2026 Best Value Legal Assistant/Paralegal Schools in Florida
[Legal Assistant/Paralegal](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/legal-support-services/legal-assistant-paralegal/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong legal assistant/paralegal education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 28 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value legal assistant/paralegal schools.
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2026 Best Value Legal Assistant/Paralegal Schools in Florida
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in legal assistant/paralegal, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Legal Assistant/Paralegal Schools
Leading the list is St Petersburg College, our #1 best value for legal assistant/paralegal in Florida. Set in the city of St. Petersburg, St Petersburg College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,682, while out-of-state students pay about $9,286. Typical student debt for legal assistant/paralegal graduates is $32,383. Soon after graduation, legal assistant/paralegal degree recipients from St Petersburg College generally make around $43,499. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Florida State College At Jacksonville came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value legal assistant/paralegal schools. Florida State College At Jacksonville is a very large public school located in the city of Jacksonville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,657, while out-of-state students pay about $9,631. Typical student debt for legal assistant/paralegal graduates is $19,139. Early-career legal assistant/paralegal graduates make about $46,748. That is a strong return on a $19,139 median debt.
Hillsborough Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value legal assistant/paralegal schools. Hillsborough Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Tampa. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,491, with out-of-state students paying around $9,088. Students borrow a median of $24,018 to complete the legal assistant/paralegal program here. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates of Hillsborough Community College earn a median of $41,694 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #4 makes Indian River State College one of the best values for legal assistant/paralegal. Set in the suburb of Fort Pierce, Indian River State College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,764, compared with $10,201 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,492 to complete the legal assistant/paralegal program here. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates of Indian River State College earn a median of $44,082 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $10,492 median debt.
Miami Dade College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value legal assistant/paralegal schools. Set in the city of Miami, Miami Dade College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,838 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $9,661. Typical student debt for legal assistant/paralegal graduates is $12,950. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates of Miami Dade College earn a median of $40,782 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,950 median debt.
The University Of West Florida came in at #6 for value in legal assistant/paralegal this year. Set in the rural area of Pensacola, The University Of West Florida is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,776, with out-of-state students paying around $18,658. Typical student debt for legal assistant/paralegal graduates is $19,250. Early-career legal assistant/paralegal graduates make about $36,524. That is a strong return on a $19,250 median debt. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
Edison State College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value legal assistant/paralegal schools. Edison State College is a large public school located in the suburb of Fort Myers. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,401, compared with $12,979 for out-of-state students. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates carry a median of $14,624 in student loans. Soon after graduation, legal assistant/paralegal degree recipients from Edison State College generally make around $52,597. Set against $14,624 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Daytona State College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value legal assistant/paralegal schools. Daytona State College is a large public school located in the city of Daytona Beach. Students from in state pay about $3,106 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $11,994. Typical student debt for legal assistant/paralegal graduates is $14,227. Early-career legal assistant/paralegal graduates make about $43,320. Set against $14,227 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Palm Beach State College landed the #9 spot for legal assistant/paralegal value this year. Located in the suburb of Lake Worth, Palm Beach State College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,050, while out-of-state students pay about $10,910. Students borrow a median of $9,000 to complete the legal assistant/paralegal program here. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates of Palm Beach State College earn a median of $46,622 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Tallahassee Community College landed the #10 spot for legal assistant/paralegal value this year. Tallahassee Community College is a large public school located in the city of Tallahassee. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,026, with out-of-state students paying around $8,062. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates carry a median of $16,340 in student loans. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates of Tallahassee Community College earn a median of $40,594 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,340 median debt.
Florida Gulf Coast University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value legal assistant/paralegal schools. Located in the suburb of Fort Myers, Florida Gulf Coast University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $6,118 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $25,162. Typical student debt for legal assistant/paralegal graduates is $22,777. Early-career legal assistant/paralegal graduates make about $39,824. Set against $22,777 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Florida Gulf Coast University admits about 63% of applicants.
Valencia College earned the #12 position for value in legal assistant/paralegal this year. Set in the city of Orlando, Valencia College is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $2,664, while out-of-state students pay about $9,576. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates carry a median of $16,002 in student loans. Early-career legal assistant/paralegal graduates make about $32,210. That is a strong return on a $16,002 median debt.
Santa Fe College ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best value legal assistant/paralegal schools. Located in the suburb of Gainesville, Santa Fe College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,563, while out-of-state students pay about $9,189. Students borrow a median of $17,558 to complete the legal assistant/paralegal program here. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates of Santa Fe College earn a median of $45,407 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Rasmussen College Florida earned the #14 position for value in legal assistant/paralegal this year. Set in the city of Ocala, Rasmussen College Florida is a moderately-sized private for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $16,256. Students borrow a median of $28,336 to complete the legal assistant/paralegal program here. Early-career legal assistant/paralegal graduates make about $37,457. That is a strong return on a $28,336 median debt.
Broward College landed the #15 spot for legal assistant/paralegal value this year. Set in the city of Fort Lauderdale, Broward College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,830, compared with $8,952 for out-of-state students. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates carry a median of $13,110 in student loans. Soon after graduation, legal assistant/paralegal degree recipients from Broward College generally make around $51,328. Set against $13,110 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Keiser University Ft Lauderdale landed the #16 spot for legal assistant/paralegal value this year. Set in the city of Fort Lauderdale, Keiser University Ft Lauderdale is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $25,056 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $29,234 to complete the legal assistant/paralegal program here. Soon after graduation, legal assistant/paralegal degree recipients from Keiser University Ft Lauderdale generally make around $37,559. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Keiser University Ft Lauderdale admits about 97% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 28 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 16 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.
