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Social worker assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a social worker assistant. Social workers assistant usually study social work, psychology, or business. 58% of social workers assistant hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,183 real social worker assistant resumes to see exactly what social worker assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for social workers assistant are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain social worker assistant certifications that you should consider. These social worker assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

What education do you need to become a social worker assistant?

What degree do you need to be a social worker assistant?

The most common degree for social workers assistant is bachelor's degree, with 58% of social workers assistant earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 58%
  • Associate, 17%
  • Master's, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a social worker assistant?

You should major in social work to become a social worker assistant. 25% of social workers assistant major in social work. Other common majors for a social worker assistant include psychology and business.

Most common colleges for social workers assistant

Social workers assistant often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, California State University - San Bernardino, and Adelphi University. Here are the most common colleges for social workers assistant in the US based on their resumes.
Social worker assistant common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix12.42%
California State University - San Bernardino9.39%
Adelphi University6.06%
University of California - Davis5.76%
University of California, Santa Barbara5.76%

Best majors for social workers assistant

RankMajorPercentages
1Social Work24.7%
2Psychology17.1%
3Business11.0%
4Sociology8.1%
5Human Services6.6%

Best colleges for social workers assistant

The best colleges for social workers assistant are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.

A social worker assistant 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 workers assistant. 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 workers assistant.

1. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

4. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for social workers assistant

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1. Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners

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You'll learn diagnosis and resolution techniques for tense, sensitive conflicts with your co-workers, manager or peers...

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5. The Influence of Social Determinants on Health

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Why are some groups healthier than others, and how do these differences emerge and persist over a lifetime? How do social policies on housing, transportation, and employment relate to health and health inequalities?\n\nThis specialization will examine social, behavioral, economic, political, and structural factors that contribute to health inequalities, and suggest innovative ways to reduce disparities in health to achieve health equity.You will learn,\n\n-Use conceptual models to understand...

6. HI-FIVE: Health Informatics For Innovation, Value & Enrichment (Social/Peer Perspective)

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HI-FIVE (Health Informatics For Innovation, Value & Enrichment) Training is an approximately 10-hour online course designed by Columbia University in 2016, with sponsorship from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). The training is role-based and uses case scenarios. No additional hardware or software are required for this course. Our nation’s healthcare system is changing at a rapid pace. Transformative health care delivery programs depend heavily on...

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9. Social Determinants of Health

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This is an introductory course on social determinants of population health with a focus on the United States. The course will introduce you to, or reinforce your knowledge of, issues related to health that consider behavioral, psychological and structural factors in population health beyond the healthcare system. We will examine social, economic, and political factors that contribute to health inequalities and suggest innovative ways to reduce disparities in health when the goal is to achieve...

10. Social Computing

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People are social creatures and the modern Internet reflects that. Technology has made collaboration at a distance possible in new ways that present their own set of challenges. This course will introduce you to the major challenges and opportunities for creating online communities. What does the future hold? Learn how social computing can create collaboration experiences that go beyond what’s possible face to face...

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13. Become a Virtual Assistant

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18. Develop Amazing Social Skills & Connect With People

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19. Social Media Ethics

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20. Crisis Intervention Seminar

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The emphasis is on the development of fundamental clinical skills in the area of crisis intervention...

Top 10 most affordable universities for social workers assistant

The most affordable schools for social workers assistant 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 workers assistant 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 workers assistant.

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. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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 workers assistant

The hardest universities for social workers assistant to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.

Some great schools for social workers assistant 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 workers assistant 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for social workers assistant

The easiest schools for social workers assistant to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, holy names university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a social worker assistant 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 workers assistant.

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. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

6. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average social worker assistant salary by education level

Social workers assistant with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $44,603 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, social workers assistant earn a median annual income of $40,823 compared to $36,447 for social workers assistant with an Associate degree.
Social worker assistant education levelSocial worker assistant salary
Master's Degree$44,603
High School Diploma or Less$36,210
Bachelor's Degree$40,823
Some College/ Associate Degree$36,447

Social worker assistant 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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