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Social work administrator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a social work administrator. Social work administrators usually study social work, business, or psychology. 51% of social work administrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,420 real social work administrator resumes to see exactly what social work administrator education sections show.

The most common colleges for social work administrators are the Kean University and the Kean University.

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

What education do you need to become a social work administrator?

What degree do you need to be a social work administrator?

The most common degree for social work administrators is bachelor's degree, with 51% of social work administrators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 15%.
  • Bachelor's, 51%
  • Master's, 15%
  • Associate, 15%
  • High School Diploma, 9%
  • Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a social work administrator?

You should major in social work to become a social work administrator. 19% of social work administrators major in social work. Other common majors for a social work administrator include business and psychology.

Most common colleges for social work administrators

Social work administrators often get their degrees at Kean University, New York University, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for social work administrators in the US based on their resumes.
Social work administrator common collegePercentages
Kean University8.70%
New York University7.61%
University of Phoenix7.61%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey7.61%
Wayne State University5.43%

Best majors for social work administrators

RankMajorPercentages
1Social Work19.3%
2Business18.5%
3Psychology10.4%
4Communication5.6%
5Accounting5.4%

Best colleges for social work administrators

The best colleges for social work administrators are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.

A social work administrator 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 work administrators. 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 work administrators.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. University of North Texas

Denton, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,852

Enrollment

31,375

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for social work administrators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for social work administrators

The most affordable schools for social work administrators are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for social work administrators 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 work administrators.

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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

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. 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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for social work administrators

The hardest universities for social work administrators to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.

Some great schools for social work administrators 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 work administrators 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for social work administrators

The easiest schools for social work administrators 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 work administrator 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 work administrators.

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. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

Average social work administrator salary by education level

According to our data, social work administrators with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $67,709 annually. Social work administrators with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $56,807.
Social work administrator education levelSocial work administrator salary
Master's Degree$67,709
Bachelor's Degree$56,807

Social work administrator 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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