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Course instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a course instructor. Course instructors usually study psychology, business, or english. 58% of course instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,862 real course instructor resumes to see exactly what course instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for course instructors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online course instructor courses to help get the education required to be a course instructor.
There are certain course instructor certifications that you should consider. These course instructor certifications include Instructor and Programming in C# Certification.
What education do you need to become a course instructor?
What degree do you need to be a course instructor?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 10%
- Doctorate, 7%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a course instructor?
- Psychology, 12%
- Business, 12%
- English, 7%
- Nursing, 7%
- Other Majors, 62%
Most common colleges for course instructors
| Course instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 8.64% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.31% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.64% |
| American University | 6.64% |
| Brigham Young University | 5.65% |
Best majors for course instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 12.2% |
| 2 | Business | 12.0% |
| 3 | English | 6.7% |
| 4 | Nursing | 6.5% |
| 5 | Biology | 5.8% |
Best colleges for course instructors
The best colleges for course instructors are Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.
A course instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for course instructors. 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 course instructors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. Texas State University
San Marcos, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,280
Enrollment
34,187
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$48,350
Enrollment
4,103
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
20 best online courses for course instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for course instructors
The most affordable schools for course instructors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for course instructors 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 course instructors.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
9. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for course instructors
The hardest universities for course instructors to get into are Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for course instructors 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 course instructors 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for course instructors
The easiest schools for course instructors to get into are Barry University, ottawa university, and cardinal stritch university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a course instructor 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 course instructors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
3. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average course instructor salary by education level
| Course instructor education level | Course instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,020 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $43,688 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,519 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $47,461 |
Course instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025