Bursar education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a bursar. Bursars usually study business, accounting, or finance. 56% of bursars hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 789 real bursar resumes to see exactly what bursar education sections show.

The most common colleges for bursars are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain bursar certifications that you should consider. These bursar certifications include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

What education do you need to become a bursar?

What degree do you need to be a bursar?

The most common degree for bursars is bachelor's degree, with 56% of bursars earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 56%

Associate, 20%

Master's, 13%

Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a bursar?

You should major in business to become a bursar. 37% of bursars major in business. Other common majors for a bursar include accounting and finance.

Business, 37%

Accounting, 22%

Finance, 6%

Management, 5%

Other Majors, 30%

Most common colleges for bursars

Bursars often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Florida International University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for bursars in the US based on their resumes.

Bursar common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	10.00%
Florida International University	5.71%
Pennsylvania State University	5.71%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	5.71%
University of Massachusetts Boston	5.71%

Show more common bursar colleges

Best majors for bursars

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	36.6%
2	Accounting	22.2%
3	Finance	5.7%
4	Management	5.0%
5	Psychology	3.3%

Show more common bursar majors

Best colleges for bursars

The best colleges for bursars are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

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

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

20 best online courses for bursars

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Top 10 most affordable universities for bursars

The most affordable schools for bursars are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for bursars 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 bursars.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for bursars

The hardest universities for bursars to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

Some great schools for bursars 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 bursars 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for bursars

The easiest schools for bursars to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a bursar 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 bursars.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average bursar salary by education level

Bursars with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $56,003 annually. With a Master's degree, bursars earn a median annual income of $55,044 compared to $54,570 for bursars with an Associate degree.

Bursar education level	Bursar salary
Master's Degree	$55,044
High School Diploma or Less	$54,362
Bachelor's Degree	$56,003
Some College/ Associate Degree	$54,570

Bursar education FAQs

What is the best college for Bursars?

Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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