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Assistant athletic trainer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant athletic trainer. Assistant athletic trainers usually study athletic training, kinesiology, or business. 64% of assistant athletic trainers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,695 real assistant athletic trainer resumes to see exactly what assistant athletic trainer education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant athletic trainers are the West Virginia University and the West Virginia University.

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

There are certain assistant athletic trainer certifications that you should consider. These assistant athletic trainer certifications include Athletic Trainer Certification (ATC) and Medical Assistant.

What education do you need to become an assistant athletic trainer?

What degree do you need to be an assistant athletic trainer?

The most common degree for assistant athletic trainers is bachelor's degree, with 64% of assistant athletic trainers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 64%
  • Master's, 16%
  • Associate, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an assistant athletic trainer?

You should major in athletic training to become an assistant athletic trainer. 35% of assistant athletic trainers major in athletic training. Other common majors for an assistant athletic trainer include kinesiology and business.

Most common colleges for assistant athletic trainers

Assistant athletic trainers often get their degrees at West Virginia University, California State University - San Bernardino, and California University of Pennsylvania. Here are the most common colleges for assistant athletic trainers in the US based on their resumes.
Assistant athletic trainer common collegePercentages
West Virginia University7.46%
California State University - San Bernardino6.14%
California University of Pennsylvania5.70%
University of Florida5.70%
University of Kansas5.70%

Best majors for assistant athletic trainers

RankMajorPercentages
1Athletic Training35.3%
2Kinesiology17.1%
3Business8.4%
4Health Education5.8%
5Psychology4.4%

Best colleges for assistant athletic trainers

The best colleges for assistant athletic trainers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and George Washington University, The.

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

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

7. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

8. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

9. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$11,803

Enrollment

4,631

10. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

20 best online courses for assistant athletic trainers

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1. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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3. ICD 10 & 11 Medical Coding and Billing

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4. Medical Terminology

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4.7
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Introduction to the meaning of various roots, terms and combining forms that are components of medical words...

5. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...

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17. Medical Device Regulation 2017/745 EU regulatory affairs.

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19. Medical Devices Quality Management System - ISO 13485:2016

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Awareness and Application for the requirements of ISO 13485:2016 for Medical Device Development and QMS...

20. Train the Trainer 101: For Beginners Only!

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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant athletic trainers

The most affordable schools for assistant athletic trainers are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for assistant athletic trainers 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 assistant athletic trainers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant athletic trainers

The hardest universities for assistant athletic trainers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and George Washington University, The.

Some great schools for assistant athletic trainers 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 assistant athletic trainers 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. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

7. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,307

10. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant athletic trainers

The easiest schools for assistant athletic trainers to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and life university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant athletic trainer 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 assistant athletic trainers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

4. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

10. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

Average assistant athletic trainer salary by education level

Assistant athletic trainers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $51,997 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, assistant athletic trainers earn a median annual income of $48,697 compared to $45,977 for assistant athletic trainers with an Associate degree.
Assistant athletic trainer education levelAssistant athletic trainer salary
Master's Degree$51,997
Bachelor's Degree$48,697
Some College/ Associate Degree$45,977

Assistant athletic trainer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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