Business leader education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a business leader. Business leaders usually study business, marketing, or finance. 69% of business leaders hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,626 real business leader resumes to see exactly what business leader education sections show.

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

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

There are certain business leader certifications that you should consider. These business leader certifications include Six Sigma Green Belt and Project Management Professional (PMP).

What education do you need to become a business leader?

What degree do you need to be a business leader?

The most common degree for business leaders is bachelor's degree, with 69% of business leaders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 69%

Master's, 19%

Associate, 7%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a business leader?

You should major in business to become a business leader. 33% of business leaders major in business. Other common majors for a business leader include marketing and finance.

Business, 33%

Marketing, 7%

Finance, 6%

Accounting, 6%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for business leaders

Business leaders often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Purdue University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for business leaders in the US based on their resumes.

Business leader common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	18.05%
Purdue University	8.58%
Pennsylvania State University	6.80%
Ohio State University	5.33%
New York University	5.03%

Show more common business leader colleges

Best majors for business leaders

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	33.3%
2	Marketing	6.6%
3	Finance	6.3%
4	Accounting	5.8%
5	Computer Science	5.4%

Show more common business leader majors

Best colleges for business leaders

The best colleges for business leaders are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A business leader 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 leaders. 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 leaders.

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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

20 best online courses for business leaders

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Top 10 most affordable universities for business leaders

The most affordable schools for business leaders are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for business leaders 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 leaders.

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business leaders

The hardest universities for business leaders to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for business leaders 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 leaders 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

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. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

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

The easiest schools for business leaders to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average business leader salary by education level

Business leaders with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $120,553 annually. With a Doctorate degree, business leaders earn a median annual income of $115,605 compared to $102,074 for business leaders with an Bachelor's degree.

Business leader education level	Business leader salary
Master's Degree	$120,553
High School Diploma or Less	$81,337
Bachelor's Degree	$102,074
Doctorate Degree	$115,605
Some College/ Associate Degree	$84,139

Business leader education FAQs

What is the best college for Business Leaders?

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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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