By federal out-of-state tuition, North Hennepin Community College is the least expensive ranked online certificate, at $5,050 for a full-time year.
If you live in California, Skyline College's certificate has the lowest published tuition of the approved online certificates whose page says whom the rate covers, $966 (in-state, $46 × 21 credits).
29 of the 33 ranked online certificate programs charge residents of their own state less, so start your search at home.
Every program here is ABA-approved, and none of those compared is free.
Prices exclude fees, books and certification exam fees, and schools set new rates every year.
The cheapest online paralegal certificate depends on which of two prices you use, and each table below uses one. The first prices every ranked
online certificate the same way: the out-of-state tuition and required fees the federal record shows for a full-time
year in 2023-24, what a student from another state pays, which makes it the comparison for anyone shopping
nationally. The second lists the tuition each approved online program publishes for the certificate itself. Most of
those rates are residents' rates, so each row says whom its rate is for.
Public colleges usually charge out-of-state students more, online or not, so the cheapest online paralegal certificate for most people is an approved program in their own state. Every program on this page is on the ABA's list of approved paralegal programs. For a ranking that also weighs
graduation rate and graduates, see the
online program rankings.
By Out-Of-State Tuition For A Year
The table lists the 25 cheapest online paralegal certificate programs of the 33 ABA-approved ones that can be completed at least partly online, by the school's own page or the federal record, by what an
out-of-state student paid in tuition and required fees for a full-time year in 2023-24, with the resident figure
beside it.
Cheapest online paralegal certificate programs, by out-of-state tuition
Tuition and fees are what each school reported to IPEDS for a full-time undergraduate year in 2023-24, tuition plus required fees, before books, supplies or aid. A certificate of about 30 semester credits is roughly a full-time year of coursework, but programs differ in length and many students take them part-time, so read the figure as a way to compare schools. Colleges set new rates every year. It is not the price of a post-baccalaureate or extension certificate, which schools price separately. Which tuition figure each ranking uses.
By The Tuition Schools Publish For The Certificate
73 approved online certificates have a price on their own
pages, and they run here from the cheapest online paralegal certificate up. Where a school publishes a rate per credit or per course, the tuition is that rate times the
published number of credits or courses, as the table says. Each row names whom the rate is for: residents of the state or of
the college's district, every student, or an out-of-state student. The ten cheapest have a card each, and the table
below them continues the order to the 25th.
Paralegal, Legal Assistant Certificate of Achievement
Skyline College
San Bruno, California · College credits · Online · ABA-approved
Skyline College's paralegal A.A. and certificate can both be completed 100% online, with at least nine paralegal units taken live by video, and since fall 2026 the certificate has been a selective-admission program for students who already hold an associate or bachelor's degree.
Key Program Details
A.A.: 60 units, 21 in the major
Certificate of Achievement: 21 units, for students who already hold an associate or bachelor's degree
Both can be completed 100% online, with at least 9 units through live video instruction
Certificate admits about 35 students each fall and spring
Up to 6 units of legal specialty credit by substitution or exam
skylinecollege.eduOctober 1, 2026
Paralegal Studies Certificate of Achievement
College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, California · College credits · Online · ABA-approved
designed for two years part-time; a one-year course sequence is published
Program Summary
College of the Canyons teaches its ABA-approved paralegal courses fully online in the evening, through live Zoom classes and Canvas, and the same 31 units lead to an AA or, for students who already hold a degree, a certificate.
Key Program Details
AA: at least 60 units
Certificate: 31 units, for students who already hold an associate or bachelor's degree
Evening classes online via Zoom and Canvas
The program is designed for two years part-time, and a one-year sequence is available
Up to 12 transfer units from an ABA-approved program
canyons.eduOctober 1, 2026
Certificate of Achievement: Paralegal Studies
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, California · College credits · Online or campus · ABA-approved
Southwestern College offers bilingual English-Spanish versions of its ABA-approved paralegal associate degree and certificate, adding legal interpretation and translation and bilingual legal terminology to the paralegal core, and all four of its paralegal programs are approved to be completed online.
Key Program Details
A.S. and bilingual A.S.: 60 units each
Certificate: 32.5 to 34.5 units; bilingual certificate: 38.5 to 40.5 units
Certificates awarded only to students with a prior associate or higher degree
All four programs are approved to be completed online and offered at the Chula Vista, California campus
At least 54 hours of legal work experience
swccd.eduOctober 1, 2026
Paralegal, Certificate of Achievement in Paralegal Studies (Post Associate Degree Certificate of Achievement)
West Los Angeles College
Culver City, California · College credits · Online · ABA-approved
West Los Angeles College says its paralegal program has been ABA-approved since 2005 and was the first ABA-approved paralegal program in the Los Angeles Community College District; the program offers an A.A. and a post-associate degree certificate, both of which can be completed online.
Key Program Details
Paralegal A.A.: 60 units, 42 in the major
Certificate of Achievement: 42 units, offered as a post-associate degree certificate
Both programs can be completed online
Up to 9 legal specialty units by transfer petition
The college reports ABA approval since 2005
wlac.eduOctober 1, 2026
Paralegal Advanced Technical Certificate
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, Florida · Bachelor's degree · Online or campus · ABA-approved
Palm Beach State College's ABA-approved paralegal A.S. and Advanced Technical Certificate are both offered online and on site at its Lake Worth, Florida and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida campuses, with fall, spring and summer starts.
