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Drug and alcohol treatment specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a drug and alcohol treatment specialist. Drug and alcohol treatment specialists usually study psychology, social work, or criminal justice. 60% of drug and alcohol treatment specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 226 real drug and alcohol treatment specialist resumes to see exactly what drug and alcohol treatment specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for drug and alcohol treatment specialists are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online drug and alcohol treatment specialist courses to help get the education required to be a drug and alcohol treatment specialist.
What education do you need to become a drug and alcohol treatment specialist?
What degree do you need to be a drug and alcohol treatment specialist?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Master's, 24%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a drug and alcohol treatment specialist?
- Psychology, 19%
- Social Work, 12%
- Criminal Justice, 11%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for drug and alcohol treatment specialists
| Drug and alcohol treatment specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 11.39% |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 11.39% |
| Marywood University | 10.13% |
| Mansfield University of Pennsylvania | 7.59% |
| Clarion University of Pennsylvania | 7.59% |
Best majors for drug and alcohol treatment specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 19.0% |
| 2 | Social Work | 12.3% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 11.0% |
| 4 | Business | 7.4% |
| 5 | Sociology | 6.1% |
Best colleges for drug and alcohol treatment specialists
The best colleges for drug and alcohol treatment specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.
A drug and alcohol treatment specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for drug and alcohol treatment specialists. 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 drug and alcohol treatment specialists.
1. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for drug and alcohol treatment specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for drug and alcohol treatment specialists
The most affordable schools for drug and alcohol treatment specialists are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for drug and alcohol treatment specialists 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 drug and alcohol treatment specialists.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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 drug and alcohol treatment specialists
The hardest universities for drug and alcohol treatment specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.
Some great schools for drug and alcohol treatment specialists 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 drug and alcohol treatment specialists 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
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 drug and alcohol treatment specialists
The easiest schools for drug and alcohol treatment specialists to get into are Nyack College, kean university, and fresno pacific university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a drug and alcohol treatment specialist 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 drug and alcohol treatment specialists.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
6. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
7. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
8. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average drug and alcohol treatment specialist salary by education level
| Drug and alcohol treatment specialist education level | Drug and alcohol treatment specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $34,604 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $30,989 |
Drug and alcohol treatment specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025