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Adoption specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an adoption specialist. Adoption specialists usually study social work, psychology, or sociology. 67% of adoption specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,151 real adoption specialist resumes to see exactly what adoption specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for adoption specialists are the Michigan State University and the Michigan State University.
There are also many online adoption specialist courses to help get the education required to be an adoption specialist.
There are certain adoption specialist certifications that you should consider. These adoption specialist certifications include Certified Criminal Justice Specialist (CCJS) and Certification in Forensic Social Work (CFSW).
What education do you need to become an adoption specialist?
What degree do you need to be an adoption specialist?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an adoption specialist?
- Social Work, 31%
- Psychology, 22%
- Sociology, 7%
- Criminal Justice, 7%
- Other Majors, 33%
Most common colleges for adoption specialists
| Adoption specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Michigan State University | 11.80% |
| Arizona State University | 8.43% |
| Wayne State University | 6.74% |
| Western Michigan University | 6.74% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 6.18% |
Best majors for adoption specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Work | 31.2% |
| 2 | Psychology | 21.7% |
| 3 | Sociology | 7.4% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 6.7% |
| 5 | Human Development | 5.3% |
Best colleges for adoption specialists
The best colleges for adoption specialists are Northwestern University, Boston College, and Johns Hopkins University.
An adoption 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 adoption 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 adoption specialists.
1. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
3. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
4. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for adoption specialists
Advertising disclosure
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Top 10 most affordable universities for adoption specialists
The most affordable schools for adoption specialists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for adoption 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 adoption specialists.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for adoption specialists
The hardest universities for adoption specialists to get into are Northwestern University, Boston College, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for adoption 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 adoption 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for adoption specialists
The easiest schools for adoption specialists to get into are Nyack College, mount saint mary's university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an adoption 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 adoption specialists.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
Average adoption specialist salary by education level
| Adoption specialist education level | Adoption specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,146 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $39,710 |
Adoption specialist 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