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Community service volunteer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a community service volunteer. Community service volunteers usually study business, psychology, or biology. 63% of community service volunteers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 15,099 real community service volunteer resumes to see exactly what community service volunteer education sections show.

The most common colleges for community service volunteers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

What education do you need to become a community service volunteer?

What degree do you need to be a community service volunteer?

The most common degree for community service volunteers is bachelor's degree, with 63% of community service volunteers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Associate, 13%
  • High School Diploma, 10%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a community service volunteer?

You should major in business to become a community service volunteer. 16% of community service volunteers major in business. Other common majors for a community service volunteer include psychology and biology.

Most common colleges for community service volunteers

Community service volunteers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, California State University - San Bernardino, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for community service volunteers in the US based on their resumes.
Community service volunteer common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix7.16%
California State University - San Bernardino6.87%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.57%
Michigan State University5.97%
Arizona State University5.82%

Best majors for community service volunteers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business16.3%
2Psychology11.6%
3Biology6.6%
4Communication6.6%
5Nursing5.7%

Best colleges for community service volunteers

The best colleges for community service volunteers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Vanderbilt University.

A community service volunteer 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 service volunteers. 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 service volunteers.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Saint Joseph's College, New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$27,830

Enrollment

937

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for community service volunteers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for community service volunteers

The most affordable schools for community service volunteers are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for community service volunteers 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 service volunteers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,922

Cost of attendance

18,522

10. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for community service volunteers

The hardest universities for community service volunteers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for community service volunteers 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 service volunteers 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for community service volunteers

The easiest schools for community service volunteers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a community service volunteer 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 service volunteers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

10. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

Average community service volunteer salary by education level

Community service volunteers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $29,662 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, community service volunteers earn a median annual income of $28,142 compared to $26,309 for community service volunteers with an Associate degree.
Community service volunteer education levelCommunity service volunteer salary
Master's Degree$29,662
High School Diploma or Less$26,207
Bachelor's Degree$28,142
Some College/ Associate Degree$26,309

Community service volunteer 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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