Chairperson education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chairperson. Chairpeople usually study business, psychology, or communication. 69% of chairpeople hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 43,920 real chairperson resumes to see exactly what chairperson education sections show.

The most common colleges for chairpeople are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

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

There are certain chairperson certifications that you should consider. These chairperson certifications include Certified Planning Engineer (CPE) and Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE).

What education do you need to become a chairperson?

What degree do you need to be a chairperson?

The most common degree for chairpeople is bachelor's degree, with 69% of chairpeople earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 69%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 6%

Doctorate, 5%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a chairperson?

You should major in business to become a chairperson. 18% of chairpeople major in business. Other common majors for a chairperson include psychology and communication.

Business, 18%

Psychology, 9%

Communication, 7%

Political Science, 7%

Other Majors, 59%

Most common colleges for chairpeople

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

Chairperson common college	Percentages
Pennsylvania State University	8.36%
Florida State University	6.29%
University of Phoenix	6.15%
University of California, Santa Barbara	6.09%
University of California - Davis	6.01%

Show more common chairperson colleges

Best majors for chairpeople

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	18.4%
2	Psychology	9.0%
3	Communication	7.0%
4	Political Science	6.8%
5	Marketing	5.7%

Show more common chairperson majors

Best colleges for chairpeople

The best colleges for chairpeople are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

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

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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for chairpeople

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Top 10 most affordable universities for chairpeople

The most affordable schools for chairpeople are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for chairpeople 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 chairpeople.

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chairpeople

The hardest universities for chairpeople to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for chairpeople 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 chairpeople 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

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

The easiest schools for chairpeople to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

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

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average chairperson salary by education level

Chairpeople with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $240,184 annually. With a Master's degree, chairpeople earn a median annual income of $180,787 compared to $120,862 for chairpeople with an Bachelor's degree.

Chairperson education level	Chairperson salary
Master's Degree	$180,787
Bachelor's Degree	$120,862
Doctorate Degree	$240,184

Chairperson education FAQs

What is the best college for Chairpeople?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management 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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