based insti­tu­tion, which is essen­tial for many stu­dents to con­sid­er when pur­su­ing their edu­ca­tion. Among the mis­sion of Madon­na Uni­ver­si­ty is the mis­sion that requires stu­dents to have respect for each oth­er and embrace the aca­d­e­m­ic truths to serve.

What We Like: Law firms in the Mid­west embrace Madonna’s pro­gram due to pre­vi­ous grad­u­ates who have gone to become suc­cess­ful in their career field.

Pro­gram: BS in Para­le­gal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

17. Daemen College

Stu­dents seek­ing to pur­sue a career in law should con­sid­er the BS in Para­le­gal Stud­ies at Dae­men Col­lege. When review­ing the ben­e­fits of the pro­gram, stu­dents find that it is approved by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion, which means that the cur­ricu­lum and aca­d­e­m­ic stan­dards exceed oth­er insti­tu­tions. Because of this ser­vice to the stu­dents, many find this pro­gram to be one of the most ben­e­fi­cial legal stud­ies bach­e­lor degree options.

Locat­ed in Amherst NY, Dae­men Col­lege was found­ed in 1947 as an all-women insti­tu­tion. Since its ori­gin, the col­lege has moved to be a co-edu­ca­tion­al insti­tu­tion. Dae­mon Col­lege has become a real sta­ple in the local com­mu­ni­ty, part­ner­ing with local orga­ni­za­tions and dis­tricts to give back and have their stu­dents a part of local service.

What We Like: Daemen’s fac­ul­ty are also always work­ing to men­tor their stu­dents, assist­ing them with find­ing intern­ships in their field for the expe­ri­ence upon graduation.

Pro­gram: BS in Para­le­gal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

18. Widener University

At Widen­er Uni­ver­si­ty, the Delaware Law School offers a Bach­e­lors in Legal Stud­ies that ranks high among its com­pet­i­tive pro­grams. This pro­gram holds recog­ni­tion by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion and pre­pares stu­dents who want to con­tin­ue their edu­ca­tion in the legal field for grad­u­ate school. Stu­dents can take their pro­gram a step fur­ther with the fol­low­ing con­cen­tra­tions; health law, lit­i­ga­tion, cor­po­rate law, estate admin­is­tra­tion law, crim­i­nal law, and intel­lec­tu­al prop­er­ty law. Because of these excel­lent stan­dards, many stu­dents are pur­su­ing this pop­u­lar bach­e­lor degree in Legal Studies.

At Widen­er Uni­ver­si­ty, the Delaware Law School holds recog­ni­tion for all of its pro­grams with the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion. They also hold pres­ti­gious mem­ber­ship with the Asso­ci­a­tion of Amer­i­can Law Schools and also the Inter­na­tion­al Asso­ci­a­tion of Law Schools, pro­vid­ing the pro­gram with inter­na­tion­al rep­u­ta­tion and recognition.

What We Like: Stu­dents who grad­u­ate from Widener’s pro­gram have the option to receive their Para­le­gal certification.

Pro­gram: Bach­e­lor’s in Legal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

19. Stevenson University

A pop­u­lar pro­gram that is grow­ing on the East Coast is the BS in Legal Stud­ies offered at Steven­son Uni­ver­si­ty. This pro­gram was cul­ti­vat­ed to pro­vide stu­dents the nec­es­sary skills and tools they need to be suc­cess­ful, while main­tain­ing their sta­tus as work­ing adults. This pro­gram is flex­i­ble to the needs of stu­dents who are enrolled in their pro­gram, and also holds approval from the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion. Because of its flex­i­bil­i­ty for its stu­dents, this is one of the most sought-after legal stud­ies degree.

Steven­son Uni­ver­si­ty online is based out of Owings Mills MD. Their accred­i­ta­tion includes the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion, and the Com­mis­sion on High­er Edu­ca­tion, Mid­dle States Asso­ci­a­tion of Col­leges and Universities.

What We Like: As one of the lead­ing online uni­ver­si­ties in Mary­land, Steven­son Uni­ver­si­ty has been active­ly grow­ing since 2012, and has a diver­si­fied stu­dent body to reflect the inclu­sive nature of their program.

