Business dean education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a business dean. Business deans usually study business, finance, or marketing. 58% of business deans hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 129 real business dean resumes to see exactly what business dean education sections show.

The most common colleges for business deans are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.

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

What education do you need to become a business dean?

What degree do you need to be a business dean?

The most common degree for business deans is bachelor's degree, with 58% of business deans earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 58%

Master's, 19%

Doctorate, 10%

Associate, 8%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a business dean?

You should major in business to become a business dean. 34% of business deans major in business. Other common majors for a business dean include finance and marketing.

Business, 34%

Finance, 9%

Marketing, 6%

Political Science, 5%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for business deans

Business deans often get their degrees at University of Houston, New York University, and Northern Illinois University. Here are the most common colleges for business deans in the US based on their resumes.

Business dean common college	Percentages
University of Houston	6.67%
New York University	6.67%
Northern Illinois University	6.67%
Walden University	6.67%
Fairleigh Dickinson University	6.67%

Show more common business dean colleges

Best majors for business deans

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	33.7%
2	Finance	9.5%
3	Marketing	6.3%
4	Political Science	5.3%
5	Economics	4.2%

Show more common business dean majors

Best colleges for business deans

The best colleges for business deans are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

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

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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for business deans

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Top 10 most affordable universities for business deans

The most affordable schools for business deans are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.

If the best universities for business deans 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 business deans.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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 business deans

The hardest universities for business deans to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for business deans 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 business deans 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business deans

The easiest schools for business deans to get into are Barry University, felician university, and ottawa university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a business dean 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 business deans.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

3. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average business dean salary by education level

Business deans with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $133,705 annually. With a Master's degree, business deans earn a median annual income of $119,195 compared to $101,285 for business deans with an Bachelor's degree.

Business dean education level	Business dean salary
Master's Degree	$119,195
Bachelor's Degree	$101,285
Doctorate Degree	$133,705

Business dean education FAQs

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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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