Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Day care attendant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a day care attendant. Day care attendants usually study psychology, general studies, or business. 37% of day care attendants hold a high school diploma, and 29% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 711 real day care attendant resumes to see exactly what day care attendant education sections show.
The most common colleges for day care attendants are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online day care attendant courses to help get the education required to be a day care attendant.
What education do you need to become a day care attendant?
What degree do you need to be a day care attendant?
- High School Diploma, 37%
- Bachelor's, 29%
- Associate, 16%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become a day care attendant?
- Psychology, 9%
- General Studies, 9%
- Business, 8%
- Biology, 8%
- Other Majors, 66%
Most common colleges for day care attendants
| Day care attendant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.89% |
| University of Northern Colorado | 5.26% |
| Texas A&M University | 5.26% |
| Marshall University | 5.26% |
| Illinois State University | 5.26% |
Best majors for day care attendants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 9.0% |
| 2 | General Studies | 9.0% |
| 3 | Business | 8.4% |
| 4 | Biology | 7.7% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 7.1% |
Best colleges for day care attendants
The best colleges for day care attendants are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A day care attendant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for day care attendants. 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 day care attendants.
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. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
4. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
In-state tuition
$15,374
Enrollment
19,564
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
6. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
7. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
8. Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$48,350
Enrollment
4,103
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
20 best online courses for day care attendants
Advertising disclosure
1. Child Care as a Business
This course is targeted toward individuals wishing to run a home-based child care center. It covers topics such as the fundamentals of an in-home childcare setting as a business; the importance of financial management of a child care center; the creation of a child care contract; and an exploration of how to set tuition rates. Since a Family Policy Handbook is essential for anyone operating a family day care center, this course includes the development of one of three imperative sections of the...
2. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children
Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...
3. Providing Trauma-Informed Care
Exploring psychological trauma and how to provide care and compassion to trauma survivors...
4. Dog CPR, First Aid + Safety for pet pros + dedicated owners
Essential training to keep your dogs safe, attract clients & gain skills & confidence to take action in an emergency...
5. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course
The Palliative Care Always Capstone course is designed to let you test your knowledge about palliative and help others understand the value of palliative care, while showing your creative side. In this course, you will impact community awareness about palliative care, promote self-care and wellness, show-off your communication skills in a virtual environment, and finish the course off by proving your thoughts on ways to offer psychosocial support to a patient and family...
6. Thinking About Care
Although all humans require care to develop and thrive, it is rarely the focus of academic studies. This course enriches learner’s understanding of this critical yet underappreciated facet of their lives by addressing such questions as: What is care? Who has traditionally provided it? How valued is care work? Does money take the care out of care work? In addition to advancing learner’s knowledge of the place of care in modern society and controversies surrounding it, Thinking About Care will...
7. The Key to Happiness: Self Care
Discover Self Care as a tool for creating positive change in your mental health, behaviours, and well-being...
8. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
9. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...
10. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
11. Self-Care Life Coach Certification (Boundary Setting)
Empower Your Life Coach Your Clients to Develop Self-Care, Self-Love, Boundary Setting and How to Say No...
12. Punishment-Free Dog Training: 30 Day Perfect Dog Blueprint
Create a Calm and Confident Dog in 30 Days Using These Proprietary DOG TRAINING GAMES...
13. Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care
In this course, you will be able to develop a systems view for assessing and managing pain in the palliative care setting. By the end of the course, you will be able to: 1) Describe the pain problem in the palliative care setting; 2) Assess a person’s pain, 3) Explain the benefits of integrative therapies and pharmacologic strategies to manage pain...
14. Palliative Care Always
Palliative Care Always is a specialization for health care practitioners, patients and caregivers. We’ve designed this specialization to demonstrate how palliative medicine integrates with patient care, and to help you develop primary palliative care skills. Over the next five courses, you will develop skills in symptom management, goals of care and effective communication to improve the quality of life for patients and families suffering with serious illness. Our hope is that you feel...
15. Caring for Others
Caring for Others examines how society cares for its at-risk members and the experiences of its caregivers. This specialization addresses questions such as: How much suffering is in the world today? Does digital media sensitize/desensitize us to the anguish of distant others? What are the different types of paid care work? How do care workers manage their emotions? And much more. This specialization is relevant to individuals interested in becoming a helping professional as well as anyone...
16. Trauma Emergencies and Care
Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...
17. The Business of Health Care
This Specialization was designed to help you keep pace with the rapidly changing world of health and health care. Through partnership with Wharton and Penn Medicine, you’ll learn from experts in business acumen, health care management, and health care policy to develop the skills you’ll need to successfully navigate the quickly evolving landscape of this fast-growing field.* By the end of this specialization, you will have a strong foundational understanding of the American health care system,...
18. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...
19. Newborn Baby Care
A newborn baby is an amazing beautiful life filled with hope. Unfortunately, many babies die or experience preventable harm even in 21st century. It is imperative that babies who are born healthy get off to a healthy start in the first month of life. There are some easy tenets of care to implement that help ensure that babies and families get off to a healthy start no matter where they are in the world. In this specialization learners will acquire the skills necessary for newborn baby care to...
20. Home-Based Child Care
This series of courses is intended to provide learners with the tools to develop and operate a home-based childcare center. Stages of child development, best practices to stimulate learning, important safety measures, and business fundamentals are introduced...
Top 10 most affordable universities for day care attendants
The most affordable schools for day care attendants are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for day care attendants 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 day care attendants.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for day care attendants
The hardest universities for day care attendants to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for day care attendants 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 day care attendants 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for day care attendants
The easiest schools for day care attendants to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, bluefield college, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a day care attendant 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 day care attendants.
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. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton
Dunmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,056
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average day care attendant salary by education level
| Day care attendant education level | Day care attendant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $31,270 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $25,623 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $28,687 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $27,056 |
Day care attendant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
Search for day care attendant jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025