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Vocational services specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a vocational services specialist. Vocational services specialists usually study psychology, business, or liberal arts. 59% of vocational services specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 68 real vocational services specialist resumes to see exactly what vocational services specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for vocational services specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online vocational services specialist courses to help get the education required to be a vocational services specialist.

What education do you need to become a vocational services specialist?

What degree do you need to be a vocational services specialist?

The most common degree for vocational services specialists is bachelor's degree, with 59% of vocational services specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 59%
  • Master's, 14%
  • Associate, 14%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a vocational services specialist?

You should major in psychology to become a vocational services specialist. 15% of vocational services specialists major in psychology. Other common majors for a vocational services specialist include business and liberal arts.

Most common colleges for vocational services specialists

Vocational services specialists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Michigan State University, and Shawnee State University. Here are the most common colleges for vocational services specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Vocational services specialist common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix15.38%
Michigan State University15.38%
Shawnee State University3.85%
California State University - San Bernardino3.85%
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania3.85%

Best majors for vocational services specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology14.9%
2Business12.8%
3Liberal Arts8.5%
4Management6.4%
5Rehabilitation Science6.4%

Best colleges for vocational services specialists

The best colleges for vocational services specialists are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A vocational services 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 services 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 services specialists.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

4. University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,167

Enrollment

30,279

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

8. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

20 best online courses for vocational services specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for vocational services specialists

The most affordable schools for vocational services specialists are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for vocational services 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 services specialists.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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 - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for vocational services specialists

The hardest universities for vocational services specialists to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for vocational services 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 services 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,465

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for vocational services specialists

The easiest schools for vocational services specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and bluefield college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a vocational services 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 services specialists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average vocational services specialist salary by education level

According to our data, vocational services specialists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $45,146 annually. Vocational services specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $42,427.
Vocational services specialist education levelVocational services specialist salary
Master's Degree$45,146
High School Diploma or Less$39,004
Bachelor's Degree$42,427
Some College/ Associate Degree$39,183

Vocational services specialist education FAQs

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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.

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