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Activist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an activist. Activists usually study political science, business, or psychology. 64% of activists hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 644 real activist resumes to see exactly what activist education sections show.
The most common colleges for activists are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online activist courses to help get the education required to be an activist.
What education do you need to become an activist?
What degree do you need to be an activist?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become an activist?
- Political Science, 14%
- Business, 13%
- Psychology, 11%
- English, 6%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for activists
| Activist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.52% |
| Syracuse University | 6.35% |
| John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York | 6.35% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.35% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 6.35% |
Best majors for activists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Political Science | 13.8% |
| 2 | Business | 13.3% |
| 3 | Psychology | 10.7% |
| 4 | English | 6.2% |
| 5 | Sociology | 5.8% |
Best colleges for activists
The best colleges for activists are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Vanderbilt University.
An activist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for activists. 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 activists.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
7. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for activists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for activists
The most affordable schools for activists are California State University - Bakersfield, university of florida, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for activists 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 activists.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for activists
The hardest universities for activists to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for activists 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 activists 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for activists
The easiest schools for activists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an activist 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 activists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
10. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
Average activist salary by education level
| Activist education level | Activist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $45,484 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $36,238 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,299 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,498 |
Activist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025