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Peer mentor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a peer mentor. Peer mentors usually study psychology, business, or biology. 72% of peer mentors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 12,965 real peer mentor resumes to see exactly what peer mentor education sections show.
The most common colleges for peer mentors are the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa.
There are also many online peer mentor courses to help get the education required to be a peer mentor.
There are certain peer mentor certifications that you should consider. These peer mentor certifications include First Aid Certification and Certified Peer Specialist (CPS).
What education do you need to become a peer mentor?
What degree do you need to be a peer mentor?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a peer mentor?
- Psychology, 19%
- Business, 13%
- Biology, 8%
- Communication, 7%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for peer mentors
| Peer mentor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Iowa | 7.82% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.30% |
| Ohio University | 5.86% |
| University of California - Davis | 5.65% |
| Wayne State University | 5.32% |
Best majors for peer mentors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 19.2% |
| 2 | Business | 12.6% |
| 3 | Biology | 7.7% |
| 4 | Communication | 6.7% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 5.3% |
Best colleges for peer mentors
The best colleges for peer mentors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
A peer mentor 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 mentors. 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 mentors.
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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,440
Enrollment
7,039
20 best online courses for peer mentors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for peer mentors
The most affordable schools for peer mentors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for peer mentors 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 mentors.
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for peer mentors
The hardest universities for peer mentors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for peer mentors 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 mentors 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for peer mentors
The easiest schools for peer mentors to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a peer mentor 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 mentors.
1. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
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. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average peer mentor salary by education level
| Peer mentor education level | Peer mentor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $30,908 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $27,154 |
| Doctorate Degree | $31,406 |
Peer mentor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025