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Residential trainer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a residential trainer. Residential trainers usually study psychology, business, or criminal justice. 41% of residential trainers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,086 real residential trainer resumes to see exactly what residential trainer education sections show.
The most common colleges for residential trainers are the Northern Illinois University and the Northern Illinois University.
There are also many online residential trainer courses to help get the education required to be a residential trainer.
What education do you need to become a residential trainer?
What degree do you need to be a residential trainer?
- Bachelor's, 41%
- Associate, 21%
- High School Diploma, 20%
- Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 11%
What should I major in to become a residential trainer?
- Psychology, 16%
- Business, 12%
- Criminal Justice, 9%
- Social Work, 8%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for residential trainers
| Residential trainer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Northern Illinois University | 17.50% |
| Jacksonville State University | 10.00% |
| SUNY Buffalo State | 7.50% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.67% |
| Remington College | 5.83% |
Best majors for residential trainers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 16.5% |
| 2 | Business | 11.9% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 9.4% |
| 4 | Social Work | 8.1% |
| 5 | Health Care Administration | 7.6% |
Best colleges for residential trainers
The best colleges for residential trainers are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Boston University.
A residential trainer 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 trainers. 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 trainers.
1. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
2. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
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. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Enrollment
34,637
20 best online courses for residential trainers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for residential trainers
The most affordable schools for residential trainers are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for residential trainers 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 trainers.
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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for residential trainers
The hardest universities for residential trainers to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for residential trainers 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 trainers 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for residential trainers
The easiest schools for residential trainers to get into are Bluefield College, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a residential trainer 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 trainers.
1. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
9. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average residential trainer salary by education level
| Residential trainer education level | Residential trainer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $40,149 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,090 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,983 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,291 |
Residential trainer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025