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Admissions specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an admissions specialist. Admissions specialists usually study business, psychology, or nursing. 54% of admissions specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,726 real admissions specialist resumes to see exactly what admissions specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for admissions specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online admissions specialist courses to help get the education required to be an admissions specialist.
There are certain admissions specialist certifications that you should consider. These admissions specialist certifications include Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) and Nationally Certified Medical Office Assistant (NCMOA).
What education do you need to become an admissions specialist?
What degree do you need to be an admissions specialist?
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Associate, 19%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become an admissions specialist?
- Business, 23%
- Psychology, 14%
- Nursing, 7%
- Communication, 6%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for admissions specialists
| Admissions specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 16.40% |
| Liberty University | 12.40% |
| University of Central Florida | 9.20% |
| University of North Texas | 6.00% |
| University of South Florida | 5.20% |
Best majors for admissions specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 23.0% |
| 2 | Psychology | 13.6% |
| 3 | Nursing | 6.6% |
| 4 | Communication | 5.9% |
| 5 | Health Care Administration | 5.2% |
Best colleges for admissions specialists
The best colleges for admissions specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.
An admissions specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for admissions specialists. 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 admissions specialists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for admissions specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for admissions specialists
The most affordable schools for admissions specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for admissions specialists 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 admissions specialists.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for admissions specialists
The hardest universities for admissions specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for admissions specialists 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 admissions specialists 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for admissions specialists
The easiest schools for admissions specialists to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, barry university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an admissions specialist 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 admissions specialists.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
9. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average admissions specialist salary by education level
| Admissions specialist education level | Admissions specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $38,939 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,713 |
| Doctorate Degree | $39,495 |
Admissions specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025