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Fishing guide education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a fishing guide. Fishing guides usually study business, biology, or environmental science. 72% of fishing guides hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 856 real fishing guide resumes to see exactly what fishing guide education sections show.

The most common colleges for fishing guides are the The University of Montana and the The University of Montana.

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

What education do you need to become a fishing guide?

What degree do you need to be a fishing guide?

The most common degree for fishing guides is bachelor's degree, with 72% of fishing guides earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Associate, 13%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a fishing guide?

You should major in business to become a fishing guide. 22% of fishing guides major in business. Other common majors for a fishing guide include biology and environmental science.

Most common colleges for fishing guides

Fishing guides often get their degrees at The University of Montana, University of Oregon, and Michigan State University. Here are the most common colleges for fishing guides in the US based on their resumes.
Fishing guide common collegePercentages
The University of Montana11.34%
University of Oregon7.22%
Michigan State University7.22%
Colorado State University7.22%
Northern Michigan University6.19%

Best majors for fishing guides

RankMajorPercentages
1Business22.0%
2Biology11.0%
3Environmental Science10.6%
4Wildlife Management5.3%
5Communication4.9%

Best colleges for fishing guides

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

A fishing 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 fishing 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 fishing 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. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

20 best online courses for fishing guides

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Top 10 most affordable universities for fishing guides

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

If the best universities for fishing 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 fishing guides.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fishing guides

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

Some great schools for fishing 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 fishing 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

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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

The easiest schools for fishing guides to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average fishing guide salary by education level

Fishing guides with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $84,102 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, fishing guides earn a median annual income of $79,194 compared to $58,561 for fishing guides with an High School Diploma degree.
Fishing guide education levelFishing guide salary
High School Diploma or Less$58,561
Bachelor's Degree$79,194
Some College/ Associate Degree$84,102

Fishing guide education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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