Post job

Appeals officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an appeals officer. Appeals officers usually study law, business, or criminal justice. 54% of appeals officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 121 real appeals officer resumes to see exactly what appeals officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for appeals officers are the Arkansas Tech University and the Arkansas Tech University.

There are also many online appeals officer courses to help get the education required to be an appeals officer.

What education do you need to become an appeals officer?

What degree do you need to be an appeals officer?

The most common degree for appeals officers is bachelor's degree, with 54% of appeals officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 24% and doctoral degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 54%
  • Doctorate, 24%
  • Master's, 14%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an appeals officer?

You should major in law to become an appeals officer. 21% of appeals officers major in law. Other common majors for an appeals officer include business and criminal justice.

Most common colleges for appeals officers

Appeals officers often get their degrees at Arkansas Tech University, Emory University, and Trident University International. Here are the most common colleges for appeals officers in the US based on their resumes.
Appeals officer common collegePercentages
Arkansas Tech University8.82%
Emory University5.88%
Trident University International5.88%
University of Pittsburgh5.88%
Georgetown University5.88%

Best majors for appeals officers

RankMajorPercentages
1Law20.7%
2Business12.6%
3Criminal Justice9.2%
4Nursing9.2%
5Psychology6.9%

Best colleges for appeals officers

The best colleges for appeals officers are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

An appeals 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 appeals 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 appeals officers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for appeals officers

Advertising disclosure

1. Privacy Law and HIPAA

coursera

What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...

2. American Contract Law II

coursera

Course description: Contracts I & II provides a comprehensive overview of contract law in the United States. The course covers most of the key concepts found in a first year law school class. Each lecture is based on one or more common-law cases, integrating legal doctrines with policy discussions. The course also covers key sections from the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs the sale of goods. By the end of the course, the learner should be able to understand: Formation defenses:...

3. Effective Legal Office Administration

udemy
4.5
(1,067)

Effective Legal Office Administration...

4. Understanding HIPAA for the Medical Office

udemy
4.4
(766)

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

5. Microsoft Office 365 Administration

udemy
4.5
(2,676)

Microsoft Office 365 Administration...

6. The Ultimate Microsoft Office 2013 Training Bundle 71 Hours

udemy
4.6
(818)

The Most Convenient Way to Boost Your Confidence And Learn MS Office 2013 Inside And Out—Quickly, No Travel or Classes...

7. Professional Diploma in Office Administration Management

udemy
4.2
(632)

Principles of work of Office Administrator. Required hard and soft skills. Introduction to MS Office and banking area...

8. Practical Office 365 Administration

udemy
4.2
(291)

Learn in depth about Office 365 for Administrators and also find useful tips and resources to enhance your role as an Of...

9. Law of Contracts in 60 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

udemy
4
(619)

A 60 minute fast track summary of the Law of Contracts, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

10. Microsoft Office Essential Skills

udemy
4.6
(2,029)

Learn the essential Microsoft Office skills employers want from a Microsoft Certified Trainer!...

11. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy

udemy
4.7
(1,575)

A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...

12. Microsoft 70-346: Managing Office 365 Identities and Requ.

udemy
4
(385)

Microsoft 70-346: Managing Office 365 Identities and Requirements...

13. English for Business and Law - Contract Law

udemy
4.5
(552)

An English language course for business and law...

14. Ultimate Microsoft Office; Excel, Word, PowerPoint & Access

udemy
4.5
(11,600)

Learn basic to advanced Microsoft Office skills in this 9-course bundle for Office 365 or Office 2019...

15. MS Office Complete Training - Beginner to Expert Level

udemy
4
(311)

Complete Practical training in MS Office 2010 to 2019 and Office 365 in MS Excel, MS Word, MS Power Point and MS Access...

16. MS Office Course Bundle- Word , Powerpoint , Excel & Outlook

udemy
4.3
(319)

MS Office Learn and Polish the Most Desirable Office Courses at work , MS Word , MS Excel , MS Powerpoint and MS Outlook...

17. The Ultimate Microsoft Office 2021/365 Training Bundle

udemy
4.5
(640)

Learn the essentials of Microsoft Office in this 6-course bundle for Office 365 or Office 2021 users...

18. The Ultimate Microsoft Office 2016 Training Bundle

udemy
4.5
(4,167)

The Most Convenient Way to Boost Your Confidence And Learn MS Office 2016 Inside And Out—Quickly, No Travel or Classes...

19. Microsoft Office; Excel, Word & PowerPoint 2019 - Beginners

udemy
4.6
(958)

Learn the essentials of Microsoft Office in this 3-course bundle for Office 365 or Office 2019 users...

20. HIPAA Compliance Complete Course

udemy
4.4
(3,483)

Protecting Patients and Practices...

Top 10 most affordable universities for appeals officers

The most affordable schools for appeals officers are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and florida international university.

If the best universities for appeals 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 appeals officers.

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. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for appeals officers

The hardest universities for appeals officers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for appeals 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 appeals 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

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

The easiest schools for appeals officers to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, barry university, and felician university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an appeals 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 appeals officers.

1. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

Average appeals officer salary by education level

Appeals officer education levelAppeals officer salary
Doctorate Degree$57,423

Appeals officer education FAQs

Search for appeals officer 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.