Key Program Details
A.S. in Paralegal Studies: 64 credits, two years full-time
Paralegal ATC: 24 credits, bachelor's degree required, one year full-time
Online and on site at the Lake Worth, Florida and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida campuses
Fall, spring and summer starts
Transfer students need 10 on-ground legal specialty credits at Palm Beach State
pbsc.eduOctober 1, 2026
Paralegal Studies Certificate of Achievement
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California · High school diploma · Online or campus · ABA-approved
Pasadena City College in Pasadena, California offers its ABA-approved Paralegal Studies program, which PCC says the ABA has approved continuously since 1995, as an Associate in Science and a Certificate of Achievement built on the same 32 units of paralegal core courses, which students can take fully online, by Zoom or in person.
Key Program Details
Certificate of Achievement: 32 core units, 60 units in all with general education and electives
Core units only for students who already hold an associate of arts or science degree
Associate in Science: at least 60 semester units
Courses fully online, by Zoom or in person, with at least 9 synchronous credits
No more than two core courses accepted in transfer
pasadena.eduOctober 2, 2026
Paralegal: Certificate of Achievement (Paralegal Certificate)
four semesters in the college's sample program map
Program Summary
Santa Ana College's Bachelor of Arts in Paralegal Studies, which enrolled its first class in fall 2025, is described by the college as the first ABA-approved baccalaureate-level paralegal program at any public institution in California.
Key Program Details
Paralegal A.A.: at least 60 semester units
Paralegal Certificate of Achievement: 39 to 43 program units within a 60-unit total
B.A. in Paralegal Studies: at least 120 units; first class enrolled fall 2025
Certificate listed among the college's online certificate pathways
Up to 10 units of legal specialty transfer credit
sac.eduOctober 8, 2026
Legal Studies Certificate
Tulsa Community College
Tulsa, Oklahoma · College credits · Online or campus · ABA-approved
Tulsa Community College's ABA-approved Legal Studies program in Tulsa, Oklahoma offers a transfer-oriented A.A. and a 24-credit certificate for students who already hold a degree, built on the same legal studies courses and offered on campus, online and in live online sections.
Key Program Details
A.A.: 64 credit hours, 24 of them in legal studies courses
Certificate: 24 credit hours for students who already hold a degree
Metro Campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma, plus online and Online Live sections
At least nine credits of legal specialty courses taught synchronously
Grade of C or better required in all legal specialty courses
tulsacc.eduOctober 5, 2026
Paralegal Technology Diploma
Carteret Community College
Morehead City, North Carolina · Bachelor's degree · Online · ABA-approved
Carteret Community College in Morehead City, North Carolina teaches the core legal classes of its ABA-approved Paralegal Technology program in a synchronous online format, and offers the program as a 37-credit diploma for students who already hold a bachelor's degree and a 69-credit Associate in Applied Science.
Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia, offers ABA-approved options (a B.S. in Legal Studies, an A.S. in Paralegal Studies and an 18-credit Paralegal Certificate), and any of them can be completed fully online, with every paralegal and legal studies course taught either live on Microsoft Teams or with no required meetings.
Key Program Details
B.S. in Legal Studies: 120 credit hours
A.S. in Paralegal Studies: 60 credit hours
Paralegal Certificate: 18 credit hours, all legal specialty courses
Paralegal and legal studies courses taught online, live on Microsoft Teams or with no required meetings
Certificate starts in fall or spring only
clayton.eduOctober 5, 2026
Cheapest online paralegal certificate programs, by published tuition, from the 11th cheapest
Tuition as each school publishes it for the certificate, read between October 1, 2026 and October 5, 2026; where it gives a rate, the
total is the rate times the published credits or courses. Fees and books are not included.
Common Questions About The Cheapest Online Paralegal Certificate Programs
What is the cheapest online paralegal certificate?
By the federal out-of-state figure for a full-time year, the lowest among ranked online certificates is North Hennepin Community College, at $5,050. If you live in California, Skyline College's certificate has the lowest published tuition of the approved online certificates whose page says whom the rate covers, $966 (in-state, $46 × 21 credits). Fees and books are extra in both.
Can I get a paralegal certificate online for free?
Not an ABA-approved one: none of the approved programs compared here is free. Free online courses in legal topics exist, but a course isn't an approved program, and the ABA doesn't count short-term certificates with fewer than 18 semester credits of legal specialty courses as approved options. A credit-bearing certificate at an eligible college may qualify for federal student aid.
Is a cheap paralegal certificate worth less?
Not because of the price. Every program on this page is on the ABA's approved list, whatever it charges, and much of the price difference comes from residency and from how a school prices the certificate. What separates programs is format, length and who may enroll, which the table shows.
Why do community colleges charge out-of-state students more for online classes?
Public colleges usually set tuition by residency, whatever the format. 29 of the 33 ranked online certificate programs charge their own state's residents less than the out-of-state figure, so the cheapest option for most people is an approved program in their own state.
