In a lot of cases, a higher education can mean a higher salary or even a better job. That's why we found out the best colleges for business leaders. We based this list on these metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of students working, ratio of working vs. non-working students 10 years after admission, average cost of attendance and median debt for graduates.
Best Colleges And Majors For Business Leaders
Best Colleges For 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
Business Leader Education Requirements
There are several education 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 a master's degree. We found these by analyzing 3,626 business leader resumes to investigate the topic of business leader education more precisely.
The most common colleges for students to pursue their goal of becoming a business leader are University of Phoenix and Purdue University.
For those who would rather stay in your pajamas during the day, we prepared some online courses that can help in business leader education paths.
We prepared a list of a business leader certifications that you should consider. The necessary certifications that business leaders must have to succeed are 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 69% of business leaders earn that degree. A close second is master's degree with 19% and rounding it off is associate degree with 7%.
- Bachelors, 69%
- Masters, 19%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What Should I Major in to Become a Business Leader?
Most business leaders, 33% to be exact, major in business. Some other common majors for a business leader include marketing and finance majors.
- Business, 33%
- Marketing, 7%
- Finance, 6%
- Accounting, 6%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most Common Colleges For Business Leaders
Here are the most common colleges for a business leader career in the US based on their resumes. Advocates often get their degree in University of Phoenix, Purdue University, and Pennsylvania State University .
| 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% |
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% |
20 Best Online Courses for Business Leaders
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Learn Business Analytics with complete Hands on Exercises...
5. Business Analysis: Developing Irresistible Business Cases
Building the business acumen you need to promote your projects to management...
6. Lean BPM - Lean Business Process Management Change Skills
Lean BPM - learn how to use lean business management techniques to reduce waste and improve your business efficiency...
7. 12 Steps Business Case Development
The Compact Guide of Business Case Development Success. Be Ready to Present your Case and Win...
8. Business Strategy Development: The Art of Differentiation
Learn 3 key business strategy tools. Improve your business innovation skills and drive profitable business development...
9. Introduction to Business Analytics 2022
How to Build a Profitable and Winning Company Using Business Analytics...
10. HR as a Strategic Business Partner
Better understand your value and role as a strategic business partner...
11. Business Plan: Outlines, Templates & Case Study
Learn Business Planning & Lean Thinking to develop a Complete Business Plan...
12. How To Write A Business Plan And A Winning Business Model
Business plan template & business plan examples: Create a top business model & business plan for your business ideas...
13. The Complete Business Process Management (BPM) Master Class
10000+ enrollments Learn the Business Process Management methods used by the world's most successful organizations...
14. Business Analyst: Software Testing Processes & Techniques
Reduce project bugs with repeatable testing processes. Learn to create test cases, scenarios, track defects, & more!...
15. Introduction to Business Analytics
Develop essential data analytics skills to grow your business...
16. MBA -The Business fundamentals + 30 hrs of business concepts
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17. Business Process Modelling with UML Activity Diagrams & BPMN
Become an expert in Modelling Business Processes with Business Analysis Techniques and UML Activity Diagrams & BPMN...
18. SQL - MySQL for Data Analytics and Business Intelligence
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19. Plan the Project as a Business Analyst
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20. BPMN 2.0 Business Process Modelling for Business Analysts
Become a BPMN 2.0 Expert in 1 day. With this practical hands-on course you will learn proper Business Process Modelling...
Top 10 Affordable Universities For Business Leaders
If those top 10 were a bit out of your price range, you might want to check these schools instead. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price and mean earnings after 6 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
Some people like a challenge. Well, we challenge you to get into one of these schools. It's not going to be easy. We know this based on these institutions' admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted and mean earnings of students 6 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. 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 Easier To Apply Universities For Business Leaders
Why make getting a job harder on yourself than it has to be? With these colleges, you're sure to be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores and average salary of students 6 years after graduation in order to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into.
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 Masters 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 Bachelors degree.
| Business Leader Education Level | Business Leader Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $81,337 |
| Master's Degree | $120,553 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $102,074 |
| Doctorate Degree | $115,605 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $84,139 |