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Hiv prevention specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a hiv prevention specialist. Hiv prevention specialists usually study psychology, public health, or biology. 60% of hiv prevention specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 268 real hiv prevention specialist resumes to see exactly what hiv prevention specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for hiv prevention specialists are the Western Michigan University and the Western Michigan University.

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

What education do you need to become a hiv prevention specialist?

What degree do you need to be a hiv prevention specialist?

The most common degree for hiv prevention specialists is bachelor's degree, with 60% of hiv prevention specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 60%
  • Master's, 14%
  • Associate, 13%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a hiv prevention specialist?

You should major in psychology to become a hiv prevention specialist. 17% of hiv prevention specialists major in psychology. Other common majors for a hiv prevention specialist include public health and biology.

Most common colleges for hiv prevention specialists

Hiv prevention specialists often get their degrees at Western Michigan University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and University of Illinois at Chicago. Here are the most common colleges for hiv prevention specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Hiv prevention specialist common collegePercentages
Western Michigan University6.38%
Virginia Commonwealth University6.38%
University of Illinois at Chicago6.38%
University of New Haven6.38%
University of Missouri - Kansas City6.38%

Best majors for hiv prevention specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology16.5%
2Public Health11.3%
3Biology6.0%
4Sociology5.3%
5Business5.3%

Best colleges for hiv prevention specialists

The best colleges for hiv prevention specialists are Washington University in St Louis, Duke University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A hiv prevention 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 hiv prevention 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 hiv prevention specialists.

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

4. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. Marist College

Poughkeepsie, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$39,600

Enrollment

5,405

9. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

Oshkosh, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$7,621

Enrollment

10,749

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for hiv prevention specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for hiv prevention specialists

The most affordable schools for hiv prevention specialists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for hiv prevention 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 hiv prevention specialists.

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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hiv prevention specialists

The hardest universities for hiv prevention specialists to get into are Washington University in St Louis, Duke University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for hiv prevention 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 hiv prevention 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. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

7. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for hiv prevention specialists

The easiest schools for hiv prevention specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hiv prevention 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 hiv prevention specialists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

6. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

7. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

8. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

9. Hardin-Simmons University

Abilene, TX • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,085

10. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

Average hiv prevention specialist salary by education level

According to our data, hiv prevention specialists with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $39,769 annually. Hiv prevention specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $39,271.
Hiv prevention specialist education levelHiv prevention specialist salary
High School Diploma or Less$36,780
Bachelor's Degree$39,271
Some College/ Associate Degree$39,769

Hiv prevention 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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