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Community living assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a community living assistant. Community living assistants usually study nursing, business, or psychology. 38% of community living assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 3,736 real community living assistant resumes to see exactly what community living assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for community living assistants are the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.
There are also many online community living assistant courses to help get the education required to be a community living assistant.
There are certain community living assistant certifications that you should consider. These community living assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.
What education do you need to become a community living assistant?
What degree do you need to be a community living assistant?
- Bachelor's, 38%
- High School Diploma, 21%
- Associate, 20%
- Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 14%
What should I major in to become a community living assistant?
- Nursing, 14%
- Business, 12%
- Psychology, 11%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for community living assistants
| Community living assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | 11.27% |
| University of Phoenix | 10.80% |
| University of Wisconsin - Stout | 8.92% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 8.92% |
| Grand Valley State University | 5.63% |
Best majors for community living assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 13.8% |
| 2 | Business | 12.4% |
| 3 | Psychology | 11.3% |
| 4 | Medical Assisting Services | 6.9% |
| 5 | Health Care Administration | 6.3% |
Best colleges for community living assistants
The best colleges for community living assistants are University of Virginia, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A community living 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 community living 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 community living assistants.
1. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla
Aguadilla, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,902
Enrollment
3,622
3. Saint Joseph's College, New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$27,830
Enrollment
937
4. New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,686
Enrollment
11,139
5. Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$8,967
Enrollment
10,030
6. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
7. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Enrollment
34,637
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
10. University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$8,580
Enrollment
10,482
20 best online courses for community living assistants
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14. Palliative Care: It's Not Just Hospice Anymore
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Top 10 most affordable universities for community living assistants
The most affordable schools for community living assistants are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - fullerton, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for community living 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 community living 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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
3. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for community living assistants
The hardest universities for community living assistants to get into are University of Virginia, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for community living 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 community living 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. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
7. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,318
8. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
9. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for community living assistants
The easiest schools for community living assistants to get into are AdventHealth University, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a community living 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 community living assistants.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Pennsylvania State University - Shenango
Sharon, PA • Private
Admissions rate
75%
SAT average
989
9. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
10. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
Average community living assistant salary by education level
| Community living assistant education level | Community living assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $35,927 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,257 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $32,926 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $29,446 |
Community living assistant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025