Pro­gram: BS in Legal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

20. Bay Path University

Pur­su­ing a BA or BS in Legal Stud­ies from Bay Path Uni­ver­si­ty is essen­tial for stu­dents who want to achieve a pro­gram that will pro­vide tools from research and inves­ti­ga­tion to com­mu­ni­ca­tion and legal writ­ing as just a few of what is to be gained from this pro­gram. Once a stu­dent has grad­u­at­ed from this pro­gram, they will have the skills to enter the work­force at that time or con­tin­ue their edu­ca­tion on to grad­u­ate school. Because of this aca­d­e­m­ic rich­ness, stu­dents in the New Eng­land area are look­ing at this pro­gram as one of the bet­ter options for legal stud­ies bach­e­lor degree.

Bay Path Uni­ver­si­ty, locat­ed in Long­mead­ow MA, holds an accred­i­ta­tion from the New Eng­land Com­mis­sion of High­er Edu­ca­tion, as well as the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion. Oth­er pro­grams in Bay Path Uni­ver­si­ty also hold a vari­ety of spe­cial­ized accred­i­ta­tions based upon their cur­ricu­lum and aca­d­e­m­ic standards.

What We Like: Bay Path has a long his­to­ry as a women’s col­lege, and remains com­mit­ted to edu­ca­tion­al excel­lence and career oppor­tu­ni­ty for women in pro­fes­sion­al roles.

Pro­gram: BA or BS in Legal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

21. Mount St Joseph University

At Mount St Joseph Uni­ver­si­ty, stu­dents can major in Legal Stud­ies and receive an Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion-approved Bach­e­lor degree in Legal Stud­ies. The cur­ricu­lum of this pro­gram pre­pares stu­dents for the Para­le­gal exam, mak­ing this cer­ti­fi­ca­tion an option, as well. Stu­dents are able to take one of three paths to pur­sue their edu­ca­tion, mak­ing it flex­i­ble and a friend­ly pro­gram to all of the stu­dents enrolled. Because of this flex­i­bil­i­ty and diver­si­ty of the pro­gram, many stu­dents are choos­ing Mount St Joseph Uni­ver­si­ty more often.

The fac­ul­ty at Mount St Joseph Uni­ver­si­ty is more involved than fac­ul­ty at most insti­tu­tions, men­tor­ing and advis­ing their stu­dents. In its found­ing, Mount St Joseph Uni­ver­si­ty began as an all-women insti­tu­tion, but over time, adapt­ed to the needs of the com­mu­ni­ty and became a coed­u­ca­tion­al uni­ver­si­ty. Diver­si­ty is now at the core of the mis­sion, aca­d­e­mics, and pro­grams imple­ment­ed across campus.

What We Like: Mount St. Joseph’s grad­u­ates can also take part in the dual JD degree part­ner­ship with the Uni­ver­si­ty of Day­ton, fin­ish­ing their bachelor’s and law degree in as lit­tle as 5 years.

Pro­gram: Legal Stud­ies Major

22. Minnesota State University Moorhead

Min­neso­ta stu­dents who want to get ahead in the legal field are pur­su­ing the BS in Para­le­gal offered at Min­neso­ta State Uni­ver­si­ty Moor­head. This pro­gram is rec­og­nized by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion and is grow­ing in mas­sive pop­u­lar­i­ty among stu­dents in the west and Mid­west­ern states. Stu­dents have the option for two sep­a­rate empha­sis direc­tions in their pro­gram; trans­ac­tions empha­sis and lit­i­ga­tion empha­sis. Because of these spe­cial­iza­tions, many stu­dents are choos­ing this pro­gram as their top choice for a Bach­e­lor degree in legal studies.

The Min­neso­ta State Uni­ver­si­ty Moor­head accred­i­ta­tion includes the High­er Learn­ing Com­mis­sion and the North Cen­tral Asso­ci­a­tion of Col­leges and Schools. Excelling aca­d­e­mics at this insti­tu­tion has been instru­men­tal in build­ing its rep­u­ta­tion over the years and gain­ing respect from the var­i­ous spe­cial­ized accred­i­ta­tions that pro­grams beyond legal stud­ies have received.

What We Like: Two empha­sis options allow MSUM stu­dents to gain a spe­cial­ty, mak­ing them more mar­ketable when pur­su­ing employment.

