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Bureau chief education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a bureau chief. Bureau chiefs usually study journalism, communication, or political science. 72% of bureau chiefs hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,229 real bureau chief resumes to see exactly what bureau chief education sections show.

The most common colleges for bureau chiefs are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.

There are also many online bureau chief courses to help get the education required to be a bureau chief.

There are certain bureau chief certifications that you should consider. These bureau chief certifications include Certificate in Public Financial Management (Cert PFM) and IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL).

What education do you need to become a bureau chief?

What degree do you need to be a bureau chief?

The most common degree for bureau chiefs is bachelor's degree, with 72% of bureau chiefs earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Master's, 16%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Doctorate, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a bureau chief?

You should major in journalism to become a bureau chief. 30% of bureau chiefs major in journalism. Other common majors for a bureau chief include communication and political science.

Most common colleges for bureau chiefs

Bureau chiefs often get their degrees at Ohio State University, Northwestern University, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for bureau chiefs in the US based on their resumes.
Bureau chief common collegePercentages
Ohio State University9.55%
Northwestern University7.30%
Florida State University7.30%
University of Maryland - College Park6.74%
University of Florida6.18%

Best majors for bureau chiefs

RankMajorPercentages
1Journalism29.5%
2Communication11.4%
3Political Science9.4%
4Business8.4%
5English7.2%

Best colleges for bureau chiefs

The best colleges for bureau chiefs are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.

A bureau chief with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for bureau chiefs. 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 bureau chiefs.

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 Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

6. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

7. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Enrollment

14,629

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$50,226

Enrollment

10,873

10. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

20 best online courses for bureau chiefs

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6. Digital Governance

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20. IT Governance: A Guide for IT Professionals

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Top 10 most affordable universities for bureau chiefs

The most affordable schools for bureau chiefs are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for bureau chiefs 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 bureau chiefs.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for bureau chiefs

The hardest universities for bureau chiefs to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for bureau chiefs 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 bureau chiefs 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for bureau chiefs

The easiest schools for bureau chiefs to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a bureau chief 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 bureau chiefs.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

9. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

Average bureau chief salary by education level

According to our data, bureau chiefs with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $121,035 annually. Bureau chiefs with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $114,686.
Bureau chief education levelBureau chief salary
Master's Degree$114,686
Bachelor's Degree$106,520
Doctorate Degree$121,035

Bureau chief education FAQs

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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.

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