Paralegal Schools

There are 881 accredited paralegal schools in the country. As a professor or instructor of paralegal classes at one of these schools, you play a fundamental role in shaping the future of this growing field. Below are charts, statistics and analysis of the trends in paralegal academia which includes paralegal training at the following levels:

  • Paralegal Certificate
  • Associates degree in Paralegal
  • Bachelors degree in Paralegal
  • Masters degree in Paralegal

Statistics

Professional Trends

National Employment growth for Paralegals

497,600 507,450 510,850 491,190 476,640
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
  • Dark Yellow: Actual Values

476,640 paralegals were working in the US in the year 2010. The number of paralegals has shrunk by 4% between 2006 and 2010.

This decline is faster than the growth for all careers during the same time period. There was a 1% decline for all careers. Until 2018 this trend is expected to contine.

National Salary percentiles for Paralegals

10th percentile		 $27,900
25th percentile		 $34,255
50th percentile		 $44,090
75th percentile		 $56,310
90th percentile		 $69,625

Paralegals in the US earned a median salary of $44,090 per year in 2010. This is 32% less than the national median salary for all professions, which was $68,155 per year.

National Median Salary Growth For Paralegal

$40,615 $41,900 $42,990 $44,030 $44,090
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
  • Light Blue: Salaries

Paralegals' salaries have grown by 9% between the years 2006 and 2010.

Educational Trends

National Paralegal Student enrollment growth by degree

9,157 9,343 8,535 8,228 8,937
1,313 1,482 1,603 1,646 1,692
0 0 0 0 0
35 35 32 57 69
578 3,819 3,769 4,075 4,125
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
  • Yellow: Associate's Degree in Paralegal
  • Blue: Bachelor's Degree in Paralegal
  • Red: Doctorates Degree in Paralegal
  • Light blue: Master's Degree in Paralegal
  • Grey: Certificate in Paralegal

We are seeing a rapid change in the career outlook for paralegals. However, the story on the educational front is quite different. In the year 2006 there were 14,727 students who graduated from paralegal degree programs across the country, while in the year 2010, there were 14,823 students graduating from paralegal schools.

This represents a 1% change in the number of graduates. This growth in the number of students graduating from paralegal courses is less than the 12% growth nationally for students graduating from institutions of higher learning in general.

Paralegal Programs offered Nationwide

associate		 585
bachelor		 111
master		 3
doctor		 0
Certificate		 261
Total960

It is interesting to note that while student graduation is up, the number of schools offering paralegal programs has decreased. In 2006 there were 703 paralegal schools across the nation, and in 2010, there were 881 schools.

Paralegal Faculty Salaries

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Currently we are in the process of collecting data for the number of paralegal faculty, growth in the field of paralegal academia and faculty salaries. We would appreciate your help. If you are involved in teaching paralegal courses to students at the certificate in paralegal, associates degree in paralegal, bachelors degree in paralegal, and masters degree in paralegal levels, please take a moment to anonymously submit your information to help us build a valuable database resource for the benefit of current and future faculty in the field of paralegal. Once you submit your information, you will get a chance to see the data we have collected thus far.

States

  1. Paralegal Schools in California95 Schools
  2. Paralegal Schools in Florida59 Schools
  3. Paralegal Schools in Texas55 Schools
  4. Paralegal Schools in Ohio52 Schools
  5. Paralegal Schools in New York33 Schools
  6. Paralegal Schools in Pennsylvania32 Schools
  7. Paralegal Schools in Indiana31 Schools
  8. Paralegal Schools in Virginia29 Schools
  9. Paralegal Schools in Michigan29 Schools
  10. Paralegal Schools in Illinois27 Schools
  11. Paralegal Schools in North Carolina25 Schools
  12. Paralegal Schools in Minnesota25 Schools
  13. Paralegal Schools in Missouri22 Schools
  14. Paralegal Schools in Tennessee20 Schools
  15. Paralegal Schools in New Jersey20 Schools
  16. Paralegal Schools in Massachusetts20 Schools
  17. Paralegal Schools in Georgia19 Schools
  18. Paralegal Schools in Wisconsin19 Schools
  19. Paralegal Schools in Kentucky18 Schools
  20. Paralegal Schools in Mississippi16 Schools
  21. Paralegal Schools in Arizona16 Schools
  22. Paralegal Schools in South Carolina15 Schools
  23. Paralegal Schools in Washington State15 Schools
  24. Paralegal Schools in Alabama15 Schools
  25. Paralegal Schools in Colorado15 Schools
  26. Paralegal Schools in New Mexico13 Schools
  27. Paralegal Schools in Utah12 Schools
  28. Paralegal Schools in Louisiana12 Schools
  29. Paralegal Schools in Maryland12 Schools
  30. Paralegal Schools in West Virginia11 Schools
  31. Paralegal Schools in Iowa10 Schools
  32. Paralegal Schools in Kansas10 Schools
  33. Paralegal Schools in Nebraska9 Schools
  34. Paralegal Schools in Oregon8 Schools
  35. Paralegal Schools in Connecticut8 Schools
  36. Paralegal Schools in Arkansas7 Schools
  37. Paralegal Schools in Nevada6 Schools
  38. Paralegal Schools in Oklahoma6 Schools
  39. Paralegal Schools in South Dakota5 Schools
  40. Paralegal Schools in Idaho5 Schools
  41. Paralegal Schools in New Hampshire3 Schools
  42. Paralegal Schools in North Dakota3 Schools
  43. Paralegal Schools in Delaware3 Schools
  44. Paralegal Schools in Rhode Island3 Schools
  45. Paralegal Schools in Washington DC2 Schools
  46. Paralegal Schools in Montana2 Schools
  47. Paralegal Schools in Alaska2 Schools
  48. Paralegal Schools in Wyoming2 Schools
  49. Paralegal Schools in Maine2 Schools
  50. Paralegal Schools in Hawaii1 Schools
  51. Paralegal Schools in Vermont1 Schools

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