Advising assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an advising assistant. Advising assistants usually study business, psychology, or finance. 60% of advising assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,964 real advising assistant resumes to see exactly what advising assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for advising assistants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online advising assistant courses to help get the education required to be an advising assistant.

There are certain advising assistant certifications that you should consider. These advising assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Advanced First Aid & CPR.

What education do you need to become an advising assistant?

What degree do you need to be an advising assistant?

The most common degree for advising assistants is bachelor's degree, with 60% of advising assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 60%

Associate, 17%

High School Diploma, 10%

Master's, 8%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an advising assistant?

You should major in business to become an advising assistant. 22% of advising assistants major in business. Other common majors for an advising assistant include psychology and finance.

Business, 22%

Psychology, 9%

Finance, 6%

English, 6%

Other Majors, 57%

Most common colleges for advising assistants

Advising assistants often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of California - Davis, and American University. Here are the most common colleges for advising assistants in the US based on their resumes.

Advising assistant common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	9.03%
University of California - Davis	7.10%
American University	6.45%
University of California, Santa Barbara	6.45%
Central State University	5.81%

Show more common advising assistant colleges

Best majors for advising assistants

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	22.2%
2	Psychology	9.4%
3	Finance	6.3%
4	English	6.0%
5	Political Science	5.9%

Show more common advising assistant majors

Best colleges for advising assistants

The best colleges for advising assistants are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.

An advising assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for advising assistants. 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 advising assistants.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

10. University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,167

Enrollment

30,279

20 best online courses for advising assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for advising assistants

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

If the best universities for advising assistants 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 advising assistants.

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. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

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 advising assistants

The hardest universities for advising assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for advising assistants 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 advising assistants 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for advising assistants

The easiest schools for advising assistants to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and bluefield college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an advising assistant 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 advising assistants.

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. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average advising assistant salary by education level

Advising assistants with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $55,517 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, advising assistants earn a median annual income of $48,368 compared to $40,542 for advising assistants with an Associate degree.

Advising assistant education level	Advising assistant salary
Master's Degree	$55,517
High School Diploma or Less	$40,131
Bachelor's Degree	$48,368
Some College/ Associate Degree	$40,542

Advising assistant education FAQs

What is the best college for Advising Assistants?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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