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Youth mentor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a youth mentor. Youth mentors usually study psychology, criminal justice, or business. 65% of youth mentors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,250 real youth mentor resumes to see exactly what youth mentor education sections show.
The most common colleges for youth mentors are the Dixie State university and the Dixie State university.
There are also many online youth mentor courses to help get the education required to be a youth mentor.
There are certain youth mentor certifications that you should consider. These youth mentor certifications include Basic Life Support (BLS) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.
What education do you need to become a youth mentor?
What degree do you need to be a youth mentor?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Associate, 15%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a youth mentor?
- Psychology, 19%
- Criminal Justice, 11%
- Business, 10%
- Sociology, 7%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for youth mentors
| Youth mentor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Dixie State university | 8.19% |
| University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh | 7.69% |
| Utah Valley University | 7.44% |
| Brigham Young University | 7.20% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.71% |
Best majors for youth mentors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 19.1% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 11.0% |
| 3 | Business | 10.5% |
| 4 | Sociology | 7.3% |
| 5 | Social Work | 7.3% |
Best colleges for youth mentors
The best colleges for youth mentors are Northwestern University, Boston University, and Northeastern University.
A youth mentor 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 mentors. 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 mentors.
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. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for youth mentors
Advertising disclosure
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Top 10 most affordable universities for youth mentors
The most affordable schools for youth mentors are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for youth mentors 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 mentors.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for youth mentors
The hardest universities for youth mentors to get into are Northwestern University, Boston University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for youth mentors 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 mentors 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
10. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for youth mentors
The easiest schools for youth mentors to get into are Bluefield College, wayland baptist university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a youth mentor 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 mentors.
1. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
9. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average youth mentor salary by education level
| Youth mentor education level | Youth mentor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $37,141 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $31,898 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,816 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $32,051 |
Youth mentor 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