Occupancy specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an occupancy specialist. Occupancy specialists usually study business, criminal justice, or psychology. 46% of occupancy specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,168 real occupancy specialist resumes to see exactly what occupancy specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for occupancy specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online occupancy specialist courses to help get the education required to be an occupancy specialist.

There are certain occupancy specialist certifications that you should consider. These occupancy specialist certifications include Certified Specialist of Occupancy (CSO-PH) and Certified Specialist - Public Housing Manager (CS-PHM).

What education do you need to become an occupancy specialist?

What degree do you need to be an occupancy specialist?

The most common degree for occupancy specialists is bachelor's degree, with 46% of occupancy specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 46%

Associate, 27%

High School Diploma, 13%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become an occupancy specialist?

You should major in business to become an occupancy specialist. 32% of occupancy specialists major in business. Other common majors for an occupancy specialist include criminal justice and psychology.

Business, 32%

Criminal Justice, 9%

Psychology, 7%

Accounting, 6%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for occupancy specialists

Occupancy specialists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Mississippi Valley State University, and Chicago State University. Here are the most common colleges for occupancy specialists in the US based on their resumes.

Occupancy specialist common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	19.75%
Mississippi Valley State University	6.17%
Chicago State University	4.94%
Southern New Hampshire University	4.94%
American InterContinental University	4.94%

Show more common occupancy specialist colleges

Best majors for occupancy specialists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	31.7%
2	Criminal Justice	8.6%
3	Psychology	7.0%
4	Accounting	6.3%
5	Sociology	5.2%

Show more common occupancy specialist majors

Best colleges for occupancy specialists

The best colleges for occupancy specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

An occupancy 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 occupancy 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 occupancy specialists.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for occupancy specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for occupancy specialists

The most affordable schools for occupancy specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for occupancy 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 occupancy 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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for occupancy specialists

The hardest universities for occupancy specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

Some great schools for occupancy 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 occupancy 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for occupancy specialists

The easiest schools for occupancy specialists to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and ottawa university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an occupancy 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 occupancy specialists.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average occupancy specialist salary by education level

According to our data, occupancy specialists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $53,502 annually. Occupancy specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $48,432.

Occupancy specialist education level	Occupancy specialist salary
Master's Degree	$53,502
High School Diploma or Less	$39,395
Bachelor's Degree	$48,432
Some College/ Associate Degree	$42,860

Occupancy specialist education FAQs

What is the best college for Occupancy Specialists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

Search for occupancy specialist jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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