Post job

Teaching assistant and tutor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a teaching assistant and tutor. Teaching assistant and tutors usually study mathematics, biology, or english. 72% of teaching assistant and tutors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,490 real teaching assistant and tutor resumes to see exactly what teaching assistant and tutor education sections show.

The most common colleges for teaching assistant and tutors are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

There are also many online teaching assistant and tutor courses to help get the education required to be a teaching assistant and tutor.

What education do you need to become a teaching assistant and tutor?

What degree do you need to be a teaching assistant and tutor?

The most common degree for teaching assistant and tutors is bachelor's degree, with 72% of teaching assistant and tutors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Associate, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a teaching assistant and tutor?

You should major in mathematics to become a teaching assistant and tutor. 11% of teaching assistant and tutors major in mathematics. Other common majors for a teaching assistant and tutor include biology and english.

Most common colleges for teaching assistant and tutors

Teaching assistant and tutors often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, Brigham Young University, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for teaching assistant and tutors in the US based on their resumes.
Teaching assistant and tutor common collegePercentages
University of California - Davis7.43%
Brigham Young University6.86%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.86%
Michigan State University6.29%
Pennsylvania State University6.29%

Best majors for teaching assistant and tutors

RankMajorPercentages
1Mathematics11.3%
2Biology11.2%
3English10.0%
4Psychology9.0%
5Business7.8%

Best colleges for teaching assistant and tutors

The best colleges for teaching assistant and tutors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

A teaching assistant and tutor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for teaching assistant and tutors. 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 teaching assistant and tutors.

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,588

Enrollment

1,544

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

20 best online courses for teaching assistant and tutors

Advertising disclosure

1. Teach English Now! Teaching Language Online

coursera

Whether you have already taught English as a Second Language and want to start teaching it online, you've already been teaching ESL online and want to sharpen your skills, or you are new to teaching and interested in teaching ESL online, ASU and VOXY provide you with the basic ideas and concepts you need to know in order to successfully teach ESL online. This course uses a fun and interesting theme of "International Travel" to deliver content in an entertaining way. There are also plenty of...

2. Introduction to Chemistry: Structures and Solutions

coursera

This is an introductory course for students with limited background in chemistry; basic concepts such as atomic and molecular structure, solutions, phases of matter, and quantitative problem solving will be emphasized with the goal of preparing students for further study in chemistry...

3. TESOL - Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages

udemy
4.6
(418)

Teaching Skills and Classroom Management...

4. Dr. K's Complete First Semester General Chemistry I Course

udemy
4.8
(650)

A Course to Prepare You for College Level General Chemistry...

5. Chemical Biology

coursera

Chemical biology is a burgeoning field that has rapidly risen to prominence. This surge of interest has been fuelled by chemical biology’s applicability to understanding critical processes in live cells or model organisms in real time. This success has arisen because chemical biology straddles a nexus between chemistry, biology, and physics. Thus, chemical biology can harness rapid chemistry to observe or perturb biological processes, that are in turn reported using physical assays, all in an...

6. Teach English Now! Lesson Design and Assessment

coursera

Learners will be introduced to designing lesson plans based on principles and knowledge of learning objectives, assessment plans, methods, materials, and learning activities. Learners will find and prepare appropriate teaching materials through careful analysis, adaptation and creation of professional resources. Learners will also reflect on the cohesion between lesson design and teaching philosophies...

7. Complete General Chemistry 20+ hours of lectures & examples

udemy
4.1
(330)

Master General Chemistry in 4 weeks by solving examples & problems! Rahsoft Chemical Engineering Department RAHCH101...

8. Introduction to Cheminformatics and medicinal chemistry

udemy
4.5
(265)

Understand the underlying chemistry of drug development and use free softwares to analyze molecules...

9. Teach English: Intermediate Grammar

coursera

This specialization is for ESL teachers and future ESL teachers who want to make their classes more effective and fun. You will learn how to use online videos and activities that ESL teachers at University of California, Irvine created to teach intermediate ESL learners. You will review language-learning pedagogy and best practices for using these resources effectively. This specialization will give any ESL teacher loads of creative ideas for their classrooms...

10. Organic Chemistry: Spectroscopy Master Class

udemy
4.6
(362)

Gain confidence in NMR (1H and 13C), IR, and MS with guided practice problems...

11. College Algebra, Pre-Calculus, & Trigonometry Explained

udemy
4.7
(466)

Master College Level Algebra with our Step by Step Video Tutorials. Over 4500 Practice Questions! Ace your Algebra Exam!...

12. Complete Google Classroom Course: Teaching Google Classroom

udemy
4.3
(442)

Mastering the Art of Teaching with Google Classroom - Teaching Online with Google Classroom - Google Certified Educator...

13. Master Pre Calculus and Trigonometry

udemy
4.4
(510)

Get prepared for Calculus and fully grasp all things Precalculus and Trigonometry with over 9 hours of lectures...

14. Excel at Teaching English: Be a Better ESL Teacher

udemy
4.5
(535)

Increase Understanding, Increase Productivity, Increase Teacher and Learner Satisfaction...

15. Chemistry 101 - Part 1 Principles of Chemistry

udemy
4.3
(414)

An introductory course for anybody who wants to study chemistry - either towards future pathways or just for fun!...

16. Teaching with Google Classroom

udemy
4.9
(1,234)

Learn how to create, use, and teach creative, memorable lessons using Google Classroom...

17. Pre-Algebra Explained

udemy
4.6
(518)

Master Pre-Algebra with 700 Practice Questions! Prepare for High School Math: Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry...

18. Become an Algebra Master

udemy
4.7
(10,598)

Learn everything from Algebra 1 and Algebra 2, then test your knowledge with 1,150+ practice questions...

19. Become a Virtual Assistant

udemy
4.5
(1,223)

Live Free. Work Virtually. Virtual Assistant Training...

20. TEFL Essentials: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

udemy
4.5
(1,125)

Includes reusable TEFL teaching materials Suitable for CELTA preparation...

Top 10 most affordable universities for teaching assistant and tutors

The most affordable schools for teaching assistant and tutors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for teaching assistant and tutors 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 teaching assistant and tutors.

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. 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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for teaching assistant and tutors

The hardest universities for teaching assistant and tutors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for teaching assistant and tutors 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 teaching assistant and tutors 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for teaching assistant and tutors

The easiest schools for teaching assistant and tutors to get into are Barry University, bluefield college, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a teaching assistant and tutor 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 teaching assistant and tutors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average teaching assistant and tutor salary by education level

Teaching assistant and tutors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $33,205 annually. With a Master's degree, teaching assistant and tutors earn a median annual income of $32,157 compared to $30,900 for teaching assistant and tutors with an Bachelor's degree.
Teaching assistant and tutor education levelTeaching assistant and tutor salary
Master's Degree$32,157
High School Diploma or Less$29,265
Bachelor's Degree$30,900
Doctorate Degree$33,205
Some College/ Associate Degree$30,319

Teaching assistant and tutor education FAQs

Search for teaching assistant and tutor jobs

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.

Browse education, training, and library jobs