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Case management specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a case management specialist. Case management specialists usually study nursing, social work, or psychology. 56% of case management specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 6,634 real case management specialist resumes to see exactly what case management specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for case management specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online case management specialist courses to help get the education required to be a case management specialist.

There are certain case management specialist certifications that you should consider. These case management specialist certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Case Manager (ACM).

What education do you need to become a case management specialist?

What degree do you need to be a case management specialist?

The most common degree for case management specialists is bachelor's degree, with 56% of case management specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 56%
  • Associate, 21%
  • Master's, 14%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a case management specialist?

You should major in nursing to become a case management specialist. 26% of case management specialists major in nursing. Other common majors for a case management specialist include social work and psychology.

Most common colleges for case management specialists

Case management specialists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Coppin State University, and California State University - San Bernardino. Here are the most common colleges for case management specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Case management specialist common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix24.76%
Coppin State University5.42%
California State University - San Bernardino4.95%
Liberty University4.95%
University of Maryland - College Park4.48%

Best majors for case management specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Nursing25.6%
2Social Work14.0%
3Psychology13.8%
4Business8.4%
5Criminal Justice7.4%

Best colleges for case management specialists

The best colleges for case management specialists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

A case management 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 case management 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 case management specialists.

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 case management specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for case management specialists

The most affordable schools for case management specialists 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 case management 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 case management specialists.

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 case management specialists

The hardest universities for case management specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for case management 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 case management 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. 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 case management specialists

The easiest schools for case management specialists 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 a case management 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 case management specialists.

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 case management specialist salary by education level

Case management specialists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $52,241 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, case management specialists earn a median annual income of $46,444 compared to $39,952 for case management specialists with an Associate degree.
Case management specialist education levelCase management specialist salary
Master's Degree$52,241
High School Diploma or Less$39,606
Bachelor's Degree$46,444
Some College/ Associate Degree$39,952

Case management specialist 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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