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Welfare aide education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a welfare aide. Welfare aides usually study psychology, sociology, or business. 54% of welfare aides hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 68 real welfare aide resumes to see exactly what welfare aide education sections show.
The most common colleges for welfare aides are the Southwestern Oklahoma State University and the Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
There are also many online welfare aide courses to help get the education required to be a welfare aide.
What education do you need to become a welfare aide?
What degree do you need to be a welfare aide?
- Bachelor's, 54%
- High School Diploma, 20%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a welfare aide?
- Psychology, 15%
- Sociology, 12%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 61%
Most common colleges for welfare aides
| Welfare aide common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Southwestern Oklahoma State University | 22.73% |
| University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma | 13.64% |
| Cameron University | 13.64% |
| University of Oklahoma | 9.09% |
| DeVry University | 4.55% |
Best majors for welfare aides
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 14.7% |
| 2 | Sociology | 11.8% |
| 3 | Business | 5.9% |
| 4 | Management Science | 5.9% |
| 5 | Social Work | 5.9% |
Best colleges for welfare aides
The best colleges for welfare aides are Boston University, University of Southern California, and Northwestern University.
A welfare aide with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for welfare aides. 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 welfare aides.
1. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Enrollment
34,637
2. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
3. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Enrollment
17,704
4. SUNY College at Brockport
Brockport, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,412
Enrollment
7,015
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
6. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
20 best online courses for welfare aides
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Top 10 most affordable universities for welfare aides
The most affordable schools for welfare aides are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for welfare aides 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 welfare aides.
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for welfare aides
The hardest universities for welfare aides to get into are Boston University, University of Southern California, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for welfare aides 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 welfare aides 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
6. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for welfare aides
The easiest schools for welfare aides to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a welfare aide 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 welfare aides.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average welfare aide salary by education level
| Welfare aide education level | Welfare aide salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $39,268 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $31,575 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $35,794 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $31,791 |
Welfare aide 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