Peer leader education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a peer leader. Peer leaders usually study psychology, business, or biology. 71% of peer leaders hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,315 real peer leader resumes to see exactly what peer leader education sections show.

The most common colleges for peer leaders are the The University of Texas at El Paso and the The University of Texas at El Paso.

There are also many online peer leader courses to help get the education required to be a peer leader.

There are certain peer leader certifications that you should consider. These peer leader certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Certified Peer Specialist (CPS).

What education do you need to become a peer leader?

What degree do you need to be a peer leader?

The most common degree for peer leaders is bachelor's degree, with 71% of peer leaders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 11% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 71%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 10%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a peer leader?

You should major in psychology to become a peer leader. 17% of peer leaders major in psychology. Other common majors for a peer leader include business and biology.

Psychology, 17%

Business, 13%

Biology, 8%

Communication, 7%

Other Majors, 55%

Most common colleges for peer leaders

Peer leaders often get their degrees at The University of Texas at El Paso, University of South Carolina - Columbia, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Here are the most common colleges for peer leaders in the US based on their resumes.

Peer leader common college	Percentages
The University of Texas at El Paso	9.42%
University of South Carolina - Columbia	8.59%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	6.93%
University of Cincinnati	5.82%
Northeastern Illinois University	5.82%

Show more common peer leader colleges

Best majors for peer leaders

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	16.5%
2	Business	13.5%
3	Biology	8.3%
4	Communication	7.4%
5	Criminal Justice	6.1%

Show more common peer leader majors

Best colleges for peer leaders

The best colleges for peer leaders are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.

A peer leader with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for peer leaders. 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 peer leaders.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

10. University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,167

Enrollment

30,279

20 best online courses for peer leaders

Advertising disclosure

1. Interpersonal Communication for Engineering Leaders

This course covers communication skills that engineering leaders use every day to motivate, inspire, and support the people in their organizations. Speaking and writing are basic leadership communication skills. (We covered these topics in the Specialization course 1 and 3.) However, leaders also need to be skillful interpersonal communicators. Modern business requires communication skills that are effective across cultures, generations, and genders. Communication is also a key skill in...

2. How to foster conversation in Facebook community groups

In this guided project, you will learn about Facebook community groups and how to build effective communities, learn how to create your own community group, learn how improve your group engagement, learn how to create meaningful conversation in your community group and how to avoid mistakes. By the end of this project, you will have learned about the importance of using community groups, build your own community group, and make your group powerful to increase engagement...

3. Group Discussion Strategies

(340)

Group Discussion helps understand a subject more deeply and improves the ability to think critically...

4. Communication Skills PLUS Leadership - 2 in 1 Masterclass

4.5

(4,367)

Learn Communication & Leadership Skills For Inspiration, Success In Life, Work PLUS Interviews, Case Studies, Activities...

5. Effective Communication for Healthcare Leaders

4.3

(492)

Getting your points across as a healthcare administrator...

6. Leadership: You Can Speak Like a Leader

4.5

(2,043)

Leadership: You can project authority and confidence and demonstrate leadership every time you speak...

7. Master Public Speaking to Become a Leader at Work. Speak Up!

4.7

(1,680)

Master your public speaking toolkit, harness a powerful mindset, and learn strategies to be recognized as a leader...

8. Public Speaking and Presenting at Work

4.5

(6,108)

Master professional presentation skills, develop confidence, command the room, facilitate meetings & design your speech...

9. Leadership Communication Skills for Influence and Impact

4.3

(4,138)

Develop the communication skills that will make you irreplaceable, influential and unstoppable as a 21st century leader...

10. Communication Skills Masterclass: Speak Like A Leader

4.2

(295)

Master Public Speaking, Business Communication, Presentation Skills, Storytelling, Body Language, Listening & More!...

11. Communication Skills Masterclass - Your Communication Guide

4.5

(961)

Communication Skill For Business Communication & Effective Communication In Workplace & Relationships...

12. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service

4.5

(3,956)

Used by Chase®, Intel®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...

13. Workplace Communication: You Can Speak Up at Meetings!

4.6

(24,087)

You Can Learn to Speak up At Anytime Knowing how To Look and Sound Your Best in Meetings...

14. The art of facilitation: learn how to lead a working group

4.5

(1,062)

Facilitation, collaboration, collective intelligence, communication, workshop, meeting...

15. Active Directory & Group Policy Administration for IT Techs

4.5

(651)

Active Directory & Group Policy Administration Basics for Helpdesk and Desktop / IT Support Technicians...

16. Public Speaking Training & Facilitator Certification

4.6

(1,480)

World-class public speaking training: Learn presentation skills, engage your audience, develop confidence, facilitate...

17. Storytelling & Narratives: Impactful Business Communication

4.5

(416)

Impactful Business Communication Model for Leaders, using Narratives and Storylines; Engage, Influence, and Inspire !...

18. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications

4.6

(2,248)

Public Relations: You Can Shape and Control Your Media Messages at The Worst Possible Times...

19. Advanced Product Management: Leadership & Communication

4.5

(2,424)

Accelerate your Product Management career. Master communication, people management, & leadership...

20. Advanced agile communication skills for 21st Century leaders

4.5

(6,232)

Upgrade your skills for Industry 4.0 by discovering how to lead using information, communication & control (agile)...

Top 10 most affordable universities for peer leaders

The most affordable schools for peer leaders are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for peer leaders 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 peer leaders.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for peer leaders

The hardest universities for peer leaders to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for peer leaders 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 peer leaders 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for peer leaders

The easiest schools for peer leaders to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and bluefield college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a peer leader 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 peer leaders.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average peer leader salary by education level

Peer leaders with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $58,627 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, peer leaders earn a median annual income of $45,081 compared to $32,203 for peer leaders with an Associate degree.

Peer leader education level	Peer leader salary
Master's Degree	$58,627
High School Diploma or Less	$31,584
Bachelor's Degree	$45,081
Some College/ Associate Degree	$32,203

Peer leader education FAQs

What is the best college for Peer Leaders?

Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.

Search for peer leader 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

Browse community and social services jobs