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Volunteer coach education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a volunteer coach. Volunteer coaches usually study kinesiology, business, or psychology. 71% of volunteer coaches hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,580 real volunteer coach resumes to see exactly what volunteer coach education sections show.
The most common colleges for volunteer coaches are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online volunteer coach courses to help get the education required to be a volunteer coach.
There are certain volunteer coach certifications that you should consider. These volunteer coach certifications include Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Master Certified Coach (MCC).
What education do you need to become a volunteer coach?
What degree do you need to be a volunteer coach?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a volunteer coach?
- Kinesiology, 17%
- Business, 15%
- Psychology, 9%
- Health Education, 6%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for volunteer coaches
| Volunteer coach common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 8.18% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 7.43% |
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | 6.69% |
| University of Iowa | 6.69% |
| Michigan State University | 5.20% |
Best majors for volunteer coaches
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 17.5% |
| 2 | Business | 14.7% |
| 3 | Psychology | 9.1% |
| 4 | Health Education | 5.8% |
| 5 | Education | 5.4% |
Best colleges for volunteer coaches
The best colleges for volunteer coaches are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Southern California.
A volunteer coach with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for volunteer coaches. 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 volunteer coaches.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
3. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for volunteer coaches
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Top 10 most affordable universities for volunteer coaches
The most affordable schools for volunteer coaches are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for volunteer coaches 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 volunteer coaches.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
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. 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 volunteer coaches
The hardest universities for volunteer coaches to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for volunteer coaches 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 volunteer coaches 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for volunteer coaches
The easiest schools for volunteer coaches to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a volunteer coach 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 volunteer coaches.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average volunteer coach salary by education level
| Volunteer coach education level | Volunteer coach salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $48,376 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,177 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $48,606 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $43,908 |
Volunteer coach education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025