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Cottage parent education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a cottage parent. Cottage parents usually study psychology, criminal justice, or business. 58% of cottage parents hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 111 real cottage parent resumes to see exactly what cottage parent education sections show.
The most common colleges for cottage parents are the Pensacola State College and the Pensacola State College.
There are also many online cottage parent courses to help get the education required to be a cottage parent.
What education do you need to become a cottage parent?
What degree do you need to be a cottage parent?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Associate, 23%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a cottage parent?
- Psychology, 18%
- Criminal Justice, 14%
- Business, 14%
- Sociology, 7%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for cottage parents
| Cottage parent common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pensacola State College | 10.34% |
| Fayetteville State University | 10.34% |
| Mercy College | 6.90% |
| Appalachian State University | 6.90% |
| Bowling Green State University | 6.90% |
Best majors for cottage parents
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 17.9% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 14.3% |
| 3 | Business | 14.3% |
| 4 | Sociology | 7.1% |
| 5 | Social Work | 7.1% |
Best colleges for cottage parents
The best colleges for cottage parents are New York University, Boston University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A cottage parent with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for cottage parents. 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 cottage parents.
1. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
2. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
20 best online courses for cottage parents
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Top 10 most affordable universities for cottage parents
The most affordable schools for cottage parents are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for cottage parents 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 cottage parents.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
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 cottage parents
The hardest universities for cottage parents to get into are New York University, Boston University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for cottage parents 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 cottage parents 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cottage parents
The easiest schools for cottage parents to get into are The University of Texas Permian Basin, gwynedd mercy university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cottage parent 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 cottage parents.
1. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
5. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
Average cottage parent salary by education level
| Cottage parent education level | Cottage parent salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $30,431 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $31,770 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $31,924 |
Cottage parent education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025