Community support specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a community support specialist. Community support specialists usually study psychology, social work, or criminal justice. 64% of community support specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 6,406 real community support specialist resumes to see exactly what community support specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for community support specialists are the University of Central Missouri and the University of Central Missouri.

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

There are certain community support specialist certifications that you should consider. These community support specialist certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

What education do you need to become a community support specialist?

What degree do you need to be a community support specialist?

The most common degree for community support specialists is bachelor's degree, with 64% of community support specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 64%

Master's, 13%

Associate, 13%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a community support specialist?

You should major in psychology to become a community support specialist. 30% of community support specialists major in psychology. Other common majors for a community support specialist include social work and criminal justice.

Psychology, 30%

Social Work, 15%

Criminal Justice, 10%

Sociology, 7%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for community support specialists

Community support specialists often get their degrees at University of Central Missouri, Missouri State University, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for community support specialists in the US based on their resumes.

Community support specialist common college	Percentages
University of Central Missouri	13.32%
Missouri State University	11.17%
University of Phoenix	10.77%
University of Southern Mississippi	6.33%
Drury University	5.25%

Show more common community support specialist colleges

Best majors for community support specialists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	29.8%
2	Social Work	15.4%
3	Criminal Justice	10.0%
4	Sociology	7.1%
5	Human Services	5.5%

Show more common community support specialist majors

Best colleges for community support specialists

The best colleges for community support specialists are Boston University, Northwestern University, and SUNY at Binghamton.

A community support specialist 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 support specialists. 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 support specialists.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

7. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

8. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

9. Youngstown State University

Youngstown, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$8,967

Enrollment

10,030

10. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

20 best online courses for community support specialists

Advertising disclosure

1. Communication Skills Masterclass - Your Communication Guide

4.5

(961)

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

2. Effective Communication Skills: Be a Better Communicator!

(404)

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

3. Communication Skills for Beginners

4.5

(5,736)

Start Building Your Communication Skills Now...

4. 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...

5. Versatile Communication Skills - The Art of Engagement

4.5

(290)

Powerful, practical, communication skills that drive engagement & build effective professional & personal relationships...

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. Assertive Communication Skills Masterclass

4.5

(10,770)

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

8. Basic Communication Skills

4.4

(485)

Learn how to be an effective communicator...

9. Winning With Communication - Master Communication Skills

4.4

(539)

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

10. Communication Skills - 7 Communication Courses In 1

4.6

(748)

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

11. Communication Skills every Manager should Master

4.4

(3,456)

Powerful Communication Techniques to better Delegate, Communicate Decisions, Change Resistance, Say No & Admit Mistakes...

12. Effective Communication in the Workplace

4.6

(9,714)

Business Communication Training...

13. 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...

14. Authentic Assertiveness: Next level communication skills.

4.7

(567)

Increase your social skills and assertive communication, while you reduce your stress, fears, and other mental blocks...

15. Communication Skills for the Global Workplace

4.6

(728)

Practical Communication Skills...

16. Communication & Social Skills

4.5

(34,942)

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

17. The Complete Communication Skills Master Class for Life

4.5

(24,987)

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

18. Communication Skills Masterclass: Speak Like A Leader

4.2

(295)

Master Public Speaking, Business Communication, Presentation Skills, Storytelling, Body Language, Listening & More!...

19. Executive Communication Training

4.5

(272)

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

20. Communication Skills for Professionals

4.6

(1,035)

Learn the Top 5 essential communication skills that every professional should put into practice...

Top 10 most affordable universities for community support specialists

The most affordable schools for community support specialists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for community support specialists 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 support specialists.

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 - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

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. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for community support specialists

The hardest universities for community support specialists to get into are Boston University, Northwestern University, and SUNY at Binghamton.

Some great schools for community support specialists 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 support specialists 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

6. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for community support specialists

The easiest schools for community support specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, bluefield college, and university of north texas at dallas.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a community support specialist 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 support specialists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

Average community support specialist salary by education level

Community support specialists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $48,081 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, community support specialists earn a median annual income of $43,360 compared to $37,985 for community support specialists with an Associate degree.

Community support specialist education level	Community support specialist salary
Master's Degree	$48,081
High School Diploma or Less	$37,696
Bachelor's Degree	$43,360
Some College/ Associate Degree	$37,985

Community support specialist education FAQs

What is the best college for Community Support Specialists?

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

Search for community support specialist 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