Pro­gram: BS in Paralegal

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

23. Hilbert College

A pro­gram that focus­es its legal stud­ies in a tra­di­tion­al cur­ricu­lum is the BS in Legal Stud­ies from Hilbert Col­lege. For sev­er­al years, this pro­gram has been rec­og­nized by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion, and stu­dents have been able to find gain­ful employ­ment fol­low­ing grad­u­a­tion. With near­ly 90 per­cent of grad­u­ates either enrolled in grad­u­ate school or employed, the return on invest­ment for this degree is pos­i­tive, allow­ing it to gain ground as one of the most appre­ci­at­ed legal stud­ies degree.

At Hilbert Col­lege, the mis­sion and val­ues were found­ed as a pri­vate and Catholic insti­tu­tion in 1957. Since that time, the cam­pus has con­tin­ued to grow in con­junc­tion with the stu­dent body and pro­gram diver­si­ty. This insti­tu­tion does hold region­al accred­i­ta­tion through the Mid­dle States Com­mis­sion on High­er Education.

What We Like: Near­ly 90% of grad­u­ates from Hilbert’s Legal Stud­ies pro­gram are employed or enrolled in grad­u­ate school at the time of graduation.

Pro­gram: BS in Legal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

24. University of New Haven

Pur­su­ing a BS in Legal Stud­ies at the Uni­ver­si­ty of New Haven has nev­er been more afford­able or flex­i­ble. With this pro­gram, stu­dents are able to pur­sue a degree they desire at an afford­able tuition rate. Finan­cial aid and schol­ar­ship options are also avail­able. Dur­ing their stud­ies, stu­dents will take cours­es that include legal research and writ­ing, legal inves­ti­ga­tion, admin­is­tra­tive law and reg­u­la­tion, and legal ethics among oth­er skills and core areas.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of New Haven is a nation­al­ly rec­og­nized insti­tu­tion for its aca­d­e­mics. Hold­ing one of the high­est recog­ni­tion, the Uni­ver­si­ty of New Haven is list­ed by the Prince­ton Review as one of the top insti­tu­tions in the coun­try, quot­ing their com­mit­ment to their stu­dents’ suc­cess and their ser­vant atti­tude by the administration.

What We Like: UNH’s pro­gram is not only one of the most afford­able legal stud­ies degree, but it is also thor­ough­ly in-depth academically.

Pro­gram: BS in Legal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

25. University of Toledo

For stu­dents look­ing to gain an edu­ca­tion as a Para­le­gal, the BS in Para­le­gal Stud­ies from the Uni­ver­si­ty of Tole­do gives their stu­dents the nec­es­sary skills they need to grad­u­ate and gain sol­id employ­ment as a Para­le­gal or legal assis­tant after grad­u­a­tion. This pro­gram is approved by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion, allow­ing stu­dents to move for­ward with their Para­le­gal cer­ti­fi­ca­tion after pro­gram completion.

Since its found­ing in 1872, the Uni­ver­si­ty of Tole­do has gone through sev­er­al changes, with one of them being that they joined the Ohio state sys­tem in 1967. They do hold nation­al accred­i­ta­tion through the High­er Learn­ing Com­mis­sion, and also spe­cial­ized accred­i­ta­tions for sev­er­al of their pro­grams that are offered. With 13 col­leges offer­ing degree pro­grams, sev­er­al of these pro­grams are nation­al­ly ranked.

What We Like: For stu­dents who want to pur­sue grad­u­ate school, the Uni­ver­si­ty of Tole­do offers a pre-law track that gives stu­dents addi­tion­al skills nec­es­sary for law school.

Pro­gram: BS in Para­le­gal Studies

Click here to learn more about this para­le­gal program!

Legal stud­ies degree jobs for under­grad­u­ates with a bachelor’s degree dif­fer based on your areas of inter­est. When it comes to a list of careers in legal stud­ies, the obvi­ous option is work­ing as a legal assis­tant. If you obtain a bachelor’s degree in legal stud­ies or a bach­e­lor’s degree for para­le­gal stud­ies, you can work under a lawyer as a para­le­gal or in a legal set­ting. You work as the lawyer’s assis­tant by find­ing rel­e­vant infor­ma­tion, work­ing on paper­work, and pro­vid­ing assis­tance as need­ed based on your legal training.

The jobs in legal stud­ies field or indus­try also focus on roles in a cor­po­rate set­ting. You can work as a con­sul­tant for a cor­po­rate busi­ness to address legal con­cerns or to iden­ti­fy poten­tial prob­lems. You may also work with a human resources depart­ment to ensure prop­er com­pli­ance to state and local laws that may apply to the business.

