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Social services case manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a social services case manager. Social services case managers usually study social work, psychology, or sociology. 72% of social services case managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,322 real social services case manager resumes to see exactly what social services case manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for social services case managers are the Valdosta State University and the Valdosta State University.

There are also many online social services case manager courses to help get the education required to be a social services case manager.

There are certain social services case manager certifications that you should consider. These social services case manager certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).

What education do you need to become a social services case manager?

What degree do you need to be a social services case manager?

The most common degree for social services case managers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of social services case managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Master's, 19%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Doctorate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a social services case manager?

You should major in social work to become a social services case manager. 28% of social services case managers major in social work. Other common majors for a social services case manager include psychology and sociology.

Most common colleges for social services case managers

Social services case managers often get their degrees at Valdosta State University, Georgia State University, and Albany State University. Here are the most common colleges for social services case managers in the US based on their resumes.
Social services case manager common collegePercentages
Valdosta State University11.14%
Georgia State University8.21%
Albany State University7.77%
Troy University6.89%
Savannah State University6.89%

Best majors for social services case managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Social Work28.4%
2Psychology19.6%
3Sociology12.0%
4Criminal Justice9.7%
5Human Services6.3%

Best colleges for social services case managers

The best colleges for social services case managers are Boston University, Northwestern University, and Washington University in St Louis.

A social services case manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for social services case managers. 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 social services case managers.

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

20 best online courses for social services case managers

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5. Customer Service Fundamentals

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Top 10 most affordable universities for social services case managers

The most affordable schools for social services case managers 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 social services case managers 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 social services case managers.

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for social services case managers

The hardest universities for social services case managers to get into are Boston University, Northwestern University, and Washington University in St Louis.

Some great schools for social services case managers 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 social services case managers 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. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

4. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for social services case managers

The easiest schools for social services case managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and university of north texas at dallas.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a social services case manager 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 social services case managers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

9. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

10. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

Average social services case manager salary by education level

Social services case managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $38,349 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, social services case managers earn a median annual income of $34,862 compared to $30,856 for social services case managers with an Associate degree.
Social services case manager education levelSocial services case manager salary
Master's Degree$38,349
High School Diploma or Less$30,639
Bachelor's Degree$34,862
Some College/ Associate Degree$30,856

Social services case manager 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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