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Volunteer missionary education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a volunteer missionary. Volunteer missionaries usually study business, general studies, or psychology. 53% of volunteer missionaries hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 1,437 real volunteer missionary resumes to see exactly what volunteer missionary education sections show.

The most common colleges for volunteer missionaries are the Brigham Young University and the Brigham Young University.

There are also many online volunteer missionary courses to help get the education required to be a volunteer missionary.

What education do you need to become a volunteer missionary?

What degree do you need to be a volunteer missionary?

The most common degree for volunteer missionaries is bachelor's degree, with 53% of volunteer missionaries earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 20% and high school diploma degree at 16%.
  • Bachelor's, 53%
  • High School Diploma, 20%
  • Associate, 16%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a volunteer missionary?

You should major in business to become a volunteer missionary. 21% of volunteer missionaries major in business. Other common majors for a volunteer missionary include general studies and psychology.

Most common colleges for volunteer missionaries

Volunteer missionaries often get their degrees at Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University - Idaho, and Utah Valley University. Here are the most common colleges for volunteer missionaries in the US based on their resumes.
Volunteer missionary common collegePercentages
Brigham Young University38.31%
Brigham Young University - Idaho10.48%
Utah Valley University7.66%
Utah State University6.85%
University of Utah6.45%

Best majors for volunteer missionaries

RankMajorPercentages
1Business20.6%
2General Studies9.7%
3Psychology9.4%
4Liberal Arts6.1%
5Communication5.5%

Best colleges for volunteer missionaries

The best colleges for volunteer missionaries are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Stanford University.

A volunteer missionary 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 missionaries. 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 missionaries.

1. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

20 best online courses for volunteer missionaries

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Top 10 most affordable universities for volunteer missionaries

The most affordable schools for volunteer missionaries are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - fullerton, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for volunteer missionaries 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 missionaries.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,922

Cost of attendance

18,522

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for volunteer missionaries

The hardest universities for volunteer missionaries to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for volunteer missionaries 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 missionaries 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for volunteer missionaries

The easiest schools for volunteer missionaries to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, holy names university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a volunteer missionary 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 missionaries.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average volunteer missionary salary by education level

According to our data, volunteer missionaries with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $37,356 annually. Volunteer missionaries with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $34,518.
Volunteer missionary education levelVolunteer missionary salary
Master's Degree$37,356
High School Diploma or Less$31,646
Bachelor's Degree$34,518
Some College/ Associate Degree$32,437

Volunteer missionary 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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