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Ombudsman education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an ombudsman. Ombudsmen usually study business, psychology, or social work. 62% of ombudsmen hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,885 real ombudsman resumes to see exactly what ombudsman education sections show.

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

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

There are certain ombudsman certifications that you should consider. These ombudsman certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT).

What education do you need to become an ombudsman?

What degree do you need to be an ombudsman?

The most common degree for ombudsmen is bachelor's degree, with 62% of ombudsmen earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 62%
  • Master's, 16%
  • Associate, 11%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become an ombudsman?

You should major in business to become an ombudsman. 15% of ombudsmen major in business. Other common majors for an ombudsman include psychology and social work.

Most common colleges for ombudsmen

Ombudsmen often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Old Dominion University, and Kent State University. Here are the most common colleges for ombudsmen in the US based on their resumes.
Ombudsman common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix17.39%
Old Dominion University5.59%
Kent State University5.59%
Illinois State University4.97%
Arizona State University4.35%

Best majors for ombudsmen

RankMajorPercentages
1Business14.7%
2Psychology12.5%
3Social Work12.1%
4Sociology5.7%
5Criminal Justice5.1%

Best colleges for ombudsmen

The best colleges for ombudsmen are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.

An ombudsman with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for ombudsmen. 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 ombudsmen.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

4. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

6. Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$41,870

Enrollment

8,200

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

10. University of Akron

Akron, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,463

Enrollment

13,676

20 best online courses for ombudsmen

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Top 10 most affordable universities for ombudsmen

The most affordable schools for ombudsmen are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for ombudsmen 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 ombudsmen.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for ombudsmen

The hardest universities for ombudsmen to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for ombudsmen 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 ombudsmen 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

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 ombudsmen

The easiest schools for ombudsmen to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and mount saint mary's university.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

5. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average ombudsman salary by education level

Ombudsman education levelOmbudsman salary
Doctorate Degree$75,942

Ombudsman 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.