Post job

Welfare specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a welfare specialist. Welfare specialists usually study business, psychology, or social work. 62% of welfare specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 126 real welfare specialist resumes to see exactly what welfare specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for welfare specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

What education do you need to become a welfare specialist?

What degree do you need to be a welfare specialist?

The most common degree for welfare specialists is bachelor's degree, with 62% of welfare specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 10% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 62%
  • Associate, 10%
  • Diploma, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 9%
  • Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a welfare specialist?

You should major in business to become a welfare specialist. 26% of welfare specialists major in business. Other common majors for a welfare specialist include psychology and social work.

Most common colleges for welfare specialists

Welfare specialists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, American University, and Indiana University East. Here are the most common colleges for welfare specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Welfare specialist common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix17.86%
American University7.14%
Indiana University East7.14%
American InterContinental University7.14%
La Salle University7.14%

Best majors for welfare specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Business26.2%
2Psychology9.2%
3Social Work9.2%
4Criminal Justice7.7%
5Liberal Arts6.2%

Best colleges for welfare specialists

The best colleges for welfare specialists are Northwestern University, Boston University, and George Washington University, The.

A welfare specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

2. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

3. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. Saint Joseph's College, New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$27,830

Enrollment

937

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for welfare specialists

Advertising disclosure

1. Equine Welfare and Management

coursera

This unique course was developed by veterinarians at the world-renowned University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. The course will address horsemanship from a welfare perspective, within the context of “The Five Freedoms” of animal welfare. We’ll explore equine physiology, behavior and basic needs including housing, nutrition, hygiene and disease management. You’ll learn how to perform basic tasks to assess the overall condition of the horse and identify problem areas. We’ll...

2. Chicken Behaviour and Welfare

coursera

This course explains the general principles of chicken behaviour and welfare, and the behavioural and physiological indicators that can be used to assess welfare in chickens kept in hobby flocks through to commercial farms. The focus is primarily on laying hens and meat chickens (broilers) although many of the principles are relevant to other types of poultry. The course is likely to be of interest to people who own chickens as pets or keep a small hobby flock, commercial egg and chicken meat...

3. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0

udemy
4.3
(312)

Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...

4. Fundamentals of Insurance - 2

udemy
4.4
(5,370)

Part 2...

5. Business Models for Innovative Care for Older People

coursera

Aging has been coined as one of the major societal challenges. The fact that we simply live longer, is in itself not a problem but rather a triumph. However, this unprecedented demographic change significantly affects individual life histories through an increased number of e.g. lifestyle related chronic diseases. These extra life years, also have a massive imprint on the organization of welfare institutions and the financial sustainability of the welfare system. This course will introduce you...

6. Customer Service Fundamentals

coursera

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...

7. Fundamentals of Insurance - 1

udemy
4.4
(8,948)

Part 1...

8. Understanding HIPAA for the Medical Office

udemy
4.4
(766)

A healthcare professional's guide to understanding the requirements HIPAA...

9. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service

udemy
4.5
(3,956)

Used by Chase®, Intel®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...

10. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

udemy
4.7
(18,204)

Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...

11. Business Communication Skills: Handling Clients & Customers

udemy
4.4
(1,161)

Soft Skills Training Social Skills Business Etiquette Business English Customer Service Training...

12. Voice of Customer VOC Techniques Training and Certification

udemy
4.5
(319)

Get Trained to use the VOC Techniques and achieve the VOC Techniques Specialist Certification (Earn PDUs)...

13. Excel Skills for Insurance Professionals

udemy
4.5
(1,046)

From Vlookups to Pivot Tables: Learn the Excel basics anyone working in the insurance industry needs to know!...

14. Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification Guide

udemy
4.5
(920)

Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification Exam Subjects Covered in Detail! + Real World Case Study & 2 Practice Tests...

15. Understanding HIPAA Compliance

udemy
4.5
(689)

This course helps you understand the various rules under HIPAA and how to be compliant with that...

16. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

udemy
4.6
(2,666)

Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

17. Project Charter Specialist (Accredited) Project Management

udemy
4.6
(552)

What is Project Charter? Components? Template? Example? Document Project Charter? Project Charter Specialist Earn PDUs...

18. Coaching Business Plan How to Start a Life Coaching Business

udemy
4.4
(306)

Coaching Business Plan for Life Coaches with Coaching Vision Coaching Niche Coaching Clients Marketing Plan for Coaching...

19. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First

udemy
4.4
(313)

Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...

20. ServiceNow Certified Administration For Beginners

udemy
4.4
(5,952)

Service Now platform for beginners who would like to become Certified Service Now Administrator. Learn core fundamentals...

Top 10 most affordable universities for welfare specialists

The most affordable schools for welfare specialists are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for welfare specialists 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 specialists.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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 - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,922

Cost of attendance

18,522

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for welfare specialists

The hardest universities for welfare specialists to get into are Northwestern University, Boston University, and George Washington University, The.

Some great schools for welfare specialists 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 specialists 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

3. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

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

The easiest schools for welfare specialists to get into are Wayland Baptist University, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a welfare specialist 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 specialists.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

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. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

10. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

Average welfare specialist salary by education level

Welfare specialists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $61,611 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, welfare specialists earn a median annual income of $54,892 compared to $47,349 for welfare specialists with an Associate degree.
Welfare specialist education levelWelfare specialist salary
Master's Degree$61,611
High School Diploma or Less$46,947
Bachelor's Degree$54,892
Some College/ Associate Degree$47,349

Welfare specialist education FAQs

Search for welfare specialist jobs

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.

Browse community and social services jobs