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Practitioner education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a practitioner. Practitioners usually study psychology, social work, or nursing. 51% of practitioners hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,701 real practitioner resumes to see exactly what practitioner education sections show.
The most common colleges for practitioners are the Texas A&M; University San Antonio and the Texas A&M; University San Antonio.
There are also many online practitioner courses to help get the education required to be a practitioner.
There are certain practitioner certifications that you should consider. These practitioner certifications include Certified Professional Counselor and Physician Assistant - Certified (PA-C).
What education do you need to become a practitioner?
What degree do you need to be a practitioner?
- Bachelor's, 51%
- Master's, 26%
- Associate, 8%
- Doctorate, 8%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a practitioner?
- Psychology, 16%
- Social Work, 16%
- Nursing, 9%
- Business, 9%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for practitioners
| Practitioner common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas A&M University San Antonio | 11.37% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 8.75% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.45% |
| New York University | 6.12% |
| Florida State University | 5.83% |
Best majors for practitioners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 16.3% |
| 2 | Social Work | 15.9% |
| 3 | Nursing | 9.3% |
| 4 | Business | 9.2% |
| 5 | Law | 5.9% |
Best colleges for practitioners
The best colleges for practitioners are Boston College, University of Pennsylvania, and SUNY at Binghamton.
A practitioner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for practitioners. 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 practitioners.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
20 best online courses for practitioners
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This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...
3. Crisis Intervention Seminar
The emphasis is on the development of fundamental clinical skills in the area of crisis intervention...
4. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Practitioner Course
Become a Certified Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Practitioner and elevate your understanding of human behaviour...
5. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
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19. Metacognitive Therapy
Learn MCT, a cognitive psychotherapy based on CBT, that helps clients tackle the root of their anxiety and depression...
20. Colour Therapy Practitioner Certification
Learn to use the power of colour to promote health and wellbeing...
Top 10 most affordable universities for practitioners
The most affordable schools for practitioners are Hunter College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for practitioners 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 practitioners.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for practitioners
The hardest universities for practitioners to get into are Boston College, University of Pennsylvania, and SUNY at Binghamton.
Some great schools for practitioners 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 practitioners 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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
4. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,326
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,304
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for practitioners
The easiest schools for practitioners to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a practitioner 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 practitioners.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
9. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
Average practitioner salary by education level
| Practitioner education level | Practitioner salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,628 |
| Doctorate Degree | $93,064 |
Practitioner education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025