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Career transition specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a career transition specialist. Career transition specialists usually study business, psychology, or criminal justice. 67% of career transition specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 687 real career transition specialist resumes to see exactly what career transition specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for career transition specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online career transition specialist courses to help get the education required to be a career transition specialist.
What education do you need to become a career transition specialist?
What degree do you need to be a career transition specialist?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a career transition specialist?
- Business, 21%
- Psychology, 11%
- Criminal Justice, 8%
- Sociology, 8%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for career transition specialists
| Career transition specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.21% |
| Florida State University | 7.55% |
| Capella University | 6.60% |
| Strayer University | 5.66% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 5.66% |
Best majors for career transition specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 20.7% |
| 2 | Psychology | 11.0% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 8.5% |
| 4 | Sociology | 7.5% |
| 5 | Human Services | 6.6% |
Best colleges for career transition specialists
The best colleges for career transition specialists are Northeastern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
A career transition 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 career transition 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 career transition specialists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
20 best online courses for career transition specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for career transition specialists
The most affordable schools for career transition specialists are California State University - Bakersfield, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for career transition 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 career transition specialists.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for career transition specialists
The hardest universities for career transition specialists to get into are Northeastern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
Some great schools for career transition 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 career transition 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
5. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for career transition specialists
The easiest schools for career transition specialists to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, university of north texas at dallas, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a career transition 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 career transition specialists.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
9. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. American International College
Springfield, MA • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,010
Average career transition specialist salary by education level
| Career transition specialist education level | Career transition specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $44,078 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $40,020 |
| Doctorate Degree | $44,607 |
Career transition 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