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Literacy specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a literacy specialist. Literacy specialists usually study elementary education, education, or english. 59% of literacy specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 826 real literacy specialist resumes to see exactly what literacy specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for literacy specialists are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online literacy specialist courses to help get the education required to be a literacy specialist.
There are certain literacy specialist certifications that you should consider. These literacy specialist certifications include Technology Literacy for Educators and Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE).
What education do you need to become a literacy specialist?
What degree do you need to be a literacy specialist?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 29%
- Associate, 8%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a literacy specialist?
- Elementary Education, 19%
- Education, 13%
- English, 9%
- Psychology, 8%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for literacy specialists
| Literacy specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 8.79% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.79% |
| Wayne State University | 6.59% |
| University of South Florida | 5.49% |
| Sonoma State University | 5.49% |
Best majors for literacy specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary Education | 18.8% |
| 2 | Education | 13.4% |
| 3 | English | 9.2% |
| 4 | Psychology | 7.6% |
| 5 | Educational Leadership | 5.3% |
Best colleges for literacy specialists
The best colleges for literacy specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
A literacy 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 literacy 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 literacy specialists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for literacy specialists
Advertising disclosure
1. Oralpha: Literacy for new citizens, a course for trainers
You are interested in welcoming processes of migrants and refugees? You want to dedicate yourself to teaching lamguage and literacy? The objective of this course is to get to know the simultaneous process of literacy and language learning in the host society for migrated young people and adults. The linguistic integration is key for integration in the society. This course offers insight into international migration today and the real linguistic needs of migrated people in the countries of...
2. Science Literacy
Fake news or good science? In a world where we have access to unlimited information, it is hard to sift through the echo chamber of opinions fueled by emotions and personal biases, rather than scientific evidence. Science Literacy will teach you about the process of science, how to think critically, how to differentiate science from pseudoscience, how indigenous wisdom can inform science, how to understand and design a scientific study, and how to critically evaluate scientific communication in...
3. Data Literacy for Business Professionals
Master the Fundamentals for Collecting, Exploring, and Presenting Data & Lead Data-Driven Projects from Start to Finish...
4. Introduction to Data Literacy
Using Data to Increase Sales, Optimize Operations, and Enhance Product Development...
5. Advanced Information Literacy
This course is designed to build upon a learner's search skills and expertise in the information literacy concepts that underpin scholarship at college or university. This badge incentivizes them to continue improving their information literacy competencies over their academic and workplace career. By participating in this course, one can use these advanced search skills to save time conducting literature reviews, efficiently gather and organize information, ethically use sources, and protect...
6. Analysing: Numeric and digital literacies
Being financially and data-literate is a requirement of all effective leaders. This includes the ability to analyse data and harness its value, as well as to leverage these skills to become a future-focused business leader. In four themed courses, this specialisation will: teach you that financial literacy is a required capability for every business leader (Know Your Numbers 1); provide you with a foundational understanding of how to manage your organisation’s finances effectively (Know Your...
7. Data Literacy and Business Analytics for Business Leaders
Improve your Data Literacy and Business Analytics. Apply Business Statistics for Data Driven Decision Making...
8. The Data Literacy Course: Learn How to Work With Data
Read, Understand, and Analyze Data...
9. Basic Information Literacy
Learn how to begin tackling a big project or presentation. Join today and equip yourself with basic information literacy skills to navigate the vast landscape of knowledge to find just what you need. This course will cover creating a workable project/presentation, understanding the various types of information sources, searching the various types of information sources, recognizing faulty information or bias, using proper citation conventions, avoiding plagiarism, and skimming information to...
10. Data Literacy
This specialization is intended for professionals seeking to develop a skill set for interpreting statistical results. Through four courses and a capstone project, you will cover descriptive statistics, data visualization, measurement, regression modeling, probability and uncertainty which will prepare you to interpret and critically evaluate a quantitative analysis...
11. How to Read Financial Statements: Build Financial Literacy.
Read financial statements and speak the language of business without the drudgery of a traditional accounting course...
12. Instructional Design for Classroom Training
Design effective and engaging in-person classroom training sessions and learning experiences from scratch...
13. Healthcare Data Literacy
This course will help lay the foundation of your healthcare data journey and provide you with knowledge and skills necessary to work in the healthcare industry as a data scientist. Healthcare is unique because it is associated with continually evolving and complex processes associated with health management and medical care. We'll learn about the many facets to consider in healthcare and determine the value and growing need for data analysts in healthcare. We'll learn about the Triple Aim and...
14. Applied Digital Literacy
This Specialization is intended for anyone seeking to develop online, internet researching skills along with advanced knowledge of multimedia for the creation of digital objects such as presentations, infographics, posters, commercials, podcasts, and movies. Through these three courses, learners will cover how to identify their information need, understand which tools to use when fulfilling that need, employ advanced search techniques and tools in various types of information platforms...
15. Instructional Design for ELearning
Designing Successful ELearning Courses. Learn from a multi-award-winning instructional designer...
16. 4x1 Data Management/Governance/Security/Ethics Masterclass
You'll learn about data literacy, Data Quality operations, Data Governance policies and Data Security/Privacy controls...
17. Health Information Literacy for Data Analytics
This Specialization is intended for data and technology professionals with no previous healthcare experience who are seeking an industry change to work with healthcare data. Through four courses, you will identify the types, sources, and challenges of healthcare data along with methods for selecting and preparing data for analysis. You will examine the range of healthcare data sources and compare terminology, including administrative, clinical, insurance claims, patient-reported and external...
18. e-Learning Ecologies: Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning for the Digital Age
For three decades and longer we have heard educators and technologists making a case for the transformative power of technology in learning. However, despite the rhetoric, in many ways and at most institutional sites, education is still relatively untouched by technology. Even when technologies are introduced, the changes sometimes seem insignificant and the results seem disappointing. If the print textbook is replaced by an e-book, do the social relations of knowledge and learning necessarily...
19. Instructional Design for Corporate Learning and Development
Giving you the tools to design and deliver on-point, effective corporate training programs...
20. Negotiating Learner Differences: Towards Productive Diversity in Learning
An investigation of the dimensions of learner diversity: material (class, locale), corporeal (age, race, sex and sexuality, and physical and mental characteristics) and symbolic (culture, language, gender, family, affinity and persona). Examines social-cultural theories of difference, as well as considering alternative responses to these differences in educational settings - ranging from broad, institutional responses to specific pedagogical responses within classes of students. The course also...
Top 10 most affordable universities for literacy specialists
The most affordable schools for literacy specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for literacy 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 literacy specialists.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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 - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for literacy specialists
The hardest universities for literacy specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for literacy 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 literacy 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
10. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for literacy specialists
The easiest schools for literacy specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a literacy 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 literacy 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. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
8. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average literacy specialist salary by education level
| Literacy specialist education level | Literacy specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $64,378 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $56,627 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,008 |
| Doctorate Degree | $68,074 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $59,661 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025