Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Staff specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a staff specialist. Staff specialists usually study business, psychology, or accounting. 63% of staff specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,016 real staff specialist resumes to see exactly what staff specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for staff specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online staff specialist courses to help get the education required to be a staff specialist.
What education do you need to become a staff specialist?
What degree do you need to be a staff specialist?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a staff specialist?
- Business, 29%
- Psychology, 10%
- Accounting, 7%
- Computer Science, 5%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for staff specialists
| Staff specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 17.68% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 8.84% |
| Texas A&M University | 6.08% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.52% |
| Strayer University | 5.52% |
Best majors for staff specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 28.9% |
| 2 | Psychology | 9.7% |
| 3 | Accounting | 6.9% |
| 4 | Computer Science | 5.2% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 4.7% |
Best colleges for staff specialists
The best colleges for staff specialists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
A staff specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for staff specialists. 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 staff specialists.
1. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for staff specialists
Advertising disclosure
1. The Critical Role of IT Support Staff in Healthcare
This is a very exciting time to be exploring a career in Health IT Support! In this introductory course, you’ll learn about various roles in IT support that are common in healthcare. IT support staff play critical roles in many different healthcare venues. In addition to helping clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms, you may end up providing support in a skilled nursing facility, ambulatory surgical center, virtual care setting, or even a patient’s home! On any given day, you may interact...
2. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff
Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...
3. Project Charter Specialist (Accredited) Project Management
What is Project Charter? Components? Template? Example? Document Project Charter? Project Charter Specialist Earn PDUs...
4. Audit - Financial Statement
Master the Art of Auditing Financial Statements: In-Depth Analysis, Techniques, and Real-World Case Studies...
5. Project Schedule: Monitor & Control Specialist (Accredited)
Schedule Management: Monitor & Control Schedule, Analyze Schedule, Solve Project Schedule Problems Earn CPDs & PDUs...
6. Apply finance concepts for smart project management
Learn to read financial statements and make meaningful interpretations for business decisions in the age of big data...
7. Financial Accounting-Adjusting Entries & Financial Statement
Master Adjusting Entries & Financial Statements: A Comprehensive Guide for Accurate Accounting and Reporting...
8. Project Management Office (PMO) Setup Guide
PMO Step-by-Step Implementation Plan...
9. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives
Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
10. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery
Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...
11. Microsoft Project ADVANCED: Project Management Technics 3PDU
MS PROJECT 2016 ADVANCED Project Management Techniques -incl Enterprise level. HANDS-ON from #1 BESTSELLING INSTRUCTOR...
12. Financial Statement Auditing Cycles
In this course, we learn how public accountants plan and execute an audit...
13. Project Management Office (PMO) for Management Consultants
A practical guide on how to build and run PMO on the level of top consulting firm Mc Kinsey, BCG, Bain, Pw C...
14. Financial Statement Analysis
Learn how to make understanding financial statements your superpower!...
15. Effective Business English for Service Staff
Your comprehensive guide to more effective English communication - for office administration, retail and hospitality!...
16. Mastering Agile Scrum Project Management
Review and master agile development & scrum methodologies for your career...
17. CompTIA Project+ Exam Prep
How to pass the Comp TIA Project+ Exam...
18. Certified Lean Specialist Lean Management (Accredited)
Lean Management Lean Manufacturing Lean in Service Lean Specialist Lean Certification Lean Part 1 Earn PDUs...
19. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience
Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...
20. Tableau Data Analyst/Specialist Desktop Certification
From beginners to skills needed for Data Analyst or Desktop Specialist certifications. Tableau 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020...
Top 10 most affordable universities for staff specialists
The most affordable schools for staff specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for staff specialists 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 staff specialists.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$6,768
Cost of attendance
15,506
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. Brigham Young University - Hawaii
Laie, HI • Private
In-state tuition
$5,560
Cost of attendance
18,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for staff specialists
The hardest universities for staff specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
Some great schools for staff specialists 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 staff specialists 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for staff specialists
The easiest schools for staff specialists to get into are D'Youville College, holy names university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a staff specialist 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 staff specialists.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average staff specialist salary by education level
| Staff specialist education level | Staff specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $107,256 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $92,295 |
| Doctorate Degree | $110,183 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $74,166 |
Staff specialist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
Search for staff specialist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025