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Cheerleading coach education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a cheerleading coach. Cheerleading coaches usually study business, psychology, or elementary education. 64% of cheerleading coaches hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 4,992 real cheerleading coach resumes to see exactly what cheerleading coach education sections show.
The most common colleges for cheerleading coaches are the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
There are also many online cheerleading coach courses to help get the education required to be a cheerleading coach.
There are certain cheerleading coach certifications that you should consider. These cheerleading coach certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Master Certified Coach (MCC).
What education do you need to become a cheerleading coach?
What degree do you need to be a cheerleading coach?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Associate, 11%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a cheerleading coach?
- Business, 12%
- Psychology, 11%
- Communication, 8%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for cheerleading coaches
| Cheerleading coach common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 9.90% |
| Liberty University | 6.60% |
| Ohio State University | 6.27% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.27% |
| Western Washington University | 5.94% |
Best majors for cheerleading coaches
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 11.6% |
| 2 | Psychology | 11.1% |
| 3 | Elementary Education | 8.5% |
| 4 | Communication | 7.7% |
| 5 | Kinesiology | 7.3% |
Best colleges for cheerleading coaches
The best colleges for cheerleading coaches are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Southern California.
A cheerleading 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 cheerleading 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 cheerleading coaches.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
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. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
20 best online courses for cheerleading coaches
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Top 10 most affordable universities for cheerleading coaches
The most affordable schools for cheerleading coaches are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for cheerleading 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 cheerleading coaches.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
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 cheerleading coaches
The hardest universities for cheerleading coaches to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for cheerleading 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 cheerleading 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
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. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cheerleading coaches
The easiest schools for cheerleading 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 a cheerleading 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 cheerleading 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. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average cheerleading coach salary by education level
| Cheerleading coach education level | Cheerleading coach salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $46,775 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $39,603 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,045 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $41,585 |
Cheerleading coach education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025