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Community worker education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a community worker. Community workers usually study psychology, social work, or business. 55% of community workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,924 real community worker resumes to see exactly what community worker education sections show.
The most common colleges for community workers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online community worker courses to help get the education required to be a community worker.
There are certain community worker certifications that you should consider. These community worker certifications include Medical Assistant and Medication Aide Certification (MACE).
What education do you need to become a community worker?
What degree do you need to be a community worker?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a community worker?
- Psychology, 18%
- Social Work, 14%
- Business, 12%
- Criminal Justice, 9%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for community workers
| Community worker common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 12.14% |
| Monroe College | 7.86% |
| University of Maine | 6.43% |
| University of Maine at Augusta | 6.43% |
| City College of New York of the City University of New York, The | 5.71% |
Best majors for community workers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 18.4% |
| 2 | Social Work | 14.1% |
| 3 | Business | 11.6% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 8.7% |
| 5 | Human Services | 7.7% |
Best colleges for community workers
The best colleges for community workers are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Pennsylvania.
A community 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 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 workers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for community workers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for community workers
The most affordable schools for community workers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for community 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 workers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for community workers
The hardest universities for community workers to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for community 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 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Tulane University
New Orleans, LA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,428
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for community workers
The easiest schools for community workers to get into are Barry University, kean university, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a community 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 workers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
Average community worker salary by education level
| Community worker education level | Community worker salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $46,303 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,252 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $40,599 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,082 |
Community worker 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