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Group worker education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a group worker. Group workers usually study criminal justice, psychology, or sociology. 58% of group workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,150 real group worker resumes to see exactly what group worker education sections show.

The most common colleges for group workers are the Sam Houston State University and the Sam Houston State University.

There are also many online group worker courses to help get the education required to be a group worker.

What education do you need to become a group worker?

What degree do you need to be a group worker?

The most common degree for group workers is bachelor's degree, with 58% of group workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 58%
  • Associate, 18%
  • High School Diploma, 12%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a group worker?

You should major in criminal justice to become a group worker. 25% of group workers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a group worker include psychology and sociology.

Most common colleges for group workers

Group workers often get their degrees at Sam Houston State University, Bridgewater State University, and Worcester State University. Here are the most common colleges for group workers in the US based on their resumes.
Group worker common collegePercentages
Sam Houston State University22.88%
Bridgewater State University7.19%
Worcester State University7.19%
University of Massachusetts Boston5.88%
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth5.88%

Best majors for group workers

RankMajorPercentages
1Criminal Justice25.1%
2Psychology14.6%
3Sociology7.8%
4Business7.8%
5Social Work7.8%

Best colleges for group workers

The best colleges for group workers are Washington University in St Louis, Boston College, and Boston University.

A group 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 group 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 group workers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

8. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

9. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

10. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

20 best online courses for group workers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for group workers

The most affordable schools for group workers are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for group 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 group workers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

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. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

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 group workers

The hardest universities for group workers to get into are Washington University in St Louis, Boston College, and Boston University.

Some great schools for group 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 group 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. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

6. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for group workers

The easiest schools for group workers to get into are Nyack College, kean university, and bluefield college.

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

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. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

4. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

5. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

6. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

7. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average group worker salary by education level

According to our data, group workers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $54,674 annually. Group workers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $51,599.
Group worker education levelGroup worker salary
Master's Degree$54,674
High School Diploma or Less$41,942
Bachelor's Degree$51,599
Some College/ Associate Degree$47,861

Group worker 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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