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Social services supervisor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a social services supervisor. Social services supervisors usually study social work, psychology, or sociology. 60% of social services supervisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 906 real social services supervisor resumes to see exactly what social services supervisor education sections show.

The most common colleges for social services supervisors are the Georgia State University and the Georgia State University.

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

There are certain social services supervisor certifications that you should consider. These social services supervisor certifications include Certification in Forensic Social Work (CFSW) and Certified Professional Counselor.

What education do you need to become a social services supervisor?

What degree do you need to be a social services supervisor?

The most common degree for social services supervisors is bachelor's degree, with 60% of social services supervisors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 33% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 60%
  • Master's, 33%
  • Associate, 5%
  • High School Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a social services supervisor?

You should major in social work to become a social services supervisor. 34% of social services supervisors major in social work. Other common majors for a social services supervisor include psychology and sociology.

Most common colleges for social services supervisors

Social services supervisors often get their degrees at Georgia State University, Clark Atlanta University, and Cleveland State University. Here are the most common colleges for social services supervisors in the US based on their resumes.
Social services supervisor common collegePercentages
Georgia State University9.55%
Clark Atlanta University6.74%
Cleveland State University6.74%
University of Georgia6.74%
Valdosta State University6.18%

Best majors for social services supervisors

RankMajorPercentages
1Social Work34.2%
2Psychology18.8%
3Sociology8.9%
4Criminal Justice5.3%
5Business4.6%

Best colleges for social services supervisors

The best colleges for social services supervisors are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A social services supervisor 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 supervisors. 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 supervisors.

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. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

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. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for social services supervisors

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5. US Social Services: Where did they come from?

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Top 10 most affordable universities for social services supervisors

The most affordable schools for social services supervisors 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 supervisors 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 supervisors.

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. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

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 social services supervisors

The hardest universities for social services supervisors to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

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

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for social services supervisors

The easiest schools for social services supervisors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur 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 supervisor 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 supervisors.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average social services supervisor salary by education level

Social services supervisors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $73,031 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, social services supervisors earn a median annual income of $65,347 compared to $56,677 for social services supervisors with an Associate degree.
Social services supervisor education levelSocial services supervisor salary
Master's Degree$73,031
High School Diploma or Less$56,214
Bachelor's Degree$65,347
Some College/ Associate Degree$56,677

Social services supervisor 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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