Reading assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a reading assistant. Reading assistants usually study elementary education, business, or psychology. 60% of reading assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,027 real reading assistant resumes to see exactly what reading assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for reading assistants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online reading assistant courses to help get the education required to be a reading assistant.

What education do you need to become a reading assistant?

What degree do you need to be a reading assistant?

The most common degree for reading assistants is bachelor's degree, with 60% of reading assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 60%

Associate, 17%

Master's, 9%

High School Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a reading assistant?

You should major in elementary education to become a reading assistant. 15% of reading assistants major in elementary education. Other common majors for a reading assistant include business and psychology.

Elementary Education, 15%

Business, 13%

Psychology, 12%

English, 9%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for reading assistants

Reading assistants often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Jackson State University, and University of Utah. Here are the most common colleges for reading assistants in the US based on their resumes.

Reading assistant common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	12.35%
Jackson State University	9.88%
University of Utah	8.64%
University of California - Davis	6.17%
New York University	4.94%

Show more common reading assistant colleges

Best majors for reading assistants

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Elementary Education	14.5%
2	Business	13.2%
3	Psychology	12.5%
4	English	8.8%
5	Education	5.7%

Show more common reading assistant majors

Best colleges for reading assistants

The best colleges for reading assistants are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A reading assistant 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 assistants. 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 assistants.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

20 best online courses for reading assistants

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Top 10 hardest universities to get into for reading assistants

The hardest universities for reading assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for reading assistants 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 assistants based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.