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Employment specialist/program manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an employment specialist/program manager. Employment specialist/program managers usually study psychology, business, or social work. 60% of employment specialist/program managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 47 real employment specialist/program manager resumes to see exactly what employment specialist/program manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for employment specialist/program managers are the High Point University and the High Point University.
There are also many online employment specialist/program manager courses to help get the education required to be an employment specialist/program manager.
What education do you need to become an employment specialist/program manager?
What degree do you need to be an employment specialist/program manager?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Master's, 27%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an employment specialist/program manager?
- Psychology, 17%
- Business, 14%
- Social Work, 9%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for employment specialist/program managers
| Employment specialist/program manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High Point University | 9.09% |
| Texas State University | 9.09% |
| Southern Connecticut State University | 4.55% |
| Wilmington University | 4.55% |
| Marshall University | 4.55% |
Best majors for employment specialist/program managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 17.1% |
| 2 | Business | 14.3% |
| 3 | Social Work | 8.6% |
| 4 | Special Education | 5.7% |
| 5 | Clinical Psychology | 5.7% |
Best colleges for employment specialist/program managers
The best colleges for employment specialist/program managers are Northwestern University, Boston University, and University of Southern California.
An employment specialist/program manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for employment specialist/program managers. 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 employment specialist/program managers.
1. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
2. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Enrollment
17,704
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Enrollment
34,637
10. University of North Texas
Denton, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,852
Enrollment
31,375
20 best online courses for employment specialist/program managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for employment specialist/program managers
The most affordable schools for employment specialist/program managers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for employment specialist/program managers 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 employment specialist/program managers.
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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for employment specialist/program managers
The hardest universities for employment specialist/program managers to get into are Northwestern University, Boston University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for employment specialist/program managers 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 employment specialist/program managers 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
9. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
10. Tulane University
New Orleans, LA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,428
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for employment specialist/program managers
The easiest schools for employment specialist/program managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an employment specialist/program manager 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 employment specialist/program managers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average employment specialist/program manager salary by education level
| Employment specialist/program manager education level | Employment specialist/program manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $42,940 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $37,868 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $40,707 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $38,017 |
Employment specialist/program manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025