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Academic coach education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an academic coach. Academic coaches usually study psychology, business, or education. 67% of academic coaches hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,010 real academic coach resumes to see exactly what academic coach education sections show.

The most common colleges for academic coaches are the San Jose State University and the San Jose State University.

There are also many online academic coach courses to help get the education required to be an academic coach.

What education do you need to become an academic coach?

What degree do you need to be an academic coach?

The most common degree for academic coaches is bachelor's degree, with 67% of academic coaches earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 67%
  • Master's, 19%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an academic coach?

You should major in psychology to become an academic coach. 20% of academic coaches major in psychology. Other common majors for an academic coach include business and education.

Most common colleges for academic coaches

Academic coaches often get their degrees at San Jose State University, University of California, Santa Barbara, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for academic coaches in the US based on their resumes.
Academic coach common collegePercentages
San Jose State University9.74%
University of California, Santa Barbara8.88%
University of Phoenix7.74%
San Diego State University6.30%
Temple University5.73%

Best majors for academic coaches

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology19.5%
2Business8.5%
3Education6.8%
4Elementary Education6.6%
5English6.2%

Best colleges for academic coaches

The best colleges for academic coaches are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Southern California.

An academic coach with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for academic coaches. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become academic coaches.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

3. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for academic coaches

Advertising disclosure

1. Academic Skills for University Success

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Develop skills in information & digital literacy, problem-solving, critical thinking and communication.\n\nThis Specialization is a high-level academic skills course designed to increase your level of academic preparedness prior to commencement of your studies in an English-medium university. The course equips you for full participation and engagement with your studies by building awareness and understanding of the core values and expectations of academic culture...

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Preparing for graduate school in the United States can be nerve-wracking. Many international students have questions about what the programs are like and what resources they can use to excel in their studies. This course allows potential and incoming international students to practice their communication skills, identify tools that support academic success, and gain confidence as they prepare for their advanced degrees. Alongside advancing your English skills, get the chance to hear from...

3. Effective Academic Writing: Write Papers that Get Results

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4. Academic Word List: Learn the Most Common Academic Words

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5. Academic English: Writing

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The skills taught in this Specialization will empower you to succeed in any college-level course or professional field. You’ll learn to conduct rigorous academic research and to express your ideas clearly in an academic format. In the final Capstone Project, all the knowledge that you’ve gained over the span of these courses will culminate into an academic research paper on an issue of your choice...

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7. IELTS 7 Plus: Complete IELTS Preparation [Academic]

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IELTS Preparation for all sections of the academic IELTS test...

8. Academic Writing Essentials: University Writing Crash Course

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15. Financial Planning Coaching Certification Holistic Coaching

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16. Accelerated Learning: Study Skills for Success: IT industry

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17. Master Linear Algebra 2020: The Complete Study Of Spaces

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18. Academic Essay Writing for English Language Learners

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19. Core Subjects Test Review for Social Studies

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20. Complete Goal Setting Course - Become Your Own Life Coach

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Top 10 most affordable universities for academic coaches

The most affordable schools for academic coaches are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for academic coaches are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for academic coaches.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for academic coaches

The hardest universities for academic coaches to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for academic coaches are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for academic coaches based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for academic coaches

The easiest schools for academic coaches to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and felician university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an academic coach without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for academic coaches.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average academic coach salary by education level

According to our data, academic coaches with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $42,730 annually. Academic coaches with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $42,531.
Academic coach education levelAcademic coach salary
Master's Degree$42,531
High School Diploma or Less$37,168
Bachelor's Degree$42,730
Some College/ Associate Degree$38,667

Academic coach education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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