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Reading aide education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a reading aide. Reading aides usually study elementary education, business, or education. 68% of reading aides hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 281 real reading aide resumes to see exactly what reading aide education sections show.
The most common colleges for reading aides are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online reading aide courses to help get the education required to be a reading aide.
What education do you need to become a reading aide?
What degree do you need to be a reading aide?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 9%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a reading aide?
- Elementary Education, 21%
- Business, 9%
- Education, 9%
- English, 9%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for reading aides
| Reading aide common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 8.70% |
| Springfield College | 8.70% |
| Utah State University | 6.52% |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 6.52% |
| Bradley University | 4.35% |
Best majors for reading aides
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary Education | 21.2% |
| 2 | Business | 9.5% |
| 3 | Education | 8.8% |
| 4 | English | 8.8% |
| 5 | Psychology | 8.0% |
Best colleges for reading aides
The best colleges for reading aides are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A reading aide with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for reading aides. 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 reading aides.
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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
8. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for reading aides
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Top 10 most affordable universities for reading aides
The most affordable schools for reading aides are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for reading aides 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 reading aides.
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for reading aides
The hardest universities for reading aides to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for reading aides 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 reading aides 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for reading aides
The easiest schools for reading aides to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a reading aide 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 reading aides.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average reading aide salary by education level
| Reading aide education level | Reading aide salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $39,422 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,445 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,029 |
| Doctorate Degree | $40,398 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $34,934 |
Reading aide education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025