How to Select a Court Reporting School

You’ve decided you want to become a court reporter. Congratulations! You’ve selected an exciting and growing profession with lots of opportunities. Before signing up for the first online court reporting school you find in an internet search, we encourage you to follow these steps for how to select a court reporting school.

Where do you find accredited programs?

Before signing and paying tuition, make sure the school is recognized by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) AND the Department of Education. Students at the San Diego-based Sage College court reporting program learned their school lost its DOE accreditation and were forced to find qualified programs in which they could study and graduate. Don’t let that happen to you!

While we can’t prevent a school that is accredited today from losing their standing, we can work with professional court reporter associations like the NCRA to understand where the best programs are, even if that means relocating from Las Vegas to a qualified program in California or Arizona to get the proper certification.

Do you want to be a full-time or part-time student?

Just as with any certification or degree, court reporting schools offer full-time and part-time programs but not all schools offer both. Understand what your personal needs are before choosing a program. If you want to complete a program fast to start earning money, be sure you’re not enrolling in a school that only offers part-time classes.

What is the cost?

Tuition and fees for court reporting schools vary so it’s important to understand what you’re paying for, what you’re obligated to pay up front, what you can finance, and your student loan eligibility. You wouldn’t want to choose a more expensive program only to find out the fees are high and you don’t qualify for student loans.

Because the number of NCRA-approved court reporting programs is limited, prospective students have to consider whether it’s worth it to move to attend a program in a different state. Because the earning potential is high, we think it’s at least worth considering a move to go to school. You can always come back to your home state when you’ve graduated.

Are you interested in a career in court reporting or are you an attorney in need of a court reporter? We’re here to help! Contact us today.