2026 Best Value Legal Assistant/Paralegal Schools in Missouri
[Legal Assistant/Paralegal](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/legal-support-services/legal-assistant-paralegal/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for legal assistant/paralegal students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Legal Assistant/Paralegal Schools in Missouri
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the legal assistant/paralegal degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Legal Assistant/Paralegal Schools
Leading the list is Saint Louis Community College, our #1 best value for legal assistant/paralegal in Missouri. Saint Louis Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Bridgeton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,660, with out-of-state students paying around $6,990. Typical student debt for legal assistant/paralegal graduates is $6,500. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates of Saint Louis Community College earn a median of $31,842 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $6,500 median debt.
Metropolitan Community College Kansas City is a great value for students pursuing a degree in legal assistant/paralegal, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Kansas City, Metropolitan Community College Kansas City is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,630, compared with $9,600 for out-of-state students. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates carry a median of $12,281 in student loans. Soon after graduation, legal assistant/paralegal degree recipients from Metropolitan Community College Kansas City generally make around $46,660. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes Missouri Western State University one of the best values for legal assistant/paralegal. Located in the city of Saint Joseph, Missouri Western State University is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $9,545 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $18,455. Legal Assistant/paralegal graduates carry a median of $24,362 in student loans. Early-career legal assistant/paralegal graduates make about $41,107. Set against $24,362 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #4 makes Webster University one of the best values for legal assistant/paralegal. Webster University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. In-state tuition and fees average $31,750. Typical student debt for legal assistant/paralegal graduates is $25,939. Early-career legal assistant/paralegal graduates make about $57,152. That is a strong return on a $25,939 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