Legal pro­fes­sions and stud­ies at the under­grad­u­ate lev­el also offer oppor­tu­ni­ties to work in law enforce­ment. You can work with a local police depart­ment, state police, or the FBI with an under­grad­u­ate degree. Since you have train­ing in the legal field, you have an under­stand­ing of the laws that may apply to law enforce­ment officers.

After obtain­ing your bachelor’s degree in para­le­gal or legal stud­ies, you can also pur­sue a high­er lev­el of edu­ca­tion and go into law school. The deci­sion to pur­sue a law degree allows you to take on a role as a lawyer when you fin­ish your degree and pass the Bar exam for your state. Keep in mind that you can also work under a lawyer as a para­le­gal or a legal assis­tant while you obtain your law degree if you want to gain expe­ri­ence or work on your career while fin­ish­ing up your education.

Do I Need a Bachelor’s Degree to Become a Paralegal?

Becom­ing a para­le­gal does not mean you need a high lev­el of edu­ca­tion to start in your career. A para­le­gal stud­ies pro­gram will make you more com­pet­i­tive — it’s not a require­ment to work in a law office. The para­le­gal pro­fes­sion in gen­er­al is less reg­u­lat­ed than oth­er areas of law.

When you look up how to become a para­le­gal, you may be sur­prised to find that you do not need a bachelor’s degree for an entry-lev­el posi­tion. A bachelor’s degree offers more oppor­tu­ni­ties for your career, but it is not nec­es­sary to start work­ing as a legal assis­tant or law clerk.

In gen­er­al, you need an associate’s degree in para­le­gal stud­ies or high­er to become a para­le­gal. You may need to take on an intern­ship posi­tion in the legal sys­tem to gain expe­ri­ence before you are hired into a law firm. Full-time para­le­gal careers with just a high school diplo­ma are hard­er to come by.

A bachelor’s degree allows you to obtain bet­ter jobs as a para­le­gal. It is not nec­es­sary to begin a career, but it helps when you want to advance in your career or you plan to take on a gov­ern­ment posi­tion. With elec­tives, you can also spe­cial­ize in areas like civ­il lit­i­ga­tion. The key is clar­i­fy­ing your goals before you final­ize your deci­sion to pur­sue a cer­tain edu­ca­tion level.

It’s worth not­ing, how­ev­er, that the Bureau of Labor Sta­tis­tics (BLS) shows that para­le­gals with a bachelor’s earn more than those with an AAS. A degree shows more com­pe­ten­cy in legal ser­vices, and can help devel­op com­mu­ni­ca­tion skills, writ­ing skills, and oth­er fun­da­men­tals that a para­le­gal pro­fes­sion­al needs. With stronger skills come more career options.

When you are look­ing for the best para­le­gal pro­grams for your under­grad­u­ate degree, you want to find a pro­gram that meets or exceeds a cer­tain stan­dard of edu­ca­tion. The ide­al stan­dard to con­sid­er for legal stud­ies or para­le­gal pro­grams in a col­lege or uni­ver­si­ty is approval from the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion, or ABA.

ABA approved para­le­gal degrees meet the high stan­dards set by the Amer­i­can Bar Asso­ci­a­tion in rela­tion to your edu­ca­tion. It means that the school is accred­it­ed and offers the lev­el of edu­ca­tion you need to assist a lawyer or work in a law firm. By look­ing into ABA approval of para­le­gal pro­grams, you can feel con­fi­dent that your school is appro­pri­ate for your studies.

A key rea­son to con­sid­er the accred­i­ta­tion of a para­le­gal pro­gram is the oppor­tu­ni­ties for get­ting into law school. If you want to study law, then you need to have an approved pro­gram that qual­i­fies for law school. The eas­i­est way to qual­i­fy for a law school pro­gram is to attend an under­grad­u­ate pro­gram that is ABA approved and gives you a strong foun­da­tion in legal stud­ies. After ensur­ing that your school is accred­it­ed, you can then look into the details of the pro­gram and clar­i­fy if the school offers spe­cial­ized stud­ies or gives stu­dents a broad edu­ca­tion in legal stud­ies. Look for a school that helps you reach your goals for your career and meets the ABA stan­dards for accreditation.

Relat­ed Rankings:

15 Best Online Para­le­gal Degree Bach­e­lor’s Pro­grams
10 Fastest Online Para­le­gal Degree Bach­e­lor’s Pro­grams
10 Most Afford­able Para­le­gal Degree Bach­e­lor Programs