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Personal advocate education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a personal advocate. Personal advocates usually study psychology, social work, or sociology. 62% of personal advocates hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,133 real personal advocate resumes to see exactly what personal advocate education sections show.
The most common colleges for personal advocates are the Saint Cloud State University and the Saint Cloud State University.
There are also many online personal advocate courses to help get the education required to be a personal advocate.
There are certain personal advocate certifications that you should consider. These personal advocate certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
What education do you need to become a personal advocate?
What degree do you need to be a personal advocate?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a personal advocate?
- Psychology, 23%
- Social Work, 13%
- Sociology, 10%
- Criminal Justice, 8%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for personal advocates
| Personal advocate common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Saint Cloud State University | 12.41% |
| University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | 10.22% |
| University of Minnesota - Duluth | 8.76% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.30% |
| Metropolitan State University | 5.84% |
Best majors for personal advocates
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 22.6% |
| 2 | Social Work | 12.8% |
| 3 | Sociology | 10.3% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 7.8% |
| 5 | Business | 7.3% |
Best colleges for personal advocates
The best colleges for personal advocates are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and New York University.
A personal advocate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for personal advocates. 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 personal advocates.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Enrollment
34,637
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
20 best online courses for personal advocates
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Top 10 most affordable universities for personal advocates
The most affordable schools for personal advocates are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for personal advocates 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 personal advocates.
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. 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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for personal advocates
The hardest universities for personal advocates to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and New York University.
Some great schools for personal advocates 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 personal advocates 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for personal advocates
The easiest schools for personal advocates to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, bluefield college, and the university of texas permian basin.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a personal advocate 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 personal advocates.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
3. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average personal advocate salary by education level
| Personal advocate education level | Personal advocate salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $41,078 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,698 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,700 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,856 |
Personal advocate education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025