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Business instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a business instructor. Business instructors usually study business, accounting, or general education, specific areas. 58% of business instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,584 real business instructor resumes to see exactly what business instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for business instructors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online business instructor courses to help get the education required to be a business instructor.
There are certain business instructor certifications that you should consider. These business instructor certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Instructor Certification (EPIC).
What education do you need to become a business instructor?
What degree do you need to be a business instructor?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Master's, 26%
- Associate, 10%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a business instructor?
- Business, 38%
- Accounting, 9%
- Management, 6%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for business instructors
| Business instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 21.62% |
| Purdue University | 7.03% |
| Capella University | 6.49% |
| Strayer University | 5.41% |
| Brigham Young University | 4.86% |
Best majors for business instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 37.9% |
| 2 | Accounting | 8.5% |
| 3 | General Education, Specific Areas | 6.5% |
| 4 | Management | 6.1% |
| 5 | Finance | 5.9% |
Best colleges for business instructors
The best colleges for business instructors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
A business instructor 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 instructors. 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 instructors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Enrollment
14,629
9. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for business instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for business instructors
The most affordable schools for business instructors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and university of florida.
If the best universities for business instructors 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 instructors.
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
10. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business instructors
The hardest universities for business instructors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for business instructors 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 instructors 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business instructors
The easiest schools for business instructors to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a business instructor 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 instructors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
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. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
Average business instructor salary by education level
| Business instructor education level | Business instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $45,210 |
| Doctorate Degree | $59,817 |
Business instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025