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Welfare officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a welfare officer. Welfare officers usually study social work, business, or psychology. 51% of welfare officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an diploma. We analyzed 215 real welfare officer resumes to see exactly what welfare officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for welfare officers are the University of New Hampshire and the University of New Hampshire.

There are also many online welfare officer courses to help get the education required to be a welfare officer.

What education do you need to become a welfare officer?

What degree do you need to be a welfare officer?

The most common degree for welfare officers is bachelor's degree, with 51% of welfare officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are diploma degree at 16% and diploma degree at 16%.
  • Bachelor's, 51%
  • Diploma, 16%
  • Master's, 16%
  • High School Diploma, 9%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a welfare officer?

You should major in social work to become a welfare officer. 29% of welfare officers major in social work. Other common majors for a welfare officer include business and psychology.

Most common colleges for welfare officers

Welfare officers often get their degrees at University of New Hampshire, Arkansas Baptist College, and University of California - Los Angeles. Here are the most common colleges for welfare officers in the US based on their resumes.
Welfare officer common collegePercentages
University of New Hampshire9.52%
Arkansas Baptist College4.76%
University of California - Los Angeles4.76%
Saint Anselm College4.76%
Bethune - Cookman University4.76%

Best majors for welfare officers

RankMajorPercentages
1Social Work28.9%
2Business10.0%
3Psychology5.6%
4Criminal Justice5.6%
5English5.6%

Best colleges for welfare officers

The best colleges for welfare officers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University.

A welfare officer 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 officers. 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 officers.

1. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of North Texas

Denton, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,852

Enrollment

31,375

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

9. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

Oshkosh, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$7,621

Enrollment

10,749

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for welfare officers

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1. Equine Welfare and Management

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2. Chicken Behaviour and Welfare

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5. US Social Services: Where did they come from?

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The course probes the formation of social policy in the United States from its very first cultural and religious roots. Starting with the transition from hunter-gatherer groups to agrarian villages, the course will examine the passage of the Poor Laws that shaped social policy through the colonial period until the beginnings of the 20th century, when the challenge of making the industrial city livable gave rise to the development of the welfare state. As part of this transformation, the...

6. Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners

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Top 10 most affordable universities for welfare officers

The most affordable schools for welfare officers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - fullerton, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for welfare officers 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 officers.

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. 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 South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for welfare officers

The hardest universities for welfare officers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for welfare officers 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 officers 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for welfare officers

The easiest schools for welfare officers 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 officer 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 officers.

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. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average welfare officer salary by education level

According to our data, welfare officers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $45,518 annually. Welfare officers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $43,358.
Welfare officer education levelWelfare officer salary
Master's Degree$43,358
Bachelor's Degree$38,506
Doctorate Degree$45,518

Welfare officer 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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