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Volunteer program coordinator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a volunteer program coordinator. Volunteer program coordinators usually study psychology, business, or biology. 68% of volunteer program coordinators hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 6,630 real volunteer program coordinator resumes to see exactly what volunteer program coordinator education sections show.

The most common colleges for volunteer program coordinators are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

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

There are certain volunteer program coordinator certifications that you should consider. These volunteer program coordinator certifications include Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) and Programming in C# Certification.

What education do you need to become a volunteer program coordinator?

What degree do you need to be a volunteer program coordinator?

The most common degree for volunteer program coordinators is bachelor's degree, with 68% of volunteer program coordinators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a volunteer program coordinator?

You should major in psychology to become a volunteer program coordinator. 16% of volunteer program coordinators major in psychology. Other common majors for a volunteer program coordinator include business and biology.

Most common colleges for volunteer program coordinators

Volunteer program coordinators often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, New York University, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for volunteer program coordinators in the US based on their resumes.
Volunteer program coordinator common collegePercentages
University of California - Davis7.01%
New York University6.56%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.56%
University of Florida6.33%
University of Phoenix6.33%

Best majors for volunteer program coordinators

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology16.0%
2Business12.1%
3Biology5.8%
4Sociology5.7%
5Communication5.5%

Best colleges for volunteer program coordinators

The best colleges for volunteer program coordinators are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Southern California.

A volunteer program coordinator 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 program coordinators. 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 program coordinators.

1. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for volunteer program coordinators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for volunteer program coordinators

The most affordable schools for volunteer program coordinators are California State University - Bakersfield, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for volunteer program coordinators 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 program coordinators.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

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 - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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 program coordinators

The hardest universities for volunteer program coordinators to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for volunteer program coordinators 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 program coordinators 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. 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for volunteer program coordinators

The easiest schools for volunteer program coordinators to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, bluefield college, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a volunteer program coordinator 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 program coordinators.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

10. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

Average volunteer program coordinator salary by education level

Volunteer program coordinators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $49,073 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, volunteer program coordinators earn a median annual income of $44,862 compared to $39,993 for volunteer program coordinators with an Associate degree.
Volunteer program coordinator education levelVolunteer program coordinator salary
Master's Degree$49,073
High School Diploma or Less$39,729
Bachelor's Degree$44,862
Some College/ Associate Degree$39,993

Volunteer program coordinator 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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