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Student support specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a student support specialist. Student support specialists usually study business, psychology, or communication. 62% of student support specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,065 real student support specialist resumes to see exactly what student support specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for student support specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online student support specialist courses to help get the education required to be a student support specialist.
What education do you need to become a student support specialist?
What degree do you need to be a student support specialist?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 14%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a student support specialist?
- Business, 17%
- Psychology, 15%
- Communication, 7%
- Criminal Justice, 6%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for student support specialists
| Student support specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 20.93% |
| Arizona State University | 7.75% |
| University of Central Florida | 6.20% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 4.65% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 4.65% |
Best majors for student support specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.3% |
| 2 | Psychology | 15.0% |
| 3 | Communication | 6.7% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 6.3% |
| 5 | Social Work | 6.1% |
Best colleges for student support specialists
The best colleges for student support specialists are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.
A student support 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 student support 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 student support specialists.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
3. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
6. Saint Joseph's College, New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$27,830
Enrollment
937
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for student support specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for student support specialists
The most affordable schools for student support specialists are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for student support 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 student support specialists.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
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. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for student support specialists
The hardest universities for student support specialists to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for student support 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 student support 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for student support specialists
The easiest schools for student support specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a student support 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 student support specialists.
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. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
9. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
10. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
Average student support specialist salary by education level
| Student support specialist education level | Student support specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,462 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $41,439 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $48,493 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $41,796 |
Student support specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025