Best Legal Studies Schools Near McAllen, TX (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

McAllen, Texas is home to about 143,789 residents. Median household income is $60,165 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area, the top-earning legal studies-related role is Lawyer at a median $115,920 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer legal studies programs near McAllen, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from McAllen city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from McAllen. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

The University of Texas at San Antonio

San Antonio, TX 233.5 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,131
Avg net price $10,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 120

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Texas State University

San Marcos, TX 254.1 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,906
Avg net price $16,805/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Houston Christian University

Houston, TX 292.1 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,933
Avg net price $20,629/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Texas A&M University-College Station

College Station, TX 325.3 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,097
Avg net price $21,315/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 233

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Howard Payne University

Brownwood, TX 382.4 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
30.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,376
Avg net price $23,627/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, TX 414.4 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,040
Avg net price $20,783/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Paul Quinn College

Dallas, TX 455.1 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
30.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,288
Avg net price $12,709/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Lubbock Christian University

Lubbock, TX 554.1 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,787
Avg net price $24,456/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Texas schools on the Texas legal studies page.

McAllen is part of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area (BLS area code 32580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Paralegal and Legal Assistant$47,330McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$55,099
Lawyer$115,920McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$134,948
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant$45,100McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$52,503

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

McAllen at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population143,789Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$60,165Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)85.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying legal studies-related roles near McAllen are: Lawyer ($115,920), Paralegal and Legal Assistant ($47,330), Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant ($45,100). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Pharr instead of McAllen?

Pharr, TX is 4.9 miles from McAllen and has its own set of local legal studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

McAllen’s median household income of $60,165 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in McAllen while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Other Programs Available in McAllen

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for McAllen:

Data verified: August 31, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Legal Studies Schools in Texas: Online Programs (2026)