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Outreach specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an outreach specialist. Outreach specialists usually study business, psychology, or social work. 63% of outreach specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,504 real outreach specialist resumes to see exactly what outreach specialist education sections show.

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

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

There are certain outreach specialist certifications that you should consider. These outreach specialist certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

What education do you need to become an outreach specialist?

What degree do you need to be an outreach specialist?

The most common degree for outreach specialists is bachelor's degree, with 63% of outreach specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Associate, 14%
  • Master's, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an outreach specialist?

You should major in business to become an outreach specialist. 16% of outreach specialists major in business. Other common majors for an outreach specialist include psychology and social work.

Most common colleges for outreach specialists

Outreach specialists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, California State University - San Bernardino, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for outreach specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Outreach specialist common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix14.08%
California State University - San Bernardino6.81%
Pennsylvania State University5.87%
University of California, Santa Barbara5.87%
University of California - Davis5.40%

Best majors for outreach specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Business15.8%
2Psychology14.2%
3Social Work8.9%
4Communication7.1%
5Criminal Justice6.7%

Best colleges for outreach specialists

The best colleges for outreach specialists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.

An outreach 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 outreach 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 outreach specialists.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for outreach specialists

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5. Foundational Skills for Communicating About Health

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Effective communication is a core skill that nearly every health professional will need and use during their careers. Yet, few health professionals receive even basic training in how to design communications to be clear and successful. As “foundational skills,” the content in this course can be applied to both oral and written communication, within and beyond health. Learners will develop the skills to: analyze and tailor a communication effort for different audiences, develop clear messages,...

6. CVS Health Retail Customer Service

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10. Health Systems Development: Introduction to Health Systems

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20. Workplace Mental Health: A Manager's Ultimate Guide

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Top 10 most affordable universities for outreach specialists

The most affordable schools for outreach specialists are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - fullerton, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for outreach 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 outreach specialists.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

9. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,922

Cost of attendance

18,522

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for outreach specialists

The hardest universities for outreach specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.

Some great schools for outreach 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 outreach 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

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,307

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

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

The easiest schools for outreach specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, holy names university, and university of north texas at dallas.

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

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average outreach specialist salary by education level

According to our data, outreach specialists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $50,291 annually. Outreach specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $45,768.
Outreach specialist education levelOutreach specialist salary
Master's Degree$50,291
High School Diploma or Less$40,284
Bachelor's Degree$45,768
Some College/ Associate Degree$40,566

Outreach specialist 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.

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