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Classroom assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a classroom assistant. Classroom assistants usually study psychology, elementary education, or business. 59% of classroom assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 7,163 real classroom assistant resumes to see exactly what classroom assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for classroom assistants are the Temple University and the Temple University.

There are also many online classroom assistant courses to help get the education required to be a classroom assistant.

There are certain classroom assistant certifications that you should consider. These classroom assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

What education do you need to become a classroom assistant?

What degree do you need to be a classroom assistant?

The most common degree for classroom assistants is bachelor's degree, with 59% of classroom assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 59%
  • Associate, 16%
  • High School Diploma, 13%
  • Master's, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a classroom assistant?

You should major in psychology to become a classroom assistant. 15% of classroom assistants major in psychology. Other common majors for a classroom assistant include elementary education and business.

Most common colleges for classroom assistants

Classroom assistants often get their degrees at Temple University, University of Phoenix, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for classroom assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Classroom assistant common collegePercentages
Temple University11.23%
University of Phoenix9.09%
Pennsylvania State University8.02%
Michigan State University6.15%
Portland State University5.88%

Best majors for classroom assistants

Best colleges for classroom assistants

The best colleges for classroom assistants are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Duke University.

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

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

9. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

10. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

20 best online courses for classroom assistants

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1. Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom

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Welcome to Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom! This course will help you apply strategies to the critical areas of K-12 virtual instruction to significantly impact virtual education. We will examine the pitfalls beginning teachers run into and learn how to overcome them by focusing on the fundamentals that have the greatest impact on student learning in a blended or online environment. By the end of the course, you will be able to empower your students to be voracious...

2. Performance Assessment in the Virtual Classroom

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Welcome to Performance Assessment in the Virtual Classroom! This course will help you effectively assess student performance virtually, including compliance issues, feedback models, online grade book functions, and data analysis. We will discuss why effective measures of performance and assessment are a crucial component of any virtual program, and the importance of teachers and administrators understanding both the myths and challenges of assessing performance virtually, administering...

3. My Google Classroom: Google Classroom Made Easy to Beginners

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Master Google Classroom: Discover How to Successfully Setup and Start Teaching With Google Classroom in Minutes!...

4. Implementing Positive Behaviour Management in the Classroom

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4.5
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Practical Strategies to Address Behaviour Issues in any Classroom...

5. Active Learning in STEM with PhET Interactive Simulations

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Learn how to engage your students and enhance learning in math and science with free virtual labs and simulations from the University of Colorado Boulder's PhET Interactive Simulations project (https://phet.colorado.edu/en). In this specialization, you will explore active learning strategies that you can incorporate into your own classroom, either online or in person. You will also learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of a learning experience by implementing a simulation-based lesson plan in...

6. Complete Google Classroom Course: Teaching Google Classroom

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Mastering the Art of Teaching with Google Classroom - Teaching Online with Google Classroom - Google Certified Educator...

7. Instructional Design for Classroom Training

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Design effective and engaging in-person classroom training sessions and learning experiences from scratch...

8. Teaching with Google Classroom

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Teaching Skills and Classroom Management...

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14. Google Assistant development with Actions on Google

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Learn SAP Activate Methodology (Act100) Learn Agile Methodology (Act200) Based on Activate 22 and Activate 13...

16. Active Directory & Group Policy Lab

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Learn REAL job skills and stack your resume with the experience you will gain in this course!...

17. Active Directory on Windows Server

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18. Becoming an Executive Personal Assistant

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19. [Active Directory] Management using Windows PowerShell

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20. Become a Virtual Assistant

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Live Free. Work Virtually. Virtual Assistant Training...

Top 10 most affordable universities for classroom assistants

The most affordable schools for classroom assistants are Hunter College of the City University of New York, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for classroom assistants 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 classroom assistants.

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. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus

San Juan, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

11,299

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for classroom assistants

The hardest universities for classroom assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for classroom assistants 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 classroom assistants 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,465

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for classroom assistants

The easiest schools for classroom assistants to get into are Bluefield College, d'youville college, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a classroom assistant 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 classroom assistants.

1. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

9. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average classroom assistant salary by education level

According to our data, classroom assistants with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $31,682 annually. Classroom assistants with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $31,230.
Classroom assistant education levelClassroom assistant salary
Master's Degree$31,230
High School Diploma or Less$28,848
Bachelor's Degree$29,620
Doctorate Degree$31,682
Some College/ Associate Degree$29,088

Classroom assistant 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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