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Reading specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a reading specialist. Reading specialists usually study elementary education, education, or special education. 59% of reading specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,924 real reading specialist resumes to see exactly what reading specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for reading specialists are the Towson University and the Towson University.
There are also many online reading specialist courses to help get the education required to be a reading specialist.
There are certain reading specialist certifications that you should consider. These reading specialist certifications include Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) and Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:).
What education do you need to become a reading specialist?
What degree do you need to be a reading specialist?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 33%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a reading specialist?
- Elementary Education, 25%
- Education, 18%
- English, 7%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for reading specialists
| Reading specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Towson University | 6.62% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.27% |
| Temple University | 5.92% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 5.92% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.57% |
Best majors for reading specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary Education | 25.5% |
| 2 | Education | 18.0% |
| 3 | Special Education | 7.0% |
| 4 | English | 6.9% |
| 5 | Early Childhood Education | 4.9% |
Best colleges for reading specialists
The best colleges for reading specialists are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A reading specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
20 best online courses for reading specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for reading specialists
The most affordable schools for reading specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for reading specialists 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 specialists.
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for reading specialists
The hardest universities for reading specialists to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for reading specialists 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 specialists 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
9. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for reading specialists
The easiest schools for reading specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a reading specialist 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 specialists.
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. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
Average reading specialist salary by education level
| Reading specialist education level | Reading specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $65,456 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,374 |
| Doctorate Degree | $65,899 |
Reading specialist 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