2026 Best Value Legal Assistant/Paralegal Schools in the New England Region

[Legal Assistant/Paralegal](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/legal-support-services/legal-assistant-paralegal/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 25 schools to find the best return on investment for legal assistant/paralegal students.
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2026 Best Value Legal Assistant/Paralegal Schools in the New England Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in legal assistant/paralegal, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Legal Assistant/Paralegal Schools
For return on investment in legal assistant/paralegal, no school beat Middlesex Community College Bedford this year. Set in the suburb of Bedford, Middlesex Community College Bedford is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,098, compared with $12,170 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for legal assistant/paralegal graduates is $11,602. Soon after graduation, legal assistant/paralegal degree recipients from Middlesex Community College Bedford generally make around $48,427. That is a strong return on a $11,602 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes Community College Of Rhode Island one of the best values for legal assistant/paralegal. Set in the city of Warwick, Community College Of Rhode Island is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,550 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $14,834. Students borrow a median of $13,940 to complete the legal assistant/paralegal program here. Early-career legal assistant/paralegal graduates make about $39,680. That is a strong return on a $13,940 median debt.
Bunker Hill Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value legal assistant/paralegal schools. Set in the city of Boston, Bunker Hill Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,168, compared with $11,112 for out-of-state students. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates carry a median of $11,893 in student loans. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates of Bunker Hill Community College earn a median of $51,782 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,893 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Mount Wachusett Community College earned it the #4 place for legal assistant/paralegal. Set in the suburb of Gardner, Mount Wachusett Community College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,160, with out-of-state students paying around $11,080. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates carry a median of $11,497 in student loans. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates of Mount Wachusett Community College earn a median of $43,883 early in their careers. Set against $11,497 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in legal assistant/paralegal will find it at Capital Community College, which ranked #5. Capital Community College is a very large public school located in the city of New Britain. Students from in state pay about $5,338 in tuition and fees, compared with $15,596 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for legal assistant/paralegal graduates is $12,059. Early-career legal assistant/paralegal graduates make about $43,086. That is a strong return on a $12,059 median debt.
Post University earned the #6 position for value in legal assistant/paralegal this year. Located in the city of Waterbury, Post University is a very large private for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,922. Typical student debt for legal assistant/paralegal graduates is $27,523. Soon after graduation, legal assistant/paralegal degree recipients from Post University generally make around $36,412. That is a strong return on a $27,523 median debt.
Husson University earned the #7 position for value in legal assistant/paralegal this year. Husson University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bangor. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,304. Students borrow a median of $27,735 to complete the legal assistant/paralegal program here. Early-career legal assistant/paralegal graduates make about $52,868. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 81%.
University Of Hartford earned the #8 position for value in legal assistant/paralegal this year. Set in the city of West Hartford, University Of Hartford is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,075. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates carry a median of $25,648 in student loans. Early-career legal assistant/paralegal graduates make about $51,123. Set against $25,648 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Hartford admits about 96% of applicants.
Suffolk University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value legal assistant/paralegal schools. Suffolk University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. In-state tuition and fees average $47,550. Students borrow a median of $26,670 to complete the legal assistant/paralegal program here. Soon after graduation, legal assistant/paralegal degree recipients from Suffolk University generally make around $57,261. That is a strong return on a $26,670 median debt. Suffolk University admits about 82% of applicants.
University Of New Haven came in at #10 for value in legal assistant/paralegal this year. Set in the suburb of West Haven, University Of New Haven is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $47,332. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the legal assistant/paralegal program here. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates of University Of New Haven earn a median of $49,615 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Roger Williams University landed the #11 spot for legal assistant/paralegal value this year. Located in the suburb of Bristol, Roger Williams University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $45,197. Students borrow a median of $18,491 to complete the legal assistant/paralegal program here. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates of Roger Williams University earn a median of $51,445 early in their careers. Set against $18,491 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 25 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.