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Support worker education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a support worker. Support workers usually study psychology, business, or social work. 55% of support workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,489 real support worker resumes to see exactly what support worker education sections show.
The most common colleges for support workers are the Troy University and the Troy University.
There are also many online support worker courses to help get the education required to be a support worker.
There are certain support worker certifications that you should consider. These support worker certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.
What education do you need to become a support worker?
What degree do you need to be a support worker?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Associate, 16%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become a support worker?
- Psychology, 21%
- Business, 12%
- Social Work, 11%
- Criminal Justice, 9%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for support workers
| Support worker common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Troy University | 11.08% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.97% |
| Temple University | 8.18% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.39% |
| The University of Alabama | 6.07% |
Best majors for support workers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 20.5% |
| 2 | Business | 12.1% |
| 3 | Social Work | 10.6% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 9.3% |
| 5 | Human Services | 7.7% |
Best colleges for support workers
The best colleges for support workers are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
A support worker with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for support workers. 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 support workers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for support workers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for support workers
The most affordable schools for support workers are California State University - Bakersfield, baruch college of the city university of new york, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for support workers 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 support workers.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for support workers
The hardest universities for support workers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for support workers 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 support workers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for support workers
The easiest schools for support workers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a support worker 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 support workers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average support worker salary by education level
| Support worker education level | Support worker salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,190 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $36,642 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,322 |
| Doctorate Degree | $58,156 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $38,332 |
Support worker education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025