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Scuba instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a scuba instructor. Scuba instructors usually study business, ecology, population biology, and epidemiology, or biology. 68% of scuba instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 467 real scuba instructor resumes to see exactly what scuba instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for scuba instructors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online scuba instructor courses to help get the education required to be a scuba instructor.
There are certain scuba instructor certifications that you should consider. These scuba instructor certifications include Open Water Scuba Instructor and Instructor.
What education do you need to become a scuba instructor?
What degree do you need to be a scuba instructor?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 9%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a scuba instructor?
- Business, 20%
- Biology, 7%
- Criminal Justice, 7%
- Other Majors, 57%
Most common colleges for scuba instructors
| Scuba instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 8.62% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.90% |
| University of Oregon | 6.90% |
| The University of Tampa | 6.90% |
| The College of the Florida Keys | 5.17% |
Best majors for scuba instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 19.7% |
| 2 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 9.0% |
| 3 | Biology | 7.3% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 7.3% |
| 5 | Psychology | 6.2% |
Best colleges for scuba instructors
The best colleges for scuba instructors are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
A scuba 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 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 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 scuba instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for scuba instructors
The most affordable schools for scuba instructors are California State University - Bakersfield, baruch college of the city university of new york, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for scuba 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 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 scuba instructors
The hardest universities for scuba instructors to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for scuba 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 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 scuba instructors
The easiest schools for scuba 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 scuba 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 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 scuba instructor salary by education level
| Scuba instructor education level | Scuba instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $41,386 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,934 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,082 |
| Doctorate Degree | $45,087 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,791 |
Scuba 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