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Family educator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a family educator. Family educators usually study psychology, social work, or early childhood education. 63% of family educators hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,300 real family educator resumes to see exactly what family educator education sections show.
The most common colleges for family educators are the Chicago State University and the Chicago State University.
There are also many online family educator courses to help get the education required to be a family educator.
There are certain family educator certifications that you should consider. These family educator certifications include Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS-HDFS) and Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE).
What education do you need to become a family educator?
What degree do you need to be a family educator?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 14%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a family educator?
- Psychology, 13%
- Social Work, 10%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for family educators
| Family educator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Chicago State University | 9.68% |
| University of Phoenix | 9.68% |
| Ashford University | 6.45% |
| Northern Illinois University | 6.45% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 5.81% |
Best majors for family educators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 13.2% |
| 2 | Social Work | 10.0% |
| 3 | Early Childhood Education | 9.5% |
| 4 | Human Development | 7.9% |
| 5 | Sociology | 6.3% |
Best colleges for family educators
The best colleges for family educators are Johns Hopkins University, Boston College, and University of Pennsylvania.
A family educator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for family educators. 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 family educators.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
6. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for family educators
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13. Instructional Methods in Health Professions Education
This course provides those involved in educating members of the health professions an asynchronous, interdisciplinary, and interactive way to obtain, expand, and improve their teaching skills. These skills can then be applied within their own professional context, with a variety of learners, extending across many stages. After completing this course, learners will: 1. Understand educational theory as it relates to health professions education 2. Match instructional methods with desired...
14. Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners
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16. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for family educators
The most affordable schools for family educators are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for family educators 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 family educators.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
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 family educators
The hardest universities for family educators to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Boston College, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for family educators 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 family educators 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
2. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for family educators
The easiest schools for family educators to get into are Nyack College, mount saint mary's university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a family educator 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 family educators.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average family educator salary by education level
| Family educator education level | Family educator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $42,762 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,172 |
Family educator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025