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Child protective specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a child protective specialist. Child protective specialists usually study psychology, social work, or sociology. 76% of child protective specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,985 real child protective specialist resumes to see exactly what child protective specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for child protective specialists are the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York.
There are also many online child protective specialist courses to help get the education required to be a child protective specialist.
There are certain child protective specialist certifications that you should consider. These child protective specialist certifications include Certified Professional Counselor and Child Abuse Pediatrics.
What education do you need to become a child protective specialist?
What degree do you need to be a child protective specialist?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a child protective specialist?
- Psychology, 24%
- Social Work, 20%
- Sociology, 13%
- Criminal Justice, 12%
- Other Majors, 31%
Most common colleges for child protective specialists
| Child protective specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York | 25.88% |
| College of New Rochelle, The | 9.41% |
| City College of New York of the City University of New York, The | 5.69% |
| York College | 5.49% |
| New York University | 5.29% |
Best majors for child protective specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 24.2% |
| 2 | Social Work | 19.6% |
| 3 | Sociology | 12.7% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 11.7% |
| 5 | Human Services | 5.5% |
Best colleges for child protective specialists
The best colleges for child protective specialists are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston College.
A child protective 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 child protective 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 child protective specialists.
1. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for child protective specialists
Advertising disclosure
1. Child Care as a Business
This course is targeted toward individuals wishing to run a home-based child care center. It covers topics such as the fundamentals of an in-home childcare setting as a business; the importance of financial management of a child care center; the creation of a child care contract; and an exploration of how to set tuition rates. Since a Family Policy Handbook is essential for anyone operating a family day care center, this course includes the development of one of three imperative sections of the...
2. Home-Based Child Care
This series of courses is intended to provide learners with the tools to develop and operate a home-based childcare center. Stages of child development, best practices to stimulate learning, important safety measures, and business fundamentals are introduced...
3. Fully Accredited Professional Child Psychology Diploma
Learn or Specialise Your Therapy in Child Psychology with this Fully Accredited Diploma Course...
4. Introduction to Child Psychology - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE
Learn about child behaviour, parenting styles, relationships and socialising, cognitive development, counselling & more!...
5. Child Nutrition and Cooking
Eating patterns that begin in childhood affect health and well-being across the lifespan. The culture of eating has changed significantly in recent decades, especially in parts of the world where processed foods dominate our dietary intake. This course examines contemporary child nutrition and the impact of the individual decisions made by each family. The health risks associated with obesity in childhood are also discussed. Participants will learn what constitutes a healthy diet for children...
6. Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing
Everyday Parenting gives you access to a toolkit of behavior-change techniques that will make your typical day in the home easier as you develop the behaviors you would like to see in your child. The lessons provide step-by-step instructions and demonstrations to improve your course of action with both children and adolescents. Among many techniques, you will learn how even simple modifications to tone of voice and phrasing can lead to more compliance. The course will also shed light on many...
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9. Crisis Intervention Seminar
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10. Safeguarding Children Level One
Safeguarding, Spotting Abuse, Sharing Concerns and Child Protection...
11. OSHA Safety Pro: Hearing Protection Program
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15. Fire Safety and Prevention Planning
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16. Basic Certificate in Health Safety & Environment-HSE Level 2
A comprehensive course for Safety Officers, Supervisors, Managers and Aspiring Safety Professionals...
17. Child Psychology (Advanced Level) - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE
Childhood development and behaviour, psychology theories of cognition, learning, and memorising, milestones and stages...
18. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment
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20. Fire Safety: Become A Fire Safety Expert
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Top 10 most affordable universities for child protective specialists
The most affordable schools for child protective specialists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for child protective 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 child protective specialists.
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for child protective specialists
The hardest universities for child protective specialists to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston College.
Some great schools for child protective 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 child protective 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for child protective specialists
The easiest schools for child protective specialists to get into are Nyack College, mount saint mary's university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a child protective 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 child protective specialists.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
8. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
9. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average child protective specialist salary by education level
| Child protective specialist education level | Child protective specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,009 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,819 |
Child protective specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025