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River rafting guide education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a river rafting guide. River rafting guides usually study business, biology, or recreation management. 71% of river rafting guides hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,202 real river rafting guide resumes to see exactly what river rafting guide education sections show.
The most common colleges for river rafting guides are the Appalachian State University and the Appalachian State University.
There are also many online river rafting guide courses to help get the education required to be a river rafting guide.
What education do you need to become a river rafting guide?
What degree do you need to be a river rafting guide?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a river rafting guide?
- Business, 10%
- Biology, 9%
- Psychology, 8%
- Other Majors, 65%
Most common colleges for river rafting guides
| River rafting guide common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Appalachian State University | 9.52% |
| Western Washington University | 8.16% |
| The University of Montana | 7.48% |
| East Tennessee State University | 6.80% |
| Shepherd University | 6.12% |
Best majors for river rafting guides
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 10.2% |
| 2 | Biology | 9.1% |
| 3 | Recreation Management | 8.0% |
| 4 | Psychology | 7.8% |
| 5 | Environmental Science | 7.2% |
Best colleges for river rafting guides
The best colleges for river rafting guides are Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and Yale University.
A river rafting guide with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for river rafting guides. 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 river rafting guides.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for river rafting guides
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Top 10 most affordable universities for river rafting guides
The most affordable schools for river rafting guides are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for river rafting guides 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 river rafting guides.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Cost of attendance
69,109
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
6. SUNY College at Cortland
Cortland, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,536
Cost of attendance
24,661
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
8. SUNY Potsdam
Potsdam, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,462
Cost of attendance
23,443
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Cost of attendance
25,228
10. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
La Crosse, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$9,107
Cost of attendance
17,213
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for river rafting guides
The hardest universities for river rafting guides to get into are Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and Yale University.
Some great schools for river rafting guides 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 river rafting guides 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
8. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for river rafting guides
The easiest schools for river rafting guides to get into are Saint Mary's College of California, la sierra university, and sweet briar college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a river rafting guide 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 river rafting guides.
1. Saint Mary's College of California
Moraga, CA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,174
2. La Sierra University
Riverside, CA • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,022
3. Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar, VA • Private
Admissions rate
76%
SAT average
1,120
4. Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,193
5. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
Admissions rate
74%
SAT average
1,272
6. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
7. SUNY College at Cortland
Cortland, NY • Private
Admissions rate
44%
SAT average
1,138
8. Illinois State University
Normal, IL • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,122
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
Admissions rate
64%
SAT average
1,324
10. Randolph-Macon College
Ashland, VA • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
1,139
Average river rafting guide salary by education level
| River rafting guide education level | River rafting guide salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $43,619 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,755 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $58,549 |
River rafting guide education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025