Discovery guide education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a discovery guide. Discovery guides usually study biology, psychology, or theatre. 72% of discovery guides hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 161 real discovery guide resumes to see exactly what discovery guide education sections show.

The most common colleges for discovery guides are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.

There are also many online discovery guide courses to help get the education required to be a discovery guide.

What education do you need to become a discovery guide?

What degree do you need to be a discovery guide?

The most common degree for discovery guides is bachelor's degree, with 72% of discovery guides earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 18% and high school diploma degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 72%

High School Diploma, 18%

Associate, 7%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a discovery guide?

You should major in biology to become a discovery guide. 10% of discovery guides major in biology. Other common majors for a discovery guide include psychology and theatre.

Biology, 10%

Psychology, 10%

Theatre, 10%

Philosophy, 8%

Other Majors, 62%

Most common colleges for discovery guides

Discovery guides often get their degrees at University of Houston, University of Colorado at Boulder, and East Tennessee State University. Here are the most common colleges for discovery guides in the US based on their resumes.

Discovery guide common college	Percentages
University of Houston	15.00%
University of Colorado at Boulder	12.50%
East Tennessee State University	12.50%
University of Arizona	10.00%
Full Sail University	5.00%

Show more common discovery guide colleges

Best majors for discovery guides

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Biology	9.8%
2	Psychology	9.8%
3	Theatre	9.8%
4	Philosophy	7.8%
5	Sociology	5.9%

Show more common discovery guide majors

Best colleges for discovery guides

The best colleges for discovery guides are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

A discovery guide with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for discovery guides. 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 discovery guides.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

10. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

20 best online courses for discovery guides

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Top 10 most affordable universities for discovery guides

The most affordable schools for discovery guides are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for discovery guides 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 discovery guides.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

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 discovery guides

The hardest universities for discovery guides to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for discovery guides 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 discovery guides 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for discovery guides

The easiest schools for discovery guides to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a discovery guide 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 discovery guides.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average discovery guide salary by education level

Discovery guides with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $63,293 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, discovery guides earn a median annual income of $59,970 compared to $45,749 for discovery guides with an High School Diploma degree.

Discovery guide education level	Discovery guide salary
High School Diploma or Less	$45,749
Bachelor's Degree	$59,970
Some College/ Associate Degree	$63,293

Discovery guide education FAQs

What is the best college for Discovery Guides?

Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.

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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

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