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Assistant principal education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an assistant principal. Assistant principals usually study educational leadership, education, or elementary education. 46% of assistant principals hold a bachelor's degree, and 43% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 11,048 real assistant principal resumes to see exactly what assistant principal education sections show.
The most common colleges for assistant principals are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online assistant principal courses to help get the education required to be an assistant principal.
There are certain assistant principal certifications that you should consider. These assistant principal certifications include Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) and Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:).
What education do you need to become an assistant principal?
What degree do you need to be an assistant principal?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Master's, 43%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Associate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an assistant principal?
- Education, 15%
- Elementary Education, 13%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for assistant principals
| Assistant principal common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 12.60% |
| Nova Southeastern University | 7.60% |
| Texas A&M University | 6.58% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.56% |
| University of Houston | 5.38% |
Best majors for assistant principals
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Educational Leadership | 29.8% |
| 2 | Education | 15.1% |
| 3 | Elementary Education | 12.6% |
| 4 | Business | 6.0% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 4.6% |
Best colleges for assistant principals
The best colleges for assistant principals are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
An assistant principal with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for assistant principals. 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 assistant principals.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
8. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for assistant principals
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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant principals
The most affordable schools for assistant principals are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for assistant principals 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 assistant principals.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant principals
The hardest universities for assistant principals to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for assistant principals 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 assistant principals 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant principals
The easiest schools for assistant principals to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant principal 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 assistant principals.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
Average assistant principal salary by education level
| Assistant principal education level | Assistant principal salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $80,499 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $72,854 |
| Doctorate Degree | $86,336 |
Assistant principal 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