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Holistic health practitioner education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a holistic health practitioner. Holistic health practitioners usually study alternative and complementary medicine and medical systems, nursing, or psychology. 48% of holistic health practitioners hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 324 real holistic health practitioner resumes to see exactly what holistic health practitioner education sections show.

The most common colleges for holistic health practitioners are the American College of Healthcare Sciences and the American College of Healthcare Sciences.

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

There are certain holistic health practitioner certifications that you should consider. These holistic health practitioner certifications include Holistic Health Care Practitioner Certification and Health Coach Certification.

What education do you need to become a holistic health practitioner?

What degree do you need to be a holistic health practitioner?

The most common degree for holistic health practitioners is bachelor's degree, with 48% of holistic health practitioners earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 16%.
  • Bachelor's, 48%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Associate, 16%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a holistic health practitioner?

You should major in alternative and complementary medicine and medical systems to become a holistic health practitioner. 17% of holistic health practitioners major in alternative and complementary medicine and medical systems. Other common majors for a holistic health practitioner include nursing and psychology.

Most common colleges for holistic health practitioners

Holistic health practitioners often get their degrees at American College of Healthcare Sciences, New York University, and Harvard University. Here are the most common colleges for holistic health practitioners in the US based on their resumes.
Holistic health practitioner common collegePercentages
American College of Healthcare Sciences12.12%
New York University6.06%
Harvard University6.06%
Georgetown University6.06%
Georgia State University6.06%

Best majors for holistic health practitioners

RankMajorPercentages
1Alternative And Complementary Medicine And Medical Systems16.7%
2Nursing12.7%
3Psychology8.7%
4Business6.7%
5Biology6.0%

Best colleges for holistic health practitioners

The best colleges for holistic health practitioners are Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

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

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

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 California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

20 best online courses for holistic health practitioners

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Health Coaching Practitioner Course Graduates Prepared Health Coaching Specialists in Holistic Wellness Health Coaching...

3. Vegan Nutrition Health Coach Certification

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4. Deep Tissue Massage: Neuromuscular Therapy Certificate

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6. Acupressure Massage For Health Certificate Course

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Learn how to use acupressure massage to become healthier by treating your own health conditions naturally!...

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8. Deep Tissue Massage: Trigger Point Therapy Certificate

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9. Women's Holistic Health Coach Teacher Training Course

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18. Gua Sha Facial Massage Certificate Course

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19. Herbalism:: Medicinal Mushrooms Certificate

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Top 10 most affordable universities for holistic health practitioners

The most affordable schools for holistic health practitioners are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for holistic health practitioners 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 holistic health practitioners.

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. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for holistic health practitioners

The hardest universities for holistic health practitioners to get into are Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for holistic health practitioners 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 holistic health practitioners 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

8. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

10. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,465

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for holistic health practitioners

The easiest schools for holistic health practitioners to get into are Bluefield College, d'youville college, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a holistic health practitioner 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 holistic health practitioners.

1. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average holistic health practitioner salary by education level

According to our data, holistic health practitioners with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $61,374 annually. Holistic health practitioners with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $58,533.
Holistic health practitioner education levelHolistic health practitioner salary
Bachelor's Degree$54,774
No Education$53,702
Some College/ Associate Degree$53,831
Master's Degree$58,533
High School Diploma or Less$44,262

Holistic health practitioner 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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