Legal Assistant/Paralegal Major: Graduates, International Students, Colleges and Careers

Overview

The field of Legal Assistant/Paralegal is an essential part of the legal system, providing crucial support to attorneys and law firms. Paralegals are trained professionals who assist lawyers in various capacities, including legal research, drafting documents, and managing case files. They play a significant role in maintaining the efficiency and effectiveness of legal practices, allowing lawyers to focus on providing legal counsel and representation to clients.

Typically, a paralegal program includes coursework in legal writing, ethics, civil procedure, and specific areas of law like family law, criminal law, or corporate law. Many programs also offer practical experience through internships, allowing students to gain hands-on skills in real-world legal settings.

Paralegals are not allowed to practice law, which means they cannot give legal advice or represent clients in court. However, their work is vital in preparing for cases, organizing information, and ensuring that legal processes run smoothly. The demand for paralegals is growing, driven by the increasing complexity of legal matters and the need for cost-effective legal services.

Career opportunities for paralegals span various sectors, including private law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. With the right training and experience, paralegals can advance to supervisory roles or specialize in specific areas of law. Overall, pursuing a career as a Legal Assistant/Paralegal can be rewarding, offering a dynamic work environment and the chance to contribute significantly to the legal profession.

Graduates by year

Graduates by degree level (first and second majors)

8,400 03

9,366 04

10K 05

11K 06

11K 07

10K 08

9,895 09

11K 10

12K 11

13K 12

13K 13

12K 14

10K 15

9,245 16

8,025 17

6,967 18

6,264 19

6,079 20

6,249 21

6,009 22

5,476 23

5,328 24

5,330 25

AssociateBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral

From 2003 to 2025, graduates fell 37% and the international share went from 0.5% to 1.2%.

International share (%)

0 03

0 04

1 05

0 06

0 07

1 08

1 09

1 10

1 11

1 12

1 13

1 14

1 15

1 16

1 17

1 18

1 19

1 20

2 21

2 22

1 23

1 24

1 25

Graduates by group, 2025

White

44.7%

Asian

2.6%

Hispanic

27.5%

Black

14.9%

Other

9.0%

Intl.

1.2%

Colleges that award this degree

In 2025, 412 schools awarded this degree as a first major. The table lists those in the 2027 U.S. News National or Liberal Arts rankings, plus the unranked schools with the most graduates.

Rank	School	State	Graduates	International
#59	George Washington University	D.C.	20	0
#121	Loyola University Chicago	Illinois	8	0
#148	Catholic University of America	D.C.	3	0
#169	Touro College	New York	7	1
#179	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	Ohio	37	0
#219	Illinois State University	Illinois	18	0
#219	Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis	Indiana	18	0
#236	Kent State University at Kent	Ohio	15	0
#250	Nova Southeastern University	Florida	1	0
#262	Suffolk University	Massachusetts	1	0
#276	Marian University (IN)	Indiana	1	0
#276	Widener University	Pennsylvania	8	0
#288	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	Illinois	14	0
#299	University of Toledo	Ohio	15	0
#308	University of Southern Mississippi	Mississippi	16	0
#342	Mississippi College	Mississippi	8	0
#342	Daemen University	New York	4	0
#353	Youngstown State University	Ohio	9	1
#353	University of Houston--Clear Lake	Texas	14	0
#365	Liberty University	Virginia	156	2
#382	University of Alaska Fairbanks	Alaska	4	0
#382	National University	California	40	0
#382	Wilmington University	Delaware	14	0
#382	Idaho State University	Idaho	10	0
#382	Roosevelt University	Illinois	22	0
#382	East Texas A&M University	Texas	27	0
#382	Texas Wesleyan University	Texas	4	0
#382	Regent University	Virginia	16	0
LAC #21	University of Richmond	Virginia	2	0
—	Bryant & Stratton College-Online	New York	178	0
—	Purdue University Global	Indiana	86	0
—	Keiser University	Florida	79	0
—	Florida Gulf Coast University	Florida	72	0
—	Bryan University	Arizona	62	0
—	Santa Ana College	California	60	0
—	Rasmussen University-Minnesota	Minnesota	59	0
—	Greenville Technical College	South Carolina	55	0
—	South University-Savannah Online	Georgia	52	0
—	Dallas College	Texas	51	0
—	Valencia College	Florida	49	0
—	Mt San Antonio College	California	48	1
—	Lone Star College System	Texas	44	3
—	Center for Advanced Legal Studies	Texas	44	0
—	American River College	California	43	1
—	San Diego Miramar College	California	42	0
—	CUNY New York City College of Technology	New York	42	1
—	Houston City College	Texas	42	1
—	University of Cincinnati-Clermont College	Ohio	40	1
—	Crestpoint University	Arizona	38	0
—	Ana G. Mendez University	Florida	38	1
—	Fresno City College	California	36	0
—	Ivy Tech Community College	Indiana	35	0
—	Trident Technical College	South Carolina	35	0
—	West Los Angeles College	California	34	0
—	American Public University System	West Virginia	34	0
—	St Petersburg College	Florida	33	0
—	Northwest Career College	Nevada	33	0
—	Miami Dade College	Florida	32	2
—	Salt Lake Community College	Utah	30	1

Purple: international students are 25% or more of the school's graduates.

Related jobs and pay

Occupation	US employment	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage
Paralegals and Legal Assistants	392,880	$33.51	$69,700
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers	48,580	$29.97	$62,350
Legal Support Workers, All Other	46,760	$43.10	$89,660

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

Law Legal Studies Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General Programs for Foreign Lawyers Legal Professions and Studies, Other Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, Other American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence Tax Law/Taxation International Law and Legal Studies Pre-Law Studies Health Law International Business, Trade, and Tax Law

Legal Assistant/Paralegal

Overview

Graduates by year

Colleges that award this degree

Related jobs and pay

Other majors in Legal Professions and Studies