Residential case manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a residential case manager. Residential case managers usually study psychology, social work, or criminal justice. 67% of residential case managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,530 real residential case manager resumes to see exactly what residential case manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for residential case managers are the Rhode Island College and the Rhode Island College.

There are also many online residential case manager courses to help get the education required to be a residential case manager.

There are certain residential case manager certifications that you should consider. These residential case manager certifications include Certification in Forensic Social Work (CFSW) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

What education do you need to become a residential case manager?

What degree do you need to be a residential case manager?

The most common degree for residential case managers is bachelor's degree, with 67% of residential case managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 67%

Master's, 15%

Associate, 13%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a residential case manager?

You should major in psychology to become a residential case manager. 28% of residential case managers major in psychology. Other common majors for a residential case manager include social work and criminal justice.

Psychology, 28%

Social Work, 15%

Criminal Justice, 13%

Human Services, 9%

Other Majors, 35%

Most common colleges for residential case managers

Residential case managers often get their degrees at Rhode Island College, Southern Connecticut State University, and University of Rhode Island. Here are the most common colleges for residential case managers in the US based on their resumes.

Residential case manager common college	Percentages
Rhode Island College	12.50%
Southern Connecticut State University	8.52%
University of Rhode Island	8.52%
University of Phoenix	8.52%
Wayne State University	4.55%

Show more common residential case manager colleges

Best majors for residential case managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	28.3%
2	Social Work	15.4%
3	Criminal Justice	12.7%
4	Human Services	9.1%
5	Sociology	7.3%

Show more common residential case manager majors

Best colleges for residential case managers

The best colleges for residential case managers are Boston College, Northeastern University, and Northwestern University.

A residential case manager 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 case managers. 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 case managers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

4. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

6. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

10. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

20 best online courses for residential case managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for residential case managers

The most affordable schools for residential case managers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for residential case managers 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 case managers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for residential case managers

The hardest universities for residential case managers to get into are Boston College, Northeastern University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for residential case managers 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 case managers 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. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for residential case managers

The easiest schools for residential case managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, nyack college, and bluefield college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a residential case manager 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 case managers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

4. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

5. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

10. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

Average residential case manager salary by education level

According to our data, residential case managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $43,554 annually. Residential case managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $41,312.

Residential case manager education level	Residential case manager salary
Master's Degree	$43,554
High School Diploma or Less	$38,458
Bachelor's Degree	$41,312
Some College/ Associate Degree	$38,609

Residential case manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Residential Case Managers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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