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Health promotion specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a health promotion specialist. Health promotion specialists usually study health education, kinesiology, or public health. 66% of health promotion specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 414 real health promotion specialist resumes to see exactly what health promotion specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for health promotion specialists are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.

There are also many online health promotion specialist courses to help get the education required to be a health promotion specialist.

There are certain health promotion specialist certifications that you should consider. These health promotion specialist certifications include Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES).

What education do you need to become a health promotion specialist?

What degree do you need to be a health promotion specialist?

The most common degree for health promotion specialists is bachelor's degree, with 66% of health promotion specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 23% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 66%
  • Master's, 23%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Doctorate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a health promotion specialist?

You should major in health education to become a health promotion specialist. 17% of health promotion specialists major in health education. Other common majors for a health promotion specialist include kinesiology and public health.

Most common colleges for health promotion specialists

Health promotion specialists often get their degrees at University of Florida, Oklahoma State University, and University of Arizona. Here are the most common colleges for health promotion specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Health promotion specialist common collegePercentages
University of Florida6.76%
Oklahoma State University6.76%
University of Arizona6.76%
Central Washington University5.41%
Southern Connecticut State University5.41%

Best majors for health promotion specialists

Best colleges for health promotion specialists

The best colleges for health promotion specialists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.

A health promotion specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for health promotion specialists. 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 health promotion specialists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

9. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$43,884

Enrollment

6,917

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for health promotion specialists

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1. Data and Health Indicators in Public Health Practice

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6. Global Health Policy

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More than half of world’s population lives in cities while only 5% did so in the 18th century. The rapid urbanisation has resulted in for example inadequate infrastructure, physical inactivity, gentrification, air pollution, and growing numbers of slum dwellers. All factors challenging health and wellbeing of the people living in the cities. In addition, when addressing climate change it has become of paramount importance to look at mitigation and adaptation investments tailored to the urban...

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13. Systems Thinking In Public Health

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14. Foundational Skills for Communicating About Health

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Top 10 most affordable universities for health promotion specialists

The most affordable schools for health promotion specialists are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for health promotion specialists 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 health promotion specialists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

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. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

9. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for health promotion specialists

The hardest universities for health promotion specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for health promotion specialists 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 health promotion specialists 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

6. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for health promotion specialists

The easiest schools for health promotion specialists to get into are Barry University, william paterson university of new jersey, and saint joseph's college of maine.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a health promotion specialist 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 health promotion specialists.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

3. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

Average health promotion specialist salary by education level

According to our data, health promotion specialists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $46,866 annually. Health promotion specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $40,802.
Health promotion specialist education levelHealth promotion specialist salary
Master's Degree$46,866
High School Diploma or Less$35,159
Bachelor's Degree$40,802
Some College/ Associate Degree$36,031

Health promotion specialist 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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