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Patient partner education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a patient partner. Patient partners usually study nursing, general studies, or health sciences and services. 46% of patient partners hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 160 real patient partner resumes to see exactly what patient partner education sections show.
The most common colleges for patient partners are the Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis and the Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis.
There are also many online patient partner courses to help get the education required to be a patient partner.
What education do you need to become a patient partner?
What degree do you need to be a patient partner?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Associate, 19%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 14%
What should I major in to become a patient partner?
- Nursing, 13%
- General Studies, 11%
- Business, 8%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for patient partners
| Patient partner common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis | 19.35% |
| Ball State University | 9.68% |
| Western Washington University | 6.45% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.45% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 6.45% |
Best majors for patient partners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 12.9% |
| 2 | General Studies | 11.3% |
| 3 | Health Sciences And Services | 8.1% |
| 4 | Business | 8.1% |
| 5 | Liberal Arts | 6.5% |
Best colleges for patient partners
The best colleges for patient partners are University of Virginia, New York University, and Northwestern University.
A patient partner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for patient partners. 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 patient partners.
1. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
2. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. Maria College of Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$15,140
Enrollment
876
5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce
Mercedita, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,914
Enrollment
4,155
6. Clarkson College
Omaha, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$13,392
Enrollment
646
7. Jefferson College of Health Sciences
Roanoke, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$26,886
Enrollment
774
8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Enrollment
3,553
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
20 best online courses for patient partners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for patient partners
The most affordable schools for patient partners are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for patient partners 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 patient partners.
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Alexandria, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,668
Cost of attendance
14,488
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$9,233
Cost of attendance
18,110
10. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
In-state tuition
$9,283
Cost of attendance
22,243
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for patient partners
The hardest universities for patient partners to get into are University of Virginia, New York University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for patient partners 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 patient partners 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 Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
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. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
9. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for patient partners
The easiest schools for patient partners to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a patient partner 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 patient partners.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
10. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
Average patient partner salary by education level
| Patient partner education level | Patient partner salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $46,637 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $38,626 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,701 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $40,196 |
Patient partner education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025