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Mentor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a mentor. Mentors usually study psychology, business, or criminal justice. 67% of mentors hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 62,714 real mentor resumes to see exactly what mentor education sections show.
The most common colleges for mentors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online mentor courses to help get the education required to be a mentor.
There are certain mentor certifications that you should consider. These mentor certifications include Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.
What education do you need to become a mentor?
What degree do you need to be a mentor?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Associate, 11%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a mentor?
- Psychology, 18%
- Business, 13%
- Criminal Justice, 7%
- Biology, 6%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for mentors
| Mentor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 8.85% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.79% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.60% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.42% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 5.67% |
Best majors for mentors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 18.3% |
| 2 | Business | 13.4% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 7.2% |
| 4 | Biology | 5.9% |
| 5 | Communication | 5.3% |
Best colleges for mentors
The best colleges for mentors are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A mentor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for mentors. 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 mentors.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
20 best online courses for mentors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for mentors
The most affordable schools for mentors 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 mentors 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 mentors.
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for mentors
The hardest universities for mentors to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for mentors 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 mentors 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for mentors
The easiest schools for mentors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, barry university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a mentor 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 mentors.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
Average mentor salary by education level
| Mentor education level | Mentor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $41,757 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $31,912 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $37,267 |
| Doctorate Degree | $45,758 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,301 |
Mentor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025