Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Social services manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a social services manager. Social services managers usually study social work, psychology, or business. 62% of social services managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,611 real social services manager resumes to see exactly what social services manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for social services managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online social services manager courses to help get the education required to be a social services manager.
There are certain social services manager certifications that you should consider. These social services manager certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Activity Director Certified (ADC).
What education do you need to become a social services manager?
What degree do you need to be a social services manager?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a social services manager?
- Social Work, 30%
- Psychology, 18%
- Business, 9%
- Sociology, 7%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for social services managers
| Social services manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.29% |
| Temple University | 8.44% |
| University of South Florida | 6.49% |
| University of Houston | 5.19% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 5.19% |
Best majors for social services managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Work | 30.4% |
| 2 | Psychology | 17.7% |
| 3 | Business | 8.8% |
| 4 | Sociology | 7.4% |
| 5 | Human Services | 6.8% |
Best colleges for social services managers
The best colleges for social services managers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
A social services 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 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 managers.
1. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
2. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
8. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for social services managers
Advertising disclosure
1. Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners
In the U.S., social policy accounts for two-thirds of government spending. Knowing how policies are constructed, what values underlie them, and how they succeed or fail makes everyone more effective at work or in their civic role. This specialization includes an HONORS track in which learners will complete a professional social policy analysis.\n\nTeachers, health care workers, police, and social workers interact with policy daily, but all of us should care about the impact and effectiveness of...
2. Customer Service Fundamentals
There are a growing number of exciting, well-paying jobs in today’s tech industry that do not require a traditional college degree, an one of the hottest areas with high demand is in IT customer service and support. Customer Service is a perfect entry point to start your career in IT, with a multitude of job openings ranging from onsite or remote help desk work to customer care or client support. We can help you get there with the Customer Service Fundamentals course. We will help you to build...
3. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service
Used by Chase®, Intel®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...
4. Start Improving Customer Service
Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...
5. Customer Service Foundation
An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...
6. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
7. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives
Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
8. SAP Customer Service (CS/SM) - Service Management module
Real World SAP CS and SD, Repair Orders, Service Orders, Service Contracts...
9. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First
Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...
10. Customer Service Basics: Improve your Service now
The basic golden rules to kickstart your service...
11. Customer Service Success: Take Your Skills to the Next Level
3-in-1 Customer Service Training: Levels 1, 2, 3 Improve Your Soft Communication Skills, Customer Support & Experience...
12. Customer Service
How to Approach New Customers and Maintain Existing Ones...
13. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience
Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...
14. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service
Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...
15. Customer Service: 6 Keys To Exceptional Customer Service
Master Customer Satisfaction & Astonish Your Customers With A+ Customer Service...
16. Outstanding Customer Service - The Ultimate Guide!
Unlocking the Powerful Secrets of OUTSTANDING Customer Service - Transform Your Business!...
17. The Customer: Build a Customer Service Strategy (BITE SIZE)
For you and your team to be successful in providing great customer service, start by putting your customer first...
18. Introduction to Service Management with ITIL 4
Learn about service management, four dimensions, guiding principles, service value system, and ITSM best practices...
19. Customer Service: Keep 'em coming back!
How to give the best customer service in your industry and keep those customers raving about your business...
20. Social Media for Healthcare Providers
Social media and HIPPA compliance training for covered entities that transmit health information...
Top 10 most affordable universities for social services managers
The most affordable schools for social services managers are California State University - Bakersfield, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for social services 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 managers.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for social services managers
The hardest universities for social services managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for social services 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 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for social services managers
The easiest schools for social services managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, holy names university, and bluefield college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a social services 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 managers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
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. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
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 social services manager salary by education level
| Social services manager education level | Social services manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $68,905 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $53,355 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,812 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,785 |
Social services manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
Search for social services manager jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025