Best Paralegal Studies Schools Near Dana Point, CA (2026)

Dana Point, California has 40 accredited schools offering paralegal programs, with tuition ranging from $1,150 to $13,494 per year for indexed programs. Dana Point has a population of about 32,883. Median household income is $127,246 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning paralegal-related role is Lawyer at a median $194,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Paralegal Schools to Dana Point

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer paralegal programs near Dana Point, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Dana Point 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 Dana Point. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

University of Massachusetts Global

Aliso Viejo, CA 13.3 miles from Dana Point BOC Score 44.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,703
Avg net price $32,654/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,540
Out‑of‑state$12,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, CA 22.5 miles from Dana Point BOC Score 65.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,552
Avg net price $3,133/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Cypress College

Cypress, CA 30.9 miles from Dana Point BOC Score 49.5
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,533
Avg net price $4,606/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Fremont University

Cerritos, CA 35.7 miles from Dana Point BOC Score 54.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,003
Avg net price $34,483/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:Accreditor: Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of La Verne

La Verne, CA 43.5 miles from Dana Point BOC Score 62.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,464
Avg net price $20,161/yr
Tuition
In‑state$49,470
Out‑of‑state$49,470
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

West Los Angeles College

Culver City, CA 54.0 miles from Dana Point BOC Score 59.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,537
Avg net price $9,634/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

National University

San Diego, CA 55.3 miles from Dana Point BOC Score 44.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,548
Avg net price $22,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northcentral University

San Diego, CA 55.3 miles from Dana Point BOC Score 35.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,414
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California paralegal page.


Paralegal Wages Near Dana Point

Dana Point is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Paralegal and Legal Assistant$77,520Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$68,239
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant$62,620Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$55,123
Lawyer$194,410Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$171,136

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.


Dana Point at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population32,883Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$127,246Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+57.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Dana Point-Area Cities With Paralegal Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited paralegal schools are near Dana Point, CA?

Our directory has 40 accredited schools offering paralegal programs near Dana Point. The closest is University of Massachusetts Global in Irvine, CA (13.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Palomar College (37.1 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying paralegal roles near Dana Point?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying paralegal-related roles near Dana Point are: Lawyer ($194,410), Paralegal and Legal Assistant ($77,520), Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant ($62,620). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in San Juan Capistrano instead of Dana Point?

San Juan Capistrano, CA is 3.1 miles from Dana Point and has its own set of local paralegal programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Dana Point an affordable place to study paralegal?

Dana Point’s median household income of $127,246 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Dana Point while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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.


Learn More About Paralegal Programs

Other Programs Available in Dana Point

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

Data verified: August 11, 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.