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Civil affairs specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a civil affairs specialist. Civil affairs specialists usually study business, criminal justice, or general studies. 52% of civil affairs specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 745 real civil affairs specialist resumes to see exactly what civil affairs specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for civil affairs specialists are the Pikes Peak Community College and the Pikes Peak Community College.

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

There are certain civil affairs specialist certifications that you should consider. These civil affairs specialist certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Medical Assistant.

What education do you need to become a civil affairs specialist?

What degree do you need to be a civil affairs specialist?

The most common degree for civil affairs specialists is bachelor's degree, with 52% of civil affairs specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 52%
  • Associate, 21%
  • High School Diploma, 11%
  • Master's, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a civil affairs specialist?

You should major in business to become a civil affairs specialist. 22% of civil affairs specialists major in business. Other common majors for a civil affairs specialist include criminal justice and general studies.

Most common colleges for civil affairs specialists

Civil affairs specialists often get their degrees at Pikes Peak Community College, George Mason University, and American University. Here are the most common colleges for civil affairs specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Civil affairs specialist common collegePercentages
Pikes Peak Community College7.79%
George Mason University7.79%
American University6.49%
University of Phoenix6.49%
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus5.19%

Best majors for civil affairs specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Business21.6%
2Criminal Justice13.3%
3General Studies8.0%
4Political Science6.8%
5History5.7%

Best colleges for civil affairs specialists

The best colleges for civil affairs specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

A civil affairs 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 civil affairs 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 civil affairs specialists.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$41,870

Enrollment

8,200

8. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

9. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

10. Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$38,178

Enrollment

6,008

20 best online courses for civil affairs specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for civil affairs specialists

The most affordable schools for civil affairs specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for civil affairs 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 civil affairs specialists.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. Texas A&M International University

Laredo, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$7,176

Cost of attendance

13,914

9. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for civil affairs specialists

The hardest universities for civil affairs specialists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for civil affairs 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 civil affairs 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. American University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,320

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for civil affairs specialists

The easiest schools for civil affairs specialists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame college, and saint joseph's college of maine.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a civil affairs 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 civil affairs specialists.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

3. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

Average civil affairs specialist salary by education level

According to our data, civil affairs specialists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $68,652 annually. Civil affairs specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $63,456.
Civil affairs specialist education levelCivil affairs specialist salary
Master's Degree$68,652
Bachelor's Degree$63,456

Civil affairs 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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