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Advocate education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an advocate. Advocates usually study psychology, business, or social work. 58% of advocates hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 28,540 real advocate resumes to see exactly what advocate education sections show.
The most common colleges for advocates are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online advocate courses to help get the education required to be an advocate.
There are certain advocate certifications that you should consider. These advocate certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI).
What education do you need to become an advocate?
What degree do you need to be an advocate?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become an advocate?
- Psychology, 19%
- Business, 13%
- Social Work, 10%
- Criminal Justice, 9%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for advocates
| Advocate common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 19.65% |
| Michigan State University | 6.59% |
| New York University | 5.91% |
| University of Central Florida | 4.91% |
| Florida State University | 4.60% |
Best majors for advocates
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 18.8% |
| 2 | Business | 12.8% |
| 3 | Social Work | 10.5% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 8.9% |
| 5 | Human Services | 5.6% |
Best colleges for advocates
The best colleges for advocates are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
An advocate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for advocates. 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 advocates.
1. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
2. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
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 Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
8. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for advocates
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Top 10 most affordable universities for advocates
The most affordable schools for advocates are California State University - Bakersfield, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for advocates 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 advocates.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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 South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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 advocates
The hardest universities for advocates to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for advocates 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 advocates 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for advocates
The easiest schools for advocates to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, holy names university, and bluefield college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an advocate 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 advocates.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
4. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average advocate salary by education level
| Advocate education level | Advocate salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $48,880 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $37,771 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,810 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $38,078 |
Advocate education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025