Transit worker education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a transit worker. Transit workers usually study business, psychology, or social work. 57% of transit workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 90 real transit worker resumes to see exactly what transit worker education sections show.

The most common colleges for transit workers are the University of Maine at Augusta and the University of Maine at Augusta.

There are also many online transit worker courses to help get the education required to be a transit worker.

What education do you need to become a transit worker?

What degree do you need to be a transit worker?

The most common degree for transit workers is bachelor's degree, with 57% of transit workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 16%.

Bachelor's, 57%

Master's, 16%

Associate, 16%

High School Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a transit worker?

You should major in business to become a transit worker. 22% of transit workers major in business. Other common majors for a transit worker include psychology and social work.

Business, 22%

Psychology, 17%

Social Work, 9%

Health Care Administration, 5%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for transit workers

Transit workers often get their degrees at University of Maine at Augusta, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, and Briar Cliff University. Here are the most common colleges for transit workers in the US based on their resumes.

Transit worker common college	Percentages
University of Maine at Augusta	5.00%
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania	5.00%
Briar Cliff University	5.00%
Mercy College	5.00%
University of Dubuque	5.00%

Show more common transit worker colleges

Best majors for transit workers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	22.4%
2	Psychology	17.2%
3	Social Work	8.6%
4	Health Care Administration	5.2%
5	Communication	5.2%

Show more common transit worker majors

Best colleges for transit workers

The best colleges for transit workers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A transit 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 transit 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 transit workers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

20 best online courses for transit workers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for transit workers

The most affordable schools for transit workers are California State University - Bakersfield, hunter college of the city university of new york, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for transit 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 transit workers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

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. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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 transit workers

The hardest universities for transit workers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for transit 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 transit 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

10. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for transit workers

The easiest schools for transit workers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a transit 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 transit 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. 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. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average transit worker salary by education level

According to our data, transit workers with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $55,187 annually. Transit workers with a High School Diploma degree earn an average annual salary of $45,336.

Transit worker education level	Transit worker salary
High School Diploma or Less	$45,336
Some College/ Associate Degree	$55,187

Transit worker education FAQs

What is the best college for Transit Workers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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