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Vocational specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a vocational specialist. Vocational specialists usually study psychology, social work, or business. 62% of vocational specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,078 real vocational specialist resumes to see exactly what vocational specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for vocational specialists are the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
There are also many online vocational specialist courses to help get the education required to be a vocational specialist.
There are certain vocational specialist certifications that you should consider. These vocational specialist certifications include Medical Assistant and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.
What education do you need to become a vocational specialist?
What degree do you need to be a vocational specialist?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a vocational specialist?
- Psychology, 26%
- Social Work, 10%
- Business, 8%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for vocational specialists
| Vocational specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 8.87% |
| New York University | 8.06% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 6.45% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.45% |
| Michigan State University | 5.65% |
Best majors for vocational specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 25.8% |
| 2 | Social Work | 9.8% |
| 3 | Business | 7.8% |
| 4 | Rehabilitation Science | 7.6% |
| 5 | Sociology | 7.1% |
Best colleges for vocational specialists
The best colleges for vocational specialists are Washington University in St Louis, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A vocational 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 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 specialists.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for vocational specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for vocational specialists
The most affordable schools for vocational specialists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for vocational 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 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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for vocational specialists
The hardest universities for vocational specialists to get into are Washington University in St Louis, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for vocational 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 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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for vocational specialists
The easiest schools for vocational specialists to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's 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 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 specialists.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
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. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
9. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average vocational specialist salary by education level
| Vocational specialist education level | Vocational specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $39,834 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,276 |
| Doctorate Degree | $40,297 |
Vocational specialist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025