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Volunteer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a volunteer. Volunteers usually study business, psychology, or biology. 61% of volunteers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 544,263 real volunteer resumes to see exactly what volunteer education sections show.
The most common colleges for volunteers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online volunteer courses to help get the education required to be a volunteer.
There are certain volunteer certifications that you should consider. These volunteer certifications include Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI) and Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS).
What education do you need to become a volunteer?
What degree do you need to be a volunteer?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Associate, 15%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a volunteer?
- Business, 14%
- Psychology, 14%
- Biology, 8%
- Nursing, 6%
- Other Majors, 58%
Most common colleges for volunteers
| Volunteer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 8.03% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.49% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.33% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.20% |
| New York University | 5.38% |
Best majors for volunteers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 14.2% |
| 2 | Psychology | 14.0% |
| 3 | Biology | 8.3% |
| 4 | Nursing | 5.9% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 5.4% |
Best colleges for volunteers
The best colleges for volunteers are Vanderbilt University, University of Rochester, and Northeastern University.
A volunteer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for volunteers. 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 volunteers.
1. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Enrollment
34,637
2. University of Delaware
Newark, DE • Private
In-state tuition
$13,680
Enrollment
19,060
3. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
4. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Enrollment
17,704
5. SUNY College at Brockport
Brockport, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,412
Enrollment
7,015
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
7. Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$14,617
Enrollment
12,761
8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla
Aguadilla, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,902
Enrollment
3,622
9. Towson University
Towson, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$9,940
Enrollment
19,623
10. Saint Joseph's College, New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$27,830
Enrollment
937
20 best online courses for volunteers
Advertising disclosure
1. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children
Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...
2. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course
The Palliative Care Always Capstone course is designed to let you test your knowledge about palliative and help others understand the value of palliative care, while showing your creative side. In this course, you will impact community awareness about palliative care, promote self-care and wellness, show-off your communication skills in a virtual environment, and finish the course off by proving your thoughts on ways to offer psychosocial support to a patient and family...
3. Winning Communication Skills for Telephone, Conference Calls
Improve Communication Skills - Use the Telephone Effectively! Avoid Phone Etiquette Blunders that Annoy...
4. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
5. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
6. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...
7. Business Communication Skills: Handling Clients & Customers
Soft Skills Training Social Skills Business Etiquette Business English Customer Service Training...
8. Providing Trauma-Informed Care
Exploring psychological trauma and how to provide care and compassion to trauma survivors...
9. Trauma Emergencies and Care
Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...
10. Palliative Care Always
Palliative Care Always is a specialization for health care practitioners, patients and caregivers. We’ve designed this specialization to demonstrate how palliative medicine integrates with patient care, and to help you develop primary palliative care skills. Over the next five courses, you will develop skills in symptom management, goals of care and effective communication to improve the quality of life for patients and families suffering with serious illness. Our hope is that you feel...
11. Communication Skills Masterclass - Your Communication Guide
Communication Skill For Business Communication & Effective Communication In Workplace & Relationships...
12. Speak Medical Spanish to Your Patients and Clients
Spanish essentials for healthcare; program teaches correct pronunciation, pain management and medication, among others...
13. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...
14. Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care
In this course, you will be able to develop a systems view for assessing and managing pain in the palliative care setting. By the end of the course, you will be able to: 1) Describe the pain problem in the palliative care setting; 2) Assess a person’s pain, 3) Explain the benefits of integrative therapies and pharmacologic strategies to manage pain...
15. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service
Used by Chase®, Intel®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...
16. Data Entry Skills: A Complete Data Entry Course from Scratch
A Complete Guide to Data Entry Skills: Learn Data Entry Skills and become a Data Entry Pro & Get a Online Data Entry Job...
17. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff
Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...
18. Child Care as a Business
This course is targeted toward individuals wishing to run a home-based child care center. It covers topics such as the fundamentals of an in-home childcare setting as a business; the importance of financial management of a child care center; the creation of a child care contract; and an exploration of how to set tuition rates. Since a Family Policy Handbook is essential for anyone operating a family day care center, this course includes the development of one of three imperative sections of the...
19. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes
COURSE 3 of 7. This course is designed to introduce you to critical office-based processes that a value-based practice must manage in the drive towards improved patient outcomes. In Module 2, we’ll focus on office-based and clinical patient-based supporting functions. At every level in healthcare, guidelines, processes, and functions exist to improve outcomes, and following a consistent process will return the best effect. Refine your understanding of value and learn strategies to provide real...
20. Customer Service Fundamentals
There are a growing number of exciting, well-paying jobs in today’s tech industry that do not require a traditional college degree, an one of the hottest areas with high demand is in IT customer service and support. Customer Service is a perfect entry point to start your career in IT, with a multitude of job openings ranging from onsite or remote help desk work to customer care or client support. We can help you get there with the Customer Service Fundamentals course. We will help you to build...
Top 10 most affordable universities for volunteers
The most affordable schools for volunteers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - fullerton, and university of florida.
If the best universities for volunteers 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 volunteers.
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 - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for volunteers
The hardest universities for volunteers to get into are Vanderbilt University, University of Rochester, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for volunteers 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 volunteers 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
2. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
6. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
7. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for volunteers
The easiest schools for volunteers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a volunteer 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 volunteers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
7. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average volunteer salary by education level
| Volunteer education level | Volunteer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $36,530 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $30,217 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,701 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $30,397 |
Volunteer 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