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Community organizer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a community organizer. Community organizers usually study political science, business, or psychology. 68% of community organizers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,386 real community organizer resumes to see exactly what community organizer education sections show.
The most common colleges for community organizers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online community organizer courses to help get the education required to be a community organizer.
What education do you need to become a community organizer?
What degree do you need to be a community organizer?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a community organizer?
- Political Science, 17%
- Business, 11%
- Psychology, 9%
- Sociology, 8%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for community organizers
| Community organizer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.23% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 8.08% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.15% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 6.15% |
| Michigan State University | 5.77% |
Best majors for community organizers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Political Science | 17.3% |
| 2 | Business | 11.4% |
| 3 | Psychology | 9.5% |
| 4 | Sociology | 8.1% |
| 5 | Communication | 7.0% |
Best colleges for community organizers
The best colleges for community organizers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Stanford University.
A community organizer 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 organizers. 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 organizers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
9. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for community organizers
Advertising disclosure
1. Communicating with the Public
Rooted in theater, journalism and humanities practices, this course presents tools and techniques that help you improve your public-facing communication skills, particularly when describing your work to a lay audience. Whether it’s a 30-second elevator pitch or speaking to a large organization, “Communicating with the Public” will boost your confidence in any speech-communication scenario...
2. Leadership for Public Health Crises
Leadership for Public Health Crises will enable current and prospective managers, directors, unit heads, and elected officials to effectively lead their organizational response to profound health-related emergencies and to build leadership capacity across multiple sectors, agencies, organizations, and divisions. This series of courses prepares graduate students (in, e.g., public administration, public health, social work, business, homeland security, education, and related fields) and...
3. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications
Public Relations: You Can Shape and Control Your Media Messages at The Worst Possible Times...
4. Public Speaking & Communicating: Skip Theory, Master the Art
Public Speaking,Presenting,Communicating. After years in the Making: The Spark Words method has been proven by Thousands...
5. Breastfeeding: Public Health Perspectives
Engaging in this course will provide you with the opportunity to think about breastfeeding and its public health implications. The Socio-Ecological Model will be the framework of the course as we think about how each level of the Model (individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and public policy) impacts breastfeeding practices in the United States, and globally. Through short video lectures you will be introduced to relevant topics related to the public health perspectives of...
6. Foundational Skills for Communicating About Health
Effective communication is a core skill that nearly every health professional will need and use during their careers. Yet, few health professionals receive even basic training in how to design communications to be clear and successful. As “foundational skills,” the content in this course can be applied to both oral and written communication, within and beyond health. Learners will develop the skills to: analyze and tailor a communication effort for different audiences, develop clear messages,...
7. Public Speaking for People Who Hate Public Speaking
Public Speaking for People Who Hate Public Speaking - Presentation Skills - Communication Skills and Storytelling...
8. Communication Skills Masterclass - Your Communication Guide
Communication Skill For Business Communication & Effective Communication In Workplace & Relationships...
9. Systems Thinking In Public Health
This course provides an introduction to systems thinking and systems models in public health. Problems in public health and health policy tend to be complex with many actors, institutions and risk factors involved. If an outcome depends on many interacting and adaptive parts and actors the outcome cannot be analyzed or predicted with traditional statistical methods. Systems thinking is a core skill in public health and helps health policymakers build programs and policies that are aware of and...
10. The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health
The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health provides an engaging overview of the incredible accomplishments and promise of the public health field. The first module includes interviews with legendary public health figures whose work led to millions of lives saved with vaccines, air bags and car seats, and the federal Women Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program. The second module brings key public health tools to life -- including use of data, communications, and policy - through...
11. Public Speaking Training & Facilitator Certification
World-class public speaking training: Learn presentation skills, engage your audience, develop confidence, facilitate...
12. Press Coverage, Publicity & Public Relations For Branding
Public relations to reach 100,000+ people with influencer marketing, publicity, and press coverage for personal branding...
13. Data and Health Indicators in Public Health Practice
Epidemiology is often described as the cornerstone science in public health. Epidemiology in public health practice uses study design and analyses to identify causes in an outbreak situation, guides interventions to improve population health, and evaluates programs and policies. In this course, we'll define the role of the professional epidemiologist as it relates to public health services, functions, and competencies. With that foundation in mind, we'll introduce you to the problem solving...
14. Public Speaking: A tactical approach
This course will teach public speaking, communication skills and storytelling in an entirely new way...
15. The Art of Public Speaking
Master Public Speaking: Deliver Unforgettable Speeches & Presentations With The World's Most Decorated Public Speaker...
16. Public Speaking Crash Course! (Fast Paced)
Instant Practical Steps to Jump Into Public Speaking, Communicating & Presenting Anything...
17. Public Speaking for Beginners
Public Speaking Skills Developed From Scratch, in Little Time...
18. Smart Tips: Public Speaking
Tame your nerves, think on your feet, build better decks, tell compelling stories, and wow the room (even virtually)!...
19. Public Speaking: Be a Professional Speaker
Public Speaking: Learn how to position yourself as a professional speaker and market yourself...
20. Communication Skills - 7 Communication Courses In 1
Master Communication Skills: Learn Persuasion, Negotiation, Body Language, Emotional Intelligence & More!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for community organizers
The most affordable schools for community organizers are California State University - Bakersfield, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for community organizers 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 organizers.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for community organizers
The hardest universities for community organizers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for community organizers 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 organizers 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for community organizers
The easiest schools for community organizers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a community organizer 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 organizers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average community organizer salary by education level
| Community organizer education level | Community organizer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,022 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $41,620 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,712 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $43,268 |
Community organizer 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