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Student employee education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a student employee. Student employees usually study business, psychology, or biology. 66% of student employees hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 13,197 real student employee resumes to see exactly what student employee education sections show.

The most common colleges for student employees are the Ohio University and the Ohio University.

There are also many online student employee courses to help get the education required to be a student employee.

There are certain student employee certifications that you should consider. These student employee certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA).

What education do you need to become a student employee?

What degree do you need to be a student employee?

The most common degree for student employees is bachelor's degree, with 66% of student employees earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 15% and high school diploma degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 66%
  • High School Diploma, 15%
  • Associate, 11%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a student employee?

You should major in business to become a student employee. 15% of student employees major in business. Other common majors for a student employee include psychology and biology.

Most common colleges for student employees

Student employees often get their degrees at Ohio University, University of Connecticut, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for student employees in the US based on their resumes.
Student employee common collegePercentages
Ohio University9.71%
University of Connecticut7.44%
Pennsylvania State University5.81%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale5.72%
University of Iowa5.63%

Best majors for student employees

RankMajorPercentages
1Business15.5%
2Psychology11.6%
3Biology6.8%
4Communication6.3%
5Accounting5.3%

Best colleges for student employees

The best colleges for student employees are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A student employee with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for student employees. 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 student employees.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

20 best online courses for student employees

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1. Sort students marks using bubble and insertion algorithms

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3. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

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Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

4. Fun food safety and sanitation course

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6. OSHA Safety Pro: Trenching Excavation & Soil Mechanics

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7. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment

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15. OSHA Safety Training: Conducting Safety Meetings

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16. Giving Effective Feedback: Empower and Retain Your Employees

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17. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors

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18. OSHA Safety Pro: Deadly Concrete Dust. Crystalline Silica.

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OSHA's General, Construction, and Maritime Industries Hazard Prevention and Safety Standard...

19. Customer Service Foundation

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An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...

20. Business English Course for ESL Students

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Top 10 most affordable universities for student employees

The most affordable schools for student employees are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for student employees 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 student employees.

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for student employees

The hardest universities for student employees to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for student employees 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 student employees 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for student employees

The easiest schools for student employees to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, bluefield college, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a student employee 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 student employees.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average student employee salary by education level

Student employees with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $26,746 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, student employees earn a median annual income of $26,181 compared to $25,240 for student employees with an Associate degree.
Student employee education levelStudent employee salary
Master's Degree$26,746
High School Diploma or Less$24,613
Bachelor's Degree$26,181
Some College/ Associate Degree$25,240

Student employee 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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