Paralegals work as assistants to attorneys.
Many work in law offices, but they can also work in other areas, including government or businesses.
As a paralegal, you’ll help interview clients and witnesses, write legal documents, and perform legal research.
There are 38 colleges and universities in Texas and 21 schools that offer certificate programs.
Let’s take a look at the top 9 paralegal schools in Texas.
1 San Jacinto College
About the School
San Jacinto College has 5 campuses in the Houston area.
The school is rated as one of the top 5 community colleges in the U.S.
The college has many programs and activities for students, including The Great Outdoors Club and Dance.
Courses Offered
San Jacinto College offers a paralegal associate’s degree program.
This program takes 2 years to complete.
The program has a success rate of more than 90%, making it a great choice.
You’ll learn to analyze and research sources of law, understand legal terminology, how to understand and write legal documents, and how to differentiate between the duties of a paralegal and an attorney.
You will also learn how to interview clients and witnesses and how to conduct investigations professionally.
The program prepares you to work in a private law firm.
You may also choose a job with an insurance company, corporate legal department, court system, or government agency.
Contact Information
- Address: 8060 Spencer Hwy. Pasadena, TX 77505
- Phone: (281) 998-6150 ext: 7201
- Website: Visit School Website
2 Collin College
About School
Collin College has 11 locations in Texas and an online program as well.
Collin began by offering classes at local high schools in 1985.
Today, the school serves more than 57,000 students each year.
It’s the only public college in the county.
Students can choose from more than 200 degree and certificate programs.
Courses Offered
Collins University offers two paralegal programs.
If you don’t have a degree, you’ll start with the Paralegal/Legal Assistant Associate’s of Applied Science Degree.
The program consists of 60 credit hours and takes 2 years or 4 semesters to complete.
Once the program is completed, you are eligible to take the NALA certification exam to become a certified paralegal.
The program includes legal courses as well as general education courses in English, Math, Government, and Logic.
If you’ve already earned an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree, you can take the Paralegal Level 2 General Certificate course.
This course doesn’t include general education classes and focuses solely on legal courses.
You’ll take a total of 36 credit hours over 3 semesters to complete the course.
Contact Information
- Address: 9700 Wade Blvd. Frisco, TX 75035
- Phone: (972)-377-1790
- Website: Visit School Website
3 Lee College
About School
Lee College is highly focused on student success.
They offer a variety of pathways and degree programs to meet the needs of different students.
The school is diverse and has students of all age groups and different ethnicities.
They received the Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2019, and they have received the Aspen Prize Top 150 Community Colleges rating for 5 consecutive years.
There are 1,000 public two-year colleges across the nation considered each year.
Courses Offered
Lee College offers a few options for those interested in being a paralegal.
If you don’t currently have a degree, you should choose the Associate of Applied Sciences Paralegal degree.
You’ll take a variety of courses, including English, Accounting, Business Presentations, and Business Speech.
Legal courses include Paralegal ethics, Family Law, Real Property, Legal Research and Writing, and Civil Litigation.
You can also choose to get a Paralegal Certificate if you have a bachelor’s degree or you are in your Junior year of a bachelor’s degree program.
This program doesn’t have the general education requirements included in the Associate of Applied Science paralegal degree.
Once you’ve completed the degree or program, you are eligible to become a certified paralegal.
Contact Information
- Address: 200 Lee Drive, Baytown, TX 77520
- Phone: (281)-427-5611
- Website: Visit School Website
4 Texas A&M University-Commerce
About School
Texas A&M University offers business, engineering, communication, criminal justice, and much more.
In fact, they offer 130 degree programs in all, and serve 11,000 students.
Their mission is to “Educate. Discover. Achieve”.
Courses Offered
Most programs on our list are associate’s degree programs.
However, there are some advantages to getting a bachelor’s degree as a paralegal, particularly if you want to continue your education to become an attorney.
This program requires 120 credit hours, which typically takes 4 years.
The program is completely online, so you can learn from the comfort of your own home.
A 160-hour internship is also part of the program.
This allows you to get hands-on experience as a paralegal, which provides valuable experience.
You can become a certified paralegal after graduating from the program.
The program prepares you to become a paralegal, legal secretary, claims adjuster, or mediator and arbitrator.
