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Sailing instructor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a sailing instructor. Sailing instructors usually study business, mechanical engineering, or psychology. 78% of sailing instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 7% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 1,317 real sailing instructor resumes to see exactly what sailing instructor education sections show.

The most common colleges for sailing instructors are the Old Dominion University and the Old Dominion University.

There are also many online sailing instructor courses to help get the education required to be a sailing instructor.

What education do you need to become a sailing instructor?

What degree do you need to be a sailing instructor?

The most common degree for sailing instructors is bachelor's degree, with 78% of sailing instructors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 7% and high school diploma degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 78%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a sailing instructor?

You should major in business to become a sailing instructor. 13% of sailing instructors major in business. Other common majors for a sailing instructor include mechanical engineering and psychology.

Most common colleges for sailing instructors

Sailing instructors often get their degrees at Old Dominion University, University of Vermont, and Boston University. Here are the most common colleges for sailing instructors in the US based on their resumes.
Sailing instructor common collegePercentages
Old Dominion University8.73%
University of Vermont7.14%
Boston University6.35%
University of Massachusetts Boston6.35%
University of Rhode Island6.35%

Best majors for sailing instructors

Best colleges for sailing instructors

The best colleges for sailing instructors are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

A sailing 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 sailing 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 sailing instructors.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

7. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. Rice University

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$47,350

Enrollment

3,962

20 best online courses for sailing instructors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for sailing instructors

The most affordable schools for sailing instructors are California State University - Bakersfield, baruch college of the city university of new york, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for sailing 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 sailing instructors.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sailing instructors

The hardest universities for sailing instructors to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for sailing 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 sailing 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. Rice University

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sailing instructors

The easiest schools for sailing instructors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sailing 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 sailing instructors.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

Average sailing instructor salary by education level

Sailing instructors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $35,717 annually. With a Master's degree, sailing instructors earn a median annual income of $33,091 compared to $30,725 for sailing instructors with an Bachelor's degree.
Sailing instructor education levelSailing instructor salary
Master's Degree$33,091
High School Diploma or Less$27,723
Bachelor's Degree$30,725
Doctorate Degree$35,717
Some College/ Associate Degree$29,794

Sailing instructor 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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