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Foster care worker education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a foster care worker. Foster care workers usually study social work, psychology, or sociology. 64% of foster care workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,551 real foster care worker resumes to see exactly what foster care worker education sections show.
The most common colleges for foster care workers are the Michigan State University and the Michigan State University.
There are also many online foster care worker courses to help get the education required to be a foster care worker.
There are certain foster care worker certifications that you should consider. These foster care worker certifications include Certified Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor (NCC).
What education do you need to become a foster care worker?
What degree do you need to be a foster care worker?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a foster care worker?
- Social Work, 34%
- Psychology, 19%
- Sociology, 8%
- Criminal Justice, 8%
- Other Majors, 31%
Most common colleges for foster care workers
| Foster care worker common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Michigan State University | 10.60% |
| Wayne State University | 8.11% |
| Temple University | 7.62% |
| Western Michigan University | 7.62% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 6.79% |
Best majors for foster care workers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Work | 33.8% |
| 2 | Psychology | 19.4% |
| 3 | Sociology | 7.7% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 7.7% |
| 5 | Human Services | 5.6% |
Best colleges for foster care workers
The best colleges for foster care workers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston College.
A foster care worker with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for foster care workers. 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 foster care workers.
1. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
2. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
6. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for foster care workers
Advertising disclosure
1. Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners
In the U.S., social policy accounts for two-thirds of government spending. Knowing how policies are constructed, what values underlie them, and how they succeed or fail makes everyone more effective at work or in their civic role. This specialization includes an HONORS track in which learners will complete a professional social policy analysis.\n\nTeachers, health care workers, police, and social workers interact with policy daily, but all of us should care about the impact and effectiveness of...
2. Palliative Care Always
Palliative Care Always is a specialization for health care practitioners, patients and caregivers. We’ve designed this specialization to demonstrate how palliative medicine integrates with patient care, and to help you develop primary palliative care skills. Over the next five courses, you will develop skills in symptom management, goals of care and effective communication to improve the quality of life for patients and families suffering with serious illness. Our hope is that you feel...
3. Providing Trauma-Informed Care
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Caring for Others examines how society cares for its at-risk members and the experiences of its caregivers. This specialization addresses questions such as: How much suffering is in the world today? Does digital media sensitize/desensitize us to the anguish of distant others? What are the different types of paid care work? How do care workers manage their emotions? And much more. This specialization is relevant to individuals interested in becoming a helping professional as well as anyone...
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10. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
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13. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
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14. Child Care as a Business
This course is targeted toward individuals wishing to run a home-based child care center. It covers topics such as the fundamentals of an in-home childcare setting as a business; the importance of financial management of a child care center; the creation of a child care contract; and an exploration of how to set tuition rates. Since a Family Policy Handbook is essential for anyone operating a family day care center, this course includes the development of one of three imperative sections of the...
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16. The Business of Health Care
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17. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations
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19. Health Care IT: Challenges and Opportunities
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Top 10 most affordable universities for foster care workers
The most affordable schools for foster care workers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for foster care workers 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 foster care workers.
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for foster care workers
The hardest universities for foster care workers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston College.
Some great schools for foster care workers 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 foster care workers 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for foster care workers
The easiest schools for foster care workers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, kean university, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a foster care worker 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 foster care workers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
10. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
Average foster care worker salary by education level
| Foster care worker education level | Foster care worker salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,801 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,407 |
Foster care worker education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025