Contact Information
- Address: 2200 Campbell Street · Commerce, TX 75428
- Phone: (866)-649-4919
- Website: Visit School Website
5 Tarrant County College
About School
Tarrant County College is a 2-year college.
The school was founded in 1965, with the goal of providing affordable and accessible learning.
The college has 5 locations in Texas and an online college.
They offer transferable associate degrees for those who want to continue their education.
Students can also choose from 68 associate of applied science degrees and 125 certificate of completion programs.
Courses Offered
Tarrant County College offers two options for becoming a paralegal.
You can choose an Associate of Applied Sciences Paralegal degree or a Paralegal certificate of completion.
If you are just starting your education, you’ll need to take the A.A.S. degree.
This allows you to take the paralegal certification exam after you complete the course.
This program takes two years or 4 semesters.
You’ll need 60 credit hours to graduate.
If you already have a bachelor’s degree and want to become a paralegal, you can take the paralegal certificate course.
This allows you to take the courses you need to learn how to be a paralegal, without taking general education courses.
This course takes 3 semesters to complete and consists of 33 credit hours.
After completion, you can take the paralegal certification exam.
Contact Information
- Address: 828 W. Harwood Road Hurst, TX 76054
- Phone: (817)-515-4734
- Website: Visit School Website
6 Lamar State College
About School
Lamar State College focuses on programs that prepare you for a new career.
Some courses can be transferred to a 4-year college, while others are designed to prepare you for your career upon graduation.
Lamar received the Aspen Institute Aspen Prize For Community College Excellence in 2019, making it one of the top 150 community colleges.
Courses Offered
Lamar State College offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Paralegal.
This program takes 2 years or 4 semesters to complete.
In addition to regular courses, students will need to complete an internship to gain experience as a paralegal before completing the course.
Courses include Family Law, Civil Litigation, Contracts, and Criminal Law and Procedure.
You’ll also take general education courses, including Texas Government, English Composition, Public Speaking, and Introduction to Keyboarding.
This program prepares you to take the exam to become a certified paralegal.
Contact Information
- Address: 1500 Procter Street, Port Arthur, TX 77640
- Phone: (409) 984-6548
- Website: Visit School Website
7 Lone Star College
About School
Lone Star College welcomes 80,000 students each semester.
Students come to the college for a low-cost start to their education, or to get career training.
Some students transfer to a four-year college after getting their associate’s degree from Lone Star, while other students enter the workforce after graduation.
Courses Offered
Lone Star College offers an Associate of Applied Sciences Paralegal degree.
The program consists of 6 semesters, which takes 2 years to complete.
Students will take 60 credit hours of courses.
Law courses include Intro to Law and Legal Professions, Business Law, Legal Research, and Interviewing and Investigating.
Students will also take general education courses.
These include Public Speaking, Creative Arts, Federal Government, Composition and Rhetoric, and Math.
Students who already have a bachelor’s degree can choose to take the Paralegal Certificate course, which eliminates the general education requirements.
This prepares you to begin a job as a paralegal quickly.
This course consists of 35 credit hours over 3 semesters.
Contact Information
- Address: 5000 Research Forest Drive The Woodlands, Texas 77381
- Phone: (832)-813-6500
- Website: Visit School Website
8 Amarillo College
About School
Amarillo College recently received the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, which distinguishes it as a reputable college.
The college focuses on associate degree and certificate programs that give students a strong academic foundation, and allow them to pursue further education or a career after graduation.
Courses Offered
Amarillo College offers two paralegal programs.
Students who are pursuing a degree can get the Associate’s of Applied Science Paralegal degree.
This program takes 2 years and has 60 credit hours.
You’ll take legal courses, including Criminal Investigation, Mediation, Real Property, and Family Law.
You’ll also take general education courses, including Composition, Word Processing, Mathematics, and science courses.
Students who already hold an Associate degree or higher can take the Paralegal Certificate course.
This course is 24 credit hours and only includes the legal courses.
Contact Information
- Address: 2201 S Washington St #2411, Amarillo, TX 79109
- Phone: (806) 371-5000
- Website: Visit School Website
9 University of Houston-Clear Lake
About School
The University of Houston-Clear Lake focuses on educating leaders.
