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Youth leader education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a youth leader. Youth leaders usually study psychology, business, or criminal justice. 60% of youth leaders hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 12,300 real youth leader resumes to see exactly what youth leader education sections show.
The most common colleges for youth leaders are the Liberty University and the Liberty University.
There are also many online youth leader courses to help get the education required to be a youth leader.
There are certain youth leader certifications that you should consider. These youth leader certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and OSHA Safety Certificate .
What education do you need to become a youth leader?
What degree do you need to be a youth leader?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Associate, 17%
- High School Diploma, 13%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a youth leader?
- Psychology, 16%
- Business, 14%
- Criminal Justice, 9%
- Liberal Arts, 6%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for youth leaders
| Youth leader common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Liberty University | 15.26% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 10.52% |
| San Diego State University | 9.93% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.89% |
| University of California - Davis | 5.78% |
Best majors for youth leaders
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 15.6% |
| 2 | Business | 14.0% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 9.1% |
| 4 | Liberal Arts | 5.5% |
| 5 | Social Work | 5.3% |
Best colleges for youth leaders
The best colleges for youth leaders are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A youth leader with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for youth leaders. 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 youth leaders.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for youth leaders
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Top 10 most affordable universities for youth leaders
The most affordable schools for youth leaders are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for youth leaders 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 youth leaders.
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 - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for youth leaders
The hardest universities for youth leaders to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for youth leaders 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 youth leaders 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
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 youth leaders
The easiest schools for youth leaders to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and bluefield college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a youth leader 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 youth leaders.
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. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average youth leader salary by education level
| Youth leader education level | Youth leader salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $32,587 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $29,703 |
| Doctorate Degree | $33,848 |
Youth leader education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025