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Vocational rehabilitation specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a vocational rehabilitation specialist. Vocational rehabilitation specialists usually study psychology, rehabilitation science, or sociology. 59% of vocational rehabilitation specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 593 real vocational rehabilitation specialist resumes to see exactly what vocational rehabilitation specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for vocational rehabilitation specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online vocational rehabilitation specialist courses to help get the education required to be a vocational rehabilitation specialist.
There are certain vocational rehabilitation specialist certifications that you should consider. These vocational rehabilitation specialist certifications include Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC).
What education do you need to become a vocational rehabilitation specialist?
What degree do you need to be a vocational rehabilitation specialist?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a vocational rehabilitation specialist?
- Psychology, 26%
- Sociology, 8%
- Social Work, 8%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for vocational rehabilitation specialists
| Vocational rehabilitation specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.76% |
| University of Maryland - Eastern Shore | 5.88% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 5.88% |
| Towson University | 5.88% |
| George Washington University, The | 5.88% |
Best majors for vocational rehabilitation specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 26.1% |
| 2 | Rehabilitation Science | 11.1% |
| 3 | Sociology | 7.6% |
| 4 | Social Work | 7.6% |
| 5 | Business | 6.3% |
Best colleges for vocational rehabilitation specialists
The best colleges for vocational rehabilitation specialists are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
A vocational rehabilitation 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 vocational rehabilitation 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 vocational rehabilitation specialists.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
7. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
20 best online courses for vocational rehabilitation specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for vocational rehabilitation specialists
The most affordable schools for vocational rehabilitation specialists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for vocational rehabilitation 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 vocational rehabilitation specialists.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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 vocational rehabilitation specialists
The hardest universities for vocational rehabilitation specialists to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for vocational rehabilitation 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 vocational rehabilitation 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
10. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for vocational rehabilitation specialists
The easiest schools for vocational rehabilitation specialists 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 vocational rehabilitation 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 vocational rehabilitation specialists.
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. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
7. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average vocational rehabilitation specialist salary by education level
| Vocational rehabilitation specialist education level | Vocational rehabilitation specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $50,215 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,433 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $46,913 |
Vocational rehabilitation specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025