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Mountain guide education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a mountain guide. Mountain guides usually study environmental science, psychology, or business. 76% of mountain guides hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 185 real mountain guide resumes to see exactly what mountain guide education sections show.
The most common colleges for mountain guides are the Western Washington University and the Western Washington University.
There are also many online mountain guide courses to help get the education required to be a mountain guide.
What education do you need to become a mountain guide?
What degree do you need to be a mountain guide?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 5%
- Associate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a mountain guide?
- Psychology, 10%
- Business, 10%
- Outdoor Education, 7%
- Other Majors, 62%
Most common colleges for mountain guides
| Mountain guide common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Western Washington University | 9.52% |
| University of Colorado at Boulder | 7.14% |
| University of Washington | 7.14% |
| University of Utah | 7.14% |
| Western Colorado University | 4.76% |
Best majors for mountain guides
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmental Science | 11.4% |
| 2 | Psychology | 10.0% |
| 3 | Business | 10.0% |
| 4 | Outdoor Education | 7.1% |
| 5 | Political Science | 7.1% |
Best colleges for mountain guides
The best colleges for mountain guides are University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Southern California.
A mountain guide with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for mountain guides. 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 mountain guides.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
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 Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
10. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
20 best online courses for mountain guides
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Top 10 most affordable universities for mountain guides
The most affordable schools for mountain guides are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for mountain guides 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 mountain guides.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for mountain guides
The hardest universities for mountain guides to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for mountain guides 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 mountain guides 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
14%
SAT average
1,423
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for mountain guides
The easiest schools for mountain guides to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, adventhealth university, and william paterson university of new jersey.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a mountain guide 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 mountain guides.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
3. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
9. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
10. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
Average mountain guide salary by education level
| Mountain guide education level | Mountain guide salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,663 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $65,564 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $69,295 |
Mountain guide education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025