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Shelter advocate education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a shelter advocate. Shelter advocates usually study psychology, social work, or criminal justice. 62% of shelter advocates hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,433 real shelter advocate resumes to see exactly what shelter advocate education sections show.
The most common colleges for shelter advocates are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online shelter advocate courses to help get the education required to be a shelter advocate.
What education do you need to become a shelter advocate?
What degree do you need to be a shelter advocate?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Associate, 20%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a shelter advocate?
- Psychology, 23%
- Social Work, 16%
- Criminal Justice, 13%
- Human Services, 10%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for shelter advocates
| Shelter advocate common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.77% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 12.50% |
| University of Iowa | 8.52% |
| Eastern Illinois University | 6.82% |
| Ferris State University | 4.55% |
Best majors for shelter advocates
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 23.0% |
| 2 | Social Work | 15.9% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 13.0% |
| 4 | Human Services | 9.8% |
| 5 | Sociology | 8.2% |
Best colleges for shelter advocates
The best colleges for shelter advocates are Boston University, Northwestern University, and SUNY at Binghamton.
A shelter advocate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for shelter advocates. 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 shelter advocates.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
3. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Enrollment
34,637
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
7. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
8. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
9. Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$8,967
Enrollment
10,030
10. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
20 best online courses for shelter advocates
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Top 10 most affordable universities for shelter advocates
The most affordable schools for shelter advocates are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for shelter advocates 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 shelter advocates.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for shelter advocates
The hardest universities for shelter advocates to get into are Boston University, Northwestern University, and SUNY at Binghamton.
Some great schools for shelter advocates 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 shelter advocates 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
6. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for shelter advocates
The easiest schools for shelter advocates to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, bluefield college, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a shelter advocate 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 shelter advocates.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average shelter advocate salary by education level
| Shelter advocate education level | Shelter advocate salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $40,788 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $36,120 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,736 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,258 |
Shelter advocate education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025