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Guide education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a guide. Guides usually study business, psychology, or communication. 61% of guides hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 20,555 real guide resumes to see exactly what guide education sections show.
The most common colleges for guides are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online guide courses to help get the education required to be a guide.
There are certain guide certifications that you should consider. These guide certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI).
What education do you need to become a guide?
What degree do you need to be a guide?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a guide?
- Business, 16%
- Psychology, 10%
- Communication, 7%
- English, 6%
- Other Majors, 61%
Most common colleges for guides
| Guide common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 7.87% |
| James Madison University | 7.57% |
| University of Central Florida | 7.37% |
| Western Washington University | 5.65% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 5.35% |
Best majors for guides
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 16.2% |
| 2 | Psychology | 10.3% |
| 3 | Communication | 7.0% |
| 4 | English | 6.5% |
| 5 | Biology | 5.5% |
Best colleges for guides
The best colleges for guides are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
A 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 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 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 guides
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Top 10 most affordable universities for guides
The most affordable schools for guides are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for 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 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 guides
The hardest universities for guides to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for 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 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 guides
The easiest schools for 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 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 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 guide salary by education level
| Guide education level | Guide salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,226 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $40,489 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $41,627 |
Guide education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025