They are welcoming, and encourage individuality.
They offer experiential learning, which they say makes it easier to get hired after graduation.
Courses Offered
University of Houston-Clear Lake offers a Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies.
The course is 120 credit hours, with 42 hours being general education courses, 18 hours being core requirements, and 30 hours of major requirements.
The program typically takes 4 years to complete.
After getting your degree, you’ll be ready to be certified as a paralegal.
You can choose to work as a paralegal, or continue your education and earn your law degree.
Contact Information
- Address: 2700 Bay Area Blvd, Box 13 Houston, TX 77058-1002
- Phone: (281)-283-2500
- Website: Visit School Website
Schools Summary Table
| Rank | School | |
|---|---|---|
|
#1 | San Jacinto College |
|
#2 | Collin College |
|
#3 | Lee College |
|
#4 | Texas A&M University-Commerce |
|
#5 | Tarrant County College |
|
#6 | Lamar State College |
|
#7 | Lone Star College |
|
#8 | Amarillo College |
|
#9 | University of Houston-Clear Lake |
Paralegal Salary Information
The average salary for a paralegal in Texas is $65,739 as of August 27, 2023.
Salaries typically range from $58,316 to $74,373.
Your salary will depend on the type of office you work in, your experience, and your education or certification.
| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
$68K |
|
$75K |
|
$84K |
Average Salary in Texas
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Houston | $78,523 |
| Dallas | $76,671 |
| San Antonio | $74,426 |
| Austin | $75,900 |
| El Paso | $67,501 |
| Fort Worth | $75,198 |
| Arlington | $75,075 |
| Corpus Christi | $72,434 |
| Plano | $76,671 |
| Garland | $76,671 |
Regional Salary
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | 80 | $46,330 | $22.27 | $64,250 | $21,350 |
| Amarillo, TX | 210 | $48,570 | $23.35 | $70,300 | $27,610 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 3,220 | $59,220 | $28.47 | $87,980 | $39,190 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 280 | $48,700 | $23.41 | $72,590 | $22,170 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 280 | $50,080 | $24.08 | $80,670 | $24,920 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 180 | $49,510 | $23.8 | $79,560 | $26,790 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 420 | $55,070 | $26.47 | $81,460 | $38,020 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 6,610 | $66,330 | $31.89 | $96,610 | $45,290 |
| El Paso, TX | 820 | $45,790 | $22.02 | $60,560 | $31,530 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 6,160 | $65,880 | $31.67 | $97,380 | $37,660 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 190 | $52,210 | $25.1 | $75,850 | $34,890 |
| Laredo, TX | 160 | $47,920 | $23.04 | $84,570 | $20,470 |
| Longview, TX | 190 | $54,280 | $26.1 | $90,150 | $21,010 |
| Lubbock, TX | 300 | $47,770 | $22.97 | $72,260 | $31,360 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 720 | $35,840 | $17.23 | $58,090 | $20,020 |
| Midland, TX | 110 | $56,670 | $27.24 | $95,740 | $28,050 |
| Odessa, TX | 110 | $54,810 | $26.35 | $74,910 | $37,080 |
| San Angelo, TX | 90 | $50,830 | $24.44 | $77,690 | $21,100 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 1,960 | $52,530 | $25.26 | $80,270 | $22,650 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | 80 | $46,140 | $22.18 | $63,080 | $26,950 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 60 | $46,470 | $22.34 | $63,740 | $18,380 |
| Tyler, TX | 160 | $52,360 | $25.17 | $73,910 | $36,240 |
| Victoria, TX | 70 | $51,780 | $24.89 | $79,920 | $21,540 |
| Waco, TX | 190 | $50,330 | $24.2 | $74,710 | $26,370 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 60 | $43,370 | $20.85 | $60,890 | $21,010 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Paralegal Programs by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
I recently completed one of the paralegal programs mentioned in this article, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. The program provided a comprehensive curriculum and hands-on experience, preparing me well for a successful career in the legal field.
As a practicing paralegal in Texas, I can vouch for the importance of choosing the right program. The skills and knowledge gained during your education will set the foundation for your entire career. It’s encouraging to see a well-researched list that highlights the best paralegal programs in the state.