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Residential worker education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a residential worker. Residential workers usually study psychology, criminal justice, or social work. 53% of residential workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,476 real residential worker resumes to see exactly what residential worker education sections show.

The most common colleges for residential workers are the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin Colleges.

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

What education do you need to become a residential worker?

What degree do you need to be a residential worker?

The most common degree for residential workers is bachelor's degree, with 53% of residential workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 53%
  • Associate, 16%
  • High School Diploma, 14%
  • Master's, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a residential worker?

You should major in psychology to become a residential worker. 26% of residential workers major in psychology. Other common majors for a residential worker include criminal justice and social work.

Most common colleges for residential workers

Residential workers often get their degrees at University of Wisconsin Colleges, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, and University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Here are the most common colleges for residential workers in the US based on their resumes.
Residential worker common collegePercentages
University of Wisconsin Colleges18.63%
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire11.80%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point11.18%
University of Phoenix9.32%
University of Wisconsin - Stout6.83%

Best majors for residential workers

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology26.1%
2Criminal Justice13.3%
3Social Work11.9%
4Human Services8.9%
5Sociology5.2%

Best colleges for residential workers

The best colleges for residential workers are SUNY at Binghamton, Boston College, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A residential worker 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 workers. 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 workers.

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 workers

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2. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

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5. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative

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Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...

6. COVID-19 Training for Healthcare Workers

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13. The Business of Health Care

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Top 10 most affordable universities for residential workers

The most affordable schools for residential workers 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 workers 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 workers.

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 workers

The hardest universities for residential workers to get into are SUNY at Binghamton, Boston College, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for residential workers 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 workers 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 workers

The easiest schools for residential workers 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 worker 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 workers.

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 worker salary by education level

Residential workers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $38,249 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, residential workers earn a median annual income of $36,002 compared to $33,317 for residential workers with an Associate degree.
Residential worker education levelResidential worker salary
Master's Degree$38,249
High School Diploma or Less$33,169
Bachelor's Degree$36,002
Some College/ Associate Degree$33,317

Residential worker education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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