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Vocational instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a vocational instructor. Vocational instructors usually study business, psychology, or education. 49% of vocational instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,391 real vocational instructor resumes to see exactly what vocational instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for vocational instructors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online vocational instructor courses to help get the education required to be a vocational instructor.
There are certain vocational instructor certifications that you should consider. These vocational instructor certifications include First Aid Certification and Instructor.
What education do you need to become a vocational instructor?
What degree do you need to be a vocational instructor?
- Bachelor's, 49%
- Associate, 22%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a vocational instructor?
- Business, 17%
- Psychology, 11%
- Education, 11%
- Criminal Justice, 9%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for vocational instructors
| Vocational instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 12.37% |
| Western Washington University | 7.22% |
| Temple University | 6.19% |
| Florida State University | 6.19% |
| Liberty University | 6.19% |
Best majors for vocational instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 16.9% |
| 2 | Psychology | 11.2% |
| 3 | Education | 10.8% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 9.0% |
| 5 | Sociology | 4.6% |
Best colleges for vocational instructors
The best colleges for vocational instructors are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A vocational instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for vocational instructors. 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 vocational instructors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for vocational instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for vocational instructors
The most affordable schools for vocational instructors are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for vocational instructors 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 vocational instructors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for vocational instructors
The hardest universities for vocational instructors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for vocational instructors 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 vocational instructors 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for vocational instructors
The easiest schools for vocational instructors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, holy names university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a vocational instructor 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 vocational instructors.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
6. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
7. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
10. Lewis-Clark State College
Lewiston, ID • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,009
Average vocational instructor salary by education level
| Vocational instructor education level | Vocational instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $40,205 |
| Doctorate Degree | $45,633 |
Vocational instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025