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Online tutor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an online tutor. Online tutors usually study elementary education, english, or education. 61% of online tutors hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 788 real online tutor resumes to see exactly what online tutor education sections show.
The most common colleges for online tutors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online online tutor courses to help get the education required to be an online tutor.
What education do you need to become an online tutor?
What degree do you need to be an online tutor?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 9%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an online tutor?
- Elementary Education, 12%
- English, 10%
- Education, 9%
- Psychology, 8%
- Other Majors, 61%
Most common colleges for online tutors
| Online tutor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 8.33% |
| Boston University | 6.48% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.48% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.48% |
| University of South Florida | 5.56% |
Best majors for online tutors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary Education | 12.3% |
| 2 | English | 10.5% |
| 3 | Education | 8.6% |
| 4 | Psychology | 7.9% |
| 5 | Mathematics | 7.1% |
Best colleges for online tutors
The best colleges for online tutors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
An online tutor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for online tutors. 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 online tutors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
20 best online courses for online tutors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for online tutors
The most affordable schools for online tutors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for online tutors 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 online tutors.
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
7. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
8. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for online tutors
The hardest universities for online tutors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for online tutors 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 online tutors 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for online tutors
The easiest schools for online tutors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an online tutor 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 online tutors.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average online tutor salary by education level
| Online tutor education level | Online tutor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $33,113 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,457 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $31,514 |
| Doctorate Degree | $34,457 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $30,780 |
Online tutor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025