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Scuba diving instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a scuba diving instructor. Scuba diving instructors usually study business, criminal justice, or biology. 60% of scuba diving instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 188 real scuba diving instructor resumes to see exactly what scuba diving instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for scuba diving instructors are the Texas State University and the Texas State University.
There are also many online scuba diving instructor courses to help get the education required to be a scuba diving instructor.
What education do you need to become a scuba diving instructor?
What degree do you need to be a scuba diving instructor?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Associate, 20%
- Master's, 7%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a scuba diving instructor?
- Business, 13%
- Criminal Justice, 9%
- Biology, 8%
- Communication, 6%
- Other Majors, 64%
Most common colleges for scuba diving instructors
| Scuba diving instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas State University | 12.50% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 9.38% |
| The University of Texas at Arlington | 9.38% |
| Southwestern University | 6.25% |
| Boise State University | 6.25% |
Best majors for scuba diving instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 12.8% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 9.0% |
| 3 | Biology | 7.7% |
| 4 | Communication | 6.4% |
| 5 | Health Education | 6.4% |
Best colleges for scuba diving instructors
The best colleges for scuba diving instructors are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
A scuba diving 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 scuba diving 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 scuba diving 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 Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
20 best online courses for scuba diving instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for scuba diving instructors
The most affordable schools for scuba diving instructors are California State University - Bakersfield, university of florida, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for scuba diving 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 scuba diving instructors.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
7. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for scuba diving instructors
The hardest universities for scuba diving instructors to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for scuba diving 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 scuba diving 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for scuba diving instructors
The easiest schools for scuba diving instructors to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a scuba diving 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 scuba diving instructors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average scuba diving instructor salary by education level
| Scuba diving instructor education level | Scuba diving instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $48,462 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $37,685 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,615 |
| Doctorate Degree | $54,017 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $41,749 |
Scuba diving 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