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Residential advisor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a residential advisor. Residential advisors usually study psychology, criminal justice, or business. 57% of residential advisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 8,107 real residential advisor resumes to see exactly what residential advisor education sections show.
The most common colleges for residential advisors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online residential advisor courses to help get the education required to be a residential advisor.
There are certain residential advisor certifications that you should consider. These residential advisor certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Advanced First Aid & CPR.
What education do you need to become a residential advisor?
What degree do you need to be a residential advisor?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Associate, 16%
- High School Diploma, 13%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a residential advisor?
- Psychology, 18%
- Criminal Justice, 15%
- Business, 12%
- Social Work, 7%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for residential advisors
| Residential advisor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.64% |
| Kansas State University | 9.92% |
| Temple University | 6.61% |
| University of Vermont | 5.99% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.37% |
Best majors for residential advisors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 18.1% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 14.6% |
| 3 | Business | 11.9% |
| 4 | Social Work | 6.8% |
| 5 | Human Services | 6.4% |
Best colleges for residential advisors
The best colleges for residential advisors are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and New York University.
A residential advisor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for residential advisors. 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 residential advisors.
1. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
2. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
5. SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,440
Enrollment
7,039
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for residential advisors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for residential advisors
The most affordable schools for residential advisors are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for residential advisors 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 residential advisors.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for residential advisors
The hardest universities for residential advisors to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and New York University.
Some great schools for residential advisors 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 residential advisors 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for residential advisors
The easiest schools for residential advisors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, university of north texas at dallas, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a residential advisor 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 residential advisors.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
7. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
Average residential advisor salary by education level
| Residential advisor education level | Residential advisor salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,451 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $35,068 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,375 |
Residential advisor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025