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Certified activity coordinator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a certified activity coordinator. Certified activity coordinators usually study business, education, or nursing. 48% of certified activity coordinators hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 161 real certified activity coordinator resumes to see exactly what certified activity coordinator education sections show.

The most common colleges for certified activity coordinators are the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

There are also many online certified activity coordinator courses to help get the education required to be a certified activity coordinator.

What education do you need to become a certified activity coordinator?

What degree do you need to be a certified activity coordinator?

The most common degree for certified activity coordinators is bachelor's degree, with 48% of certified activity coordinators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 48%
  • Associate, 24%
  • Master's, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 11%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a certified activity coordinator?

You should major in business to become a certified activity coordinator. 19% of certified activity coordinators major in business. Other common majors for a certified activity coordinator include education and nursing.

Most common colleges for certified activity coordinators

Certified activity coordinators often get their degrees at University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Tennessee State University, and University of Maine. Here are the most common colleges for certified activity coordinators in the US based on their resumes.
Certified activity coordinator common collegePercentages
University of Arkansas at Little Rock8.00%
Tennessee State University8.00%
University of Maine8.00%
Capella University8.00%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale8.00%

Best majors for certified activity coordinators

RankMajorPercentages
1Business19.2%
2Education8.2%
3Nursing8.2%
4Sociology5.5%
5Psychology5.5%

Best colleges for certified activity coordinators

The best colleges for certified activity coordinators are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A certified activity coordinator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for certified activity coordinators. 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 certified activity coordinators.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,092

Enrollment

1,216

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for certified activity coordinators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for certified activity coordinators

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

If the best universities for certified activity coordinators 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 certified activity coordinators.

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for certified activity coordinators

The hardest universities for certified activity coordinators to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for certified activity coordinators 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 certified activity coordinators 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for certified activity coordinators

The easiest schools for certified activity coordinators to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a certified activity coordinator 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 certified activity coordinators.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average certified activity coordinator salary by education level

Certified activity coordinators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $38,889 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, certified activity coordinators earn a median annual income of $37,668 compared to $36,138 for certified activity coordinators with an Associate degree.
Certified activity coordinator education levelCertified activity coordinator salary
Master's Degree$38,889
High School Diploma or Less$33,601
Bachelor's Degree$37,668
Some College/ Associate Degree$36,138

Certified activity coordinator 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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