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Riding instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a riding instructor. Riding instructors usually study business, animal science, or psychology. 66% of riding instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,431 real riding instructor resumes to see exactly what riding instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for riding instructors are the William Woods University and the William Woods University.
There are also many online riding instructor courses to help get the education required to be a riding instructor.
What education do you need to become a riding instructor?
What degree do you need to be a riding instructor?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Associate, 15%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a riding instructor?
- Business, 18%
- Animal Science, 12%
- Psychology, 11%
- Agricultural Production Operations, 8%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for riding instructors
| Riding instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| William Woods University | 13.39% |
| The University of Findlay | 7.87% |
| Ohio State University | 7.09% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.30% |
| University of Connecticut | 5.51% |
Best majors for riding instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.6% |
| 2 | Animal Science | 12.5% |
| 3 | Psychology | 11.0% |
| 4 | Agricultural Production Operations | 7.7% |
| 5 | Agricultural And Domestic Animal Services | 7.1% |
Best colleges for riding instructors
The best colleges for riding instructors are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Vanderbilt University.
A riding instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for riding instructors. 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 riding instructors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
9. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for riding instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for riding instructors
The most affordable schools for riding instructors are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for riding instructors 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 riding instructors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
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 riding instructors
The hardest universities for riding instructors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for riding instructors 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 riding instructors 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for riding instructors
The easiest schools for riding instructors to get into are D'Youville College, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a riding instructor 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 riding instructors.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
8. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average riding instructor salary by education level
| Riding instructor education level | Riding instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $37,036 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $30,648 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,212 |
| Doctorate Degree | $40,189 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,104 |
Riding instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025