Best Paralegal Programs in Illinois (2026)

Quick answer: Paralegals in Illinois earn a median of $63,670 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited paralegal schools in Illinois with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Programs sits within the Illinois paralegal workforce, served by accredited training providers. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $63,670 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Illinois Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$63,670BLS OEWS, May 2025
Illinois pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$46,860 to $104,580BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying Illinois metro for this fieldChicago, IL, $70,550BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+0.2% growth, about 39,300 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment14,130 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Illinois location quotient0.92BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Paralegal Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the Illinois figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools within 85 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 12 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL 61.1 miles away BOC Score 73.8
Tuition $39,200 - $47,313
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 71.3%
  • Graduation rate: 64.6%
  • Programs offered: 30
  • Annual completions: 440
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $66,586 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Illinois State University

Normal, IL 34.3 miles away BOC Score 71.9
Tuition $16,144 - $34,309
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 88.1%
  • Graduation rate: 65.4%
  • Programs offered: 30
  • Annual completions: 1200
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $62,507 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Moraine Valley Community College

Palos Hills, IL 74.3 miles away BOC Score 60.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 36.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 68
  • Annual completions: 3520
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,357 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Waubonsee Community College

Sugar Grove, IL 59.8 miles away BOC Score 59.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 45
  • Annual completions: 1275
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,678 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Joliet Junior College

Joliet, IL 52.3 miles away BOC Score 55.1
Tuition $4,530 - $13,800
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 20.7%
  • Programs offered: 77
  • Annual completions: 2440
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,121 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Triton College

River Grove, IL 84.7 miles away BOC Score 54.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71
  • Annual completions: 1558
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $52,701 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Kankakee Community College

Kankakee, IL 57.3 miles away BOC Score 53.4
Tuition $5,220 - $25,830
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 35.1%
  • Programs offered: 54
  • Annual completions: 875
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,343 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Elgin Community College

Elgin, IL 76.7 miles away BOC Score 50.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 41.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 63
  • Annual completions: 2748
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,220 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Illinois Central College

East Peoria, IL 36.5 miles away BOC Score 50.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 67
  • Annual completions: 2210
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,058 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Morton College

Cicero, IL 83.2 miles away BOC Score 49.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 29.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 40
  • Annual completions: 413
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,999 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

South Suburban College

South Holland, IL 80.9 miles away BOC Score 48.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42
  • Annual completions: 250
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $45,069 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

College of DuPage

Glen Ellyn, IL 73.2 miles away BOC Score 47.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 24.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 98
  • Annual completions: 3152
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,984 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Paralegal Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Paralegals and Legal Assistants annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $44740, P25 $50340, P50 $62890, P75 $80080, P90 $101500.10th$44,74025th$50,34050th (median)$62,89075th$80,08090th$101,500
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Paralegals and Legal Assistants annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$44,740
25th$50,340
50th (median)$62,890
75th$80,080
90th$101,500
Projected employment growth, United States, Paralegals and Legal Assistants, 2024-2034
Paralegals and Legal Assistants employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 376200; 2034 projected employment 376800; percent change +0.2%.2024376,200 jobs2034 (proj.)376,800 jobsChange: +0.2%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Paralegals and Legal Assistants employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
2024376,200
2034 projected376,800
Percent change+0.2%


Frequently Asked Questions

How long does paralegal training take in Illinois?

Paralegal certificate programs in Illinois typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do paralegals earn in Illinois?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), paralegals in Illinois earned a median annual wage of approximately $63,670. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $46,860 to $104,580 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many paralegal schools are in Illinois?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)