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Assistant coach education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant coach. Assistant coaches usually study kinesiology, business, or psychology. 73% of assistant coaches hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 23,979 real assistant coach resumes to see exactly what assistant coach education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant coaches are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

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

There are certain assistant coach certifications that you should consider. These assistant coach certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Certified Personal Trainer.

What education do you need to become an assistant coach?

What degree do you need to be an assistant coach?

The most common degree for assistant coaches is bachelor's degree, with 73% of assistant coaches earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 9% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Master's, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an assistant coach?

You should major in kinesiology to become an assistant coach. 19% of assistant coaches major in kinesiology. Other common majors for an assistant coach include business and psychology.

Most common colleges for assistant coaches

Assistant coaches often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, California State University - San Bernardino, and Ohio State University. Here are the most common colleges for assistant coaches in the US based on their resumes.
Assistant coach common collegePercentages
Pennsylvania State University7.19%
California State University - San Bernardino6.29%
Ohio State University5.76%
Michigan State University5.67%
University of Wisconsin Colleges5.49%

Best majors for assistant coaches

RankMajorPercentages
1Kinesiology19.3%
2Business14.0%
3Psychology7.1%
4Health Education6.7%
5Communication6.6%

Best colleges for assistant coaches

The best colleges for assistant coaches are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

An assistant coach 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 coaches. 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 coaches.

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for assistant coaches

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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant coaches

The most affordable schools for assistant coaches are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for assistant coaches 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 coaches.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

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 assistant coaches

The hardest universities for assistant coaches to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for assistant coaches 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 coaches 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. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

7. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

10. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant coaches

The easiest schools for assistant coaches to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and felician university.

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

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average assistant coach salary by education level

Assistant coaches with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $46,873 annually. With a Master's degree, assistant coaches earn a median annual income of $46,666 compared to $42,644 for assistant coaches with an Associate degree.
Assistant coach education levelAssistant coach salary
Master's Degree$46,666
High School Diploma or Less$41,077
Bachelor's Degree$46,873
Some College/ Associate Degree$42,644

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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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