Illinois · Legal Support Services

Best institutions to study Legal Support Services in Illinois

The Legal Support Services program prepares students for various roles within the legal field, focusing on essential skills and knowledge required to assist legal professionals. This program is ideal for individuals seeking to become…

Institutions
26
offering CIP 22.03
States offered
50
with a program page
Degrees / yr
410
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median grad earnings
$42,994
1 year after graduation
With earnings data
8
College Scorecard
Median net price
$20,789
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
42%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Paralegals and Legal Assistants
$72,310
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 8 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard).

#InstitutionGrad earnings (1 yr)CompletionsGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Loyola University Chicago
Chicago Private not-for-profit · Certificate degree
$48,8196273%$33,454$35,000
2College of Lake County
Grayslake Public · Certificate degree
$45,0943237%
3William Rainey Harper College
Palatine Public · Certificate degree
$43,9801348%
4Generations College
Chicago Private not-for-profit · Associate degree
$43,0611211%$20,789$24,750
5Southwestern Illinois College
Belleville Public · Associate degree
$42,994736%$14,348
6College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn Public · Certificate degree
$40,4292425%$21,625
7Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
Carbondale Public · Bachelor's degree
$36,1591462%$28,000
8Stautzenberger College - Rockford Career College
Rockford Private for-profit · Certificate degree
$35,2891166%$20,078$20,834

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Paralegals and Legal Assistants (SOC 23-2011).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+0.2%
Little or no change
Openings / yr (US)
~39,300
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$61,010
typically Associate's degree

Top skills

WritingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionSpeakingCritical ThinkingMonitoring

What Paralegals and Legal Assistants earn in Illinois

Jobs in Illinois
14,130
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$72,310
median $63,670
Best-paying metro
$74,920
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Related careers

Paralegals and Legal Assistants
$72,310 avg · 14,130 jobs
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
$60,790 avg · 8,030 jobs
Legal Support Workers, All Other
$69,730 avg · 3,010 jobs
Interpreters and Translators
$58,650 avg · 1,510 jobs
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
$55,480 avg · 1,290 jobs
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
$73,260 avg · 770 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Legal Support Services programs in Illinois.

Which Legal Support Services program in Illinois has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (College Scorecard), Loyola University Chicago tops the list at $48,819. Compare it against completions, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Paralegals and Legal Assistants earn in Illinois?+

The average annual wage for Paralegals and Legal Assistants in Illinois is $72,310 (median $63,670), across about 14,130 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Legal Support Services program?+

The Legal Support Services program prepares students for various roles within the legal field, focusing on essential skills and knowledge required to assist legal professionals. This program is ideal for individuals seeking to become…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop writing, active listening, reading comprehension, speaking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Paralegals and Legal Assistants?+

The national job outlook is about +0.2% growth with around 39,300 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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