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Resource specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a resource specialist. Resource specialists usually study business, psychology, or social work. 62% of resource specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 7,048 real resource specialist resumes to see exactly what resource specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for resource specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online resource specialist courses to help get the education required to be a resource specialist.
There are certain resource specialist certifications that you should consider. These resource specialist certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
What education do you need to become a resource specialist?
What degree do you need to be a resource specialist?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 15%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a resource specialist?
- Business, 16%
- Psychology, 15%
- Social Work, 10%
- Criminal Justice, 7%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for resource specialists
| Resource specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 21.23% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.52% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.59% |
| University of South Florida | 4.84% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 4.66% |
Best majors for resource specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 16.1% |
| 2 | Psychology | 14.7% |
| 3 | Social Work | 10.3% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 6.6% |
| 5 | Sociology | 5.3% |
Best colleges for resource specialists
The best colleges for resource specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A resource 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 resource 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 resource specialists.
1. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. University of Maryland - Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$11,778
Enrollment
11,156
20 best online courses for resource specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for resource specialists
The most affordable schools for resource specialists are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for resource 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 resource specialists.
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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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 resource specialists
The hardest universities for resource specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for resource 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 resource 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for resource specialists
The easiest schools for resource specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a resource 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 resource specialists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
7. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
8. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average resource specialist salary by education level
| Resource specialist education level | Resource specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $73,721 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $46,577 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,360 |
| Doctorate Degree | $80,597 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $49,902 |
Resource specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025