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Reading tutor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a reading tutor. Reading tutors usually study elementary education, psychology, or english. 66% of reading tutors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,330 real reading tutor resumes to see exactly what reading tutor education sections show.
The most common colleges for reading tutors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online reading tutor courses to help get the education required to be a reading tutor.
There are certain reading tutor certifications that you should consider. These reading tutor certifications include Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) and Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:).
What education do you need to become a reading tutor?
What degree do you need to be a reading tutor?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a reading tutor?
- Elementary Education, 16%
- Psychology, 12%
- English, 12%
- Education, 9%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for reading tutors
| Reading tutor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 6.60% |
| Michigan State University | 6.27% |
| Florida State University | 6.27% |
| University of Central Florida | 6.27% |
| Florida International University | 5.61% |
Best majors for reading tutors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary Education | 15.7% |
| 2 | Psychology | 12.1% |
| 3 | English | 11.7% |
| 4 | Education | 8.9% |
| 5 | Early Childhood Education | 5.9% |
Best colleges for reading tutors
The best colleges for reading tutors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A reading tutor 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 tutors. 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 tutors.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for reading tutors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for reading tutors
The most affordable schools for reading tutors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for reading tutors 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 tutors.
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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 tutors
The hardest universities for reading tutors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for reading tutors 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 tutors 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for reading tutors
The easiest schools for reading tutors 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 tutor 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 tutors.
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 College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average reading tutor salary by education level
| Reading tutor education level | Reading tutor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $36,325 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,652 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,336 |
| Doctorate Degree | $38,923 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $31,999 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025