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Residential specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a residential specialist. Residential specialists usually study psychology, criminal justice, or business. 49% of residential specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,681 real residential specialist resumes to see exactly what residential specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for residential specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online residential specialist courses to help get the education required to be a residential specialist.
There are certain residential specialist certifications that you should consider. These residential specialist certifications include Medication Aide Certification (MACE) and Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED.
What education do you need to become a residential specialist?
What degree do you need to be a residential specialist?
- Bachelor's, 49%
- Associate, 21%
- High School Diploma, 14%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become a residential specialist?
- Psychology, 22%
- Criminal Justice, 13%
- Business, 10%
- Social Work, 9%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for residential specialists
| Residential specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 12.85% |
| Texas A&M University San Antonio | 7.26% |
| Missouri State University | 6.98% |
| Auburn University Main Campus | 6.98% |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 5.59% |
Best majors for residential specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 21.7% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 13.2% |
| 3 | Business | 9.5% |
| 4 | Social Work | 9.0% |
| 5 | Human Services | 7.3% |
Best colleges for residential specialists
The best colleges for residential specialists are SUNY at Binghamton, Boston College, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A residential 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 residential 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 residential specialists.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
3. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Enrollment
34,637
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
7. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
10. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
20 best online courses for residential specialists
Advertising disclosure
1. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness
In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...
2. Community Awareness Course: Sexuality and Disability
This community awareness course from the University of Minnesota Program on Human Sexuality will provide you with a solid introduction to human sexuality for those living with disabilities. Often there are assumptions that the disabled or differently abled people are not sexual, do not have sexual needs, or cannot be involved sexually. In this professionally produced one-hour course, you'll learn about the basics of disabilities and human sexuality. We'll then learn about three different...
3. Fundamentals of Residential Property Management
Understand the foundation of residential property management as a property manager or landlord...
4. Managing mental health issues in the workplace
Learn how to support your own mental health and wellbeing and that of your staff...
5. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children
Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...
6. Trauma Emergencies and Care
Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...
7. Mindfulness for Mental Health, Personal Growth & Inner Peace
The essential guide to cultivating positive mental health, practicing mindfulness, and advancing your personal growth...
8. U.S. Residential Real Estate, Property & Mortgage Business
Property & Mortgage Underwriting Loan Processing Financial Analysis Mortgage Operations Origination...
9. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
10. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...
11. Crisis Intervention Seminar
The emphasis is on the development of fundamental clinical skills in the area of crisis intervention...
12. Cat Behavior Rectification & Cat Health Care: 2 courses in 1
1. Common Cat Behavior Issues and training methods to rectify them 2. Tips for better healthcare of your cat...
13. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff
Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...
14. Mixing With Ableton Live
Using Ableton Live to Mix Your Tracks and Take Them from Good to Great!...
15. Addiction & Mental Health (Dual Diagnosis) Integrative 12hrs
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions: Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health - Integrative Holistic Approach...
16. The Key to Happiness: Self Care
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17. Mental Health and Neuroplasticity: Change your Brain
10 Alternatives to Medication to Improve Mental Health - Research backed treatments for Depression and Anxiety...
18. LIVE Streaming Masterclass: Start Live Streaming like a Pro
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19. Ultimate Ableton Live 10 COMPLETE: Parts 1, 2, and 3
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20. Addiction & Mental Health - Chemically Speaking Two (2hrs)
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions - Understand Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health. How to help people...
Top 10 most affordable universities for residential specialists
The most affordable schools for residential specialists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for residential 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 residential specialists.
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for residential specialists
The hardest universities for residential specialists to get into are SUNY at Binghamton, Boston College, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for residential 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 residential 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. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
2. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for residential specialists
The easiest schools for residential specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, bluefield college, and the university of texas permian basin.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a residential 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 residential specialists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
3. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
Average residential specialist salary by education level
| Residential specialist education level | Residential specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $39,073 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,379 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,075 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $32,570 |
Residential specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025