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Diving instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a diving instructor. Diving instructors usually study business, psychology, or environmental science. 69% of diving instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 320 real diving instructor resumes to see exactly what diving instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for diving instructors are the Northern Michigan University and the Northern Michigan University.
There are also many online diving instructor courses to help get the education required to be a diving instructor.
There are certain diving instructor certifications that you should consider. These diving instructor certifications include Diver Medic Technician (DMT) and Instructor.
What education do you need to become a diving instructor?
What degree do you need to be a diving instructor?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become a diving instructor?
- Business, 15%
- Psychology, 10%
- Criminal Justice, 7%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for diving instructors
| Diving instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Northern Michigan University | 9.09% |
| Oregon State University | 6.06% |
| University of Colorado at Boulder | 6.06% |
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler | 6.06% |
| Regis University | 6.06% |
Best majors for diving instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 15.2% |
| 2 | Psychology | 9.5% |
| 3 | Environmental Science | 7.6% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 6.7% |
| 5 | Biology | 5.7% |
Best colleges for diving instructors
The best colleges for diving instructors are Stanford University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A diving 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 diving 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 diving instructors.
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 Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Rice University
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$47,350
Enrollment
3,962
5. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for diving instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for diving instructors
The most affordable schools for diving instructors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - fresno.
If the best universities for diving 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 diving 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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for diving instructors
The hardest universities for diving instructors to get into are Stanford University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for diving 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 diving 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Rice University
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for diving instructors
The easiest schools for diving instructors to get into are Nyack College, d'youville college, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a diving 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 diving instructors.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average diving instructor salary by education level
| Diving instructor education level | Diving instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $37,833 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,229 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,956 |
| Doctorate Degree | $42,288 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $32,467 |
Diving instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025