Community development worker education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a community development worker. Community development workers usually study psychology, business, or criminal justice. 68% of community development workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 375 real community development worker resumes to see exactly what community development worker education sections show.

The most common colleges for community development workers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online community development worker courses to help get the education required to be a community development worker.

What education do you need to become a community development worker?

What degree do you need to be a community development worker?

The most common degree for community development workers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of community development workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Master's, 16%

Associate, 9%

Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a community development worker?

You should major in psychology to become a community development worker. 13% of community development workers major in psychology. Other common majors for a community development worker include business and criminal justice.

Psychology, 13%

Business, 10%

Criminal Justice, 7%

Computer Science, 7%

Other Majors, 63%

Most common colleges for community development workers

Community development workers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Miami University, and Syracuse University. Here are the most common colleges for community development workers in the US based on their resumes.

Community development worker common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	10.00%
Miami University	8.00%
Syracuse University	6.00%
University of Washington	6.00%
University of California - Davis	6.00%

Show more common community development worker colleges

Best majors for community development workers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	13.3%
2	Business	10.4%
3	Criminal Justice	6.7%
4	Computer Science	6.7%
5	Social Work	6.7%

Show more common community development worker majors

Best colleges for community development workers

The best colleges for community development workers are Northwestern University, University of Rochester, and Syracuse University.

A community development worker with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for community development workers. 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 community development workers.

1. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

2. University of Delaware

Newark, DE • Private

In-state tuition

$13,680

Enrollment

19,060

3. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

4. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,922

Enrollment

17,704

5. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

6. SUNY College at Brockport

Brockport, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,412

Enrollment

7,015

7. Spelman College

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$29,064

Enrollment

2,166

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

9. Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$14,617

Enrollment

12,761

10. Towson University

Towson, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$9,940

Enrollment

19,623

20 best online courses for community development workers

Advertising disclosure

1. Communication Skills Masterclass - Your Communication Guide

4.5

(961)

Communication Skill For Business Communication & Effective Communication In Workplace & Relationships...

2. Communication Fundamentals: How To Communicate Better

4.5

(82,838)

Become an Effective Communicator And Learn How to Get Your Message Across By Learning Communication Fundamentals...

3. CSR Development & Communications: Make a Difference Today!

4.4

(378)

Introduction to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program Development & Communication...

4. Winning With Communication - Master Communication Skills

4.4

(539)

Communication Training Course - Develop True Communication Mastery!...

5. Winning Communication Skills for Telephone, Conference Calls

4.3

(2,677)

Improve Communication Skills - Use the Telephone Effectively! Avoid Phone Etiquette Blunders that Annoy...

6. The Communication Skills and Social Intelligence Masterclass

4.6

(1,185)

An essential guide to cultivating influential people skills, communication skills and street-smart social intelligence...

7. Communication Skills for Beginners

4.3

(280)

Basic tips and techniques to develop the communication skills effectively - enhance your success in career...

8. The Complete Communication Skills Master Class for Life

4.5

(24,987)

Communication Skills for Persuasion, Assertiveness and All Business Communication Needs...

9. Communication Skills - 7 Communication Courses In 1

4.6

(748)

Master Communication Skills: Learn Persuasion, Negotiation, Body Language, Emotional Intelligence & More!...

10. Effective Communication Skills: Be a Better Communicator!

(404)

NEW UPGRADED COURSE: Learn proven, effective communication skills, how to question, listen actively & overcome problems...

11. Communication Skills PLUS Leadership - 2 in 1 Masterclass

4.5

(4,367)

Learn Communication & Leadership Skills For Inspiration, Success In Life, Work PLUS Interviews, Case Studies, Activities...

12. Communication Skills مهارات التواصل

4.7

(350)

What you need to know ما يجب عليك معرفته...

13. Executive Communication Training

4.5

(272)

Being a great leader without being a great communicator is nearly impossible...

14. Assertive Communication Skills Masterclass

4.5

(10,770)

Assertive Communication Skills for Business & Social Life. Speak Confidently. Set Boundaries. Difficult conversations...

15. Basic Communication Skills

4.4

(485)

Learn how to be an effective communicator...

16. Communicate Like a CEO

4.4

(454)

Dramatically improve your leadership communication skills on the way to the c-suite...

17. Communication Skills for Beginners

4.5

(5,736)

Start Building Your Communication Skills Now...

18. Communication & Social Skills

4.5

(34,942)

Learn to become more confident and effective when speaking, listening, or writing...

19. The Complete Business Communication Masterclass

4.6

(2,062)

Improve your productivity and relationships in the workplace through the hidden secrets of communication!...

20. The Art of Communications - Become A Master Communicator

4.5

(8,409)

Communication skills training. Confidence. Public Speaking. Promotion. Body Language. Pay raise. Job interview. Speech...

Top 10 most affordable universities for community development workers

The most affordable schools for community development workers are California State University - Fullerton, california state university - dominguez hills, and california state university - san bernardino.

If the best universities for community development workers 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 community development workers.

1. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

2. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

3. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,922

Cost of attendance

18,522

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla

Aguadilla, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,284

8. Southern University at New Orleans

New Orleans, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,033

Cost of attendance

12,702

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for community development workers

The hardest universities for community development workers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Rochester, and Syracuse University.

Some great schools for community development workers 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 community development workers 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. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

3. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

7. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for community development workers

The easiest schools for community development workers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, university of north texas at dallas, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a community development worker 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 community development workers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. Chestnut Hill College

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,026

9. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average community development worker salary by education level

According to our data, community development workers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $72,827 annually. Community development workers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $59,219.

Community development worker education level	Community development worker salary
Master's Degree	$72,827
High School Diploma or Less	$47,420
Bachelor's Degree	$59,219
Some College/ Associate Degree	$49,187

Community development worker education FAQs

What is the best college for Community Development Workers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.

Search for community development worker 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

Browse community and social services jobs