Child caregiver education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a child caregiver. Child caregivers usually study psychology, business, or nursing. 41% of child caregivers hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 5,608 real child caregiver resumes to see exactly what child caregiver education sections show.

The most common colleges for child caregivers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online child caregiver courses to help get the education required to be a child caregiver.

There are certain child caregiver certifications that you should consider. These child caregiver certifications include Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

What education do you need to become a child caregiver?

What degree do you need to be a child caregiver?

The most common degree for child caregivers is bachelor's degree, with 41% of child caregivers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 29% and high school diploma degree at 17%.

Bachelor's, 41%

High School Diploma, 29%

Associate, 17%

Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a child caregiver?

You should major in psychology to become a child caregiver. 16% of child caregivers major in psychology. Other common majors for a child caregiver include business and nursing.

Psychology, 16%

Business, 10%

Nursing, 9%

General Studies, 7%

Other Majors, 58%

Most common colleges for child caregivers

Child caregivers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and Texas State University. Here are the most common colleges for child caregivers in the US based on their resumes.

Child caregiver common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	14.37%
West Chester University of Pennsylvania	7.78%
Texas State University	5.39%
Florida State University	5.39%
Central State University	5.39%

Show more common child caregiver colleges

Best majors for child caregivers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	15.6%
2	Business	10.3%
3	Nursing	9.5%
4	General Studies	7.1%
5	Early Childhood Education	5.6%

Show more common child caregiver majors

Best colleges for child caregivers

The best colleges for child caregivers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A child caregiver with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for child caregivers. 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 child caregivers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

4. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

In-state tuition

$15,374

Enrollment

19,564

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

6. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

7. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

8. Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$48,350

Enrollment

4,103

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

20 best online courses for child caregivers

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20. Introduction to Child Psychology - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE

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Top 10 most affordable universities for child caregivers

The most affordable schools for child caregivers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.

If the best universities for child caregivers 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 child caregivers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for child caregivers

The hardest universities for child caregivers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for child caregivers 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 child caregivers 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

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 child caregivers

The easiest schools for child caregivers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, bluefield college, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a child caregiver 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 child caregivers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

5. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

6. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average child caregiver salary by education level

Child caregivers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $37,921 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, child caregivers earn a median annual income of $35,244 compared to $33,535 for child caregivers with an Associate degree.

Child caregiver education level	Child caregiver salary
Master's Degree	$37,921
High School Diploma or Less	$32,022
Bachelor's Degree	$35,244
Some College/ Associate Degree	$33,535

Child caregiver education FAQs

What is the best college for Child Caregivers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.

Search for child caregiver jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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