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Chief compliance officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chief compliance officer. Chief compliance officers usually study law, business, or finance. 60% of chief compliance officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 2,128 real chief compliance officer resumes to see exactly what chief compliance officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for chief compliance officers are the New York Law School and the New York Law School.
There are also many online chief compliance officer courses to help get the education required to be a chief compliance officer.
There are certain chief compliance officer certifications that you should consider. These chief compliance officer certifications include Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) and Certified in Health Care Compliance (CHC).
What education do you need to become a chief compliance officer?
What degree do you need to be a chief compliance officer?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Doctorate, 19%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a chief compliance officer?
- Law, 21%
- Business, 20%
- Finance, 11%
- Accounting, 9%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for chief compliance officers
| Chief compliance officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York Law School | 13.54% |
| New York University | 9.61% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.42% |
| Fordham University | 6.99% |
| Georgetown University | 5.68% |
Best majors for chief compliance officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law | 21.0% |
| 2 | Business | 20.5% |
| 3 | Finance | 11.1% |
| 4 | Accounting | 8.6% |
| 5 | Political Science | 7.6% |
Best colleges for chief compliance officers
The best colleges for chief compliance officers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A chief compliance officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chief compliance officers. 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 chief compliance officers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for chief compliance officers
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3. The Complete Guide To Anti Money Laundering (AML) Compliance
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4. Introduction to Compliance Risk Management CRM
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5. What is Corruption: Anti-Corruption and Compliance
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6. GST - Undertaking compliances
Similar to any other tax system, compliances form the backbone of GST. GST compliances are primarily two-fold: registration and return filing. In this course, you will learn when to obtain registration, where to obtain it ,and the procedure to obtain registration. Thereafter, you will learn about the different returns under GST and the process of filing such returns along with the details required to be furnished. This course provides a platform for learners planning to launch their careers in...
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8. Compliance Training for Employees
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9. The Ultimate Guide to Money Laundering and AML Compliance
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10. HIPAA Compliance Complete Course
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11. AML Compliance in Practice: Suspicious Activity Reports
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12. Cryptocurrency Financial Crime Compliance Bootcamp
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13. HR 101: Compliance Made Easy - U.S. Employers Must Have
Streamline the most critical human resource (HR) processes and be in compliance with U.S. employment regulations...
14. Anti-Money Laundering Concepts: AML, KYC and Compliance
(Highest number of Students Enrolled) Anti-Money Laundering(AML), AML policies, AML KYC & AML Compliance...
15. Sanctions Compliance Bootcamp - Including AML/KYC Lectures
Learn to navigate the increasingly complex sanctions compliance landscape and how to effectively manage sanctions risks...
16. Privacy and Data Protection, Certified GDPR Compliance
From theory to practice (junior and less than 1 year experience level)...
17. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Compliance
This course offers guidelines to recognizing, understanding and dealing with bribery, corruption and compliance...
18. Build Powerful Compliance Programs & Prevent Corporate Fraud
Learn everything you need to know to build an effective and powerful compliance culture and prevent corporate fraud...
19. 3-in-1 Banking, Banking Risk and Compliance Masterclass
The essentials of the banking business (business model, compliance, others), financial risk management and compliance...
20. Anti Money Laundering & Countering of Terrorist Financing
From Leading Subject Matter Experts, Compliance , AML/CFT (Consolidated Quick Learning Video)...
Top 10 most affordable universities for chief compliance officers
The most affordable schools for chief compliance officers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for chief compliance officers 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 chief compliance officers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief compliance officers
The hardest universities for chief compliance officers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for chief compliance officers 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 chief compliance officers 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief compliance officers
The easiest schools for chief compliance officers to get into are Barry University, university of the incarnate word, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief compliance officer 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 chief compliance officers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
5. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average chief compliance officer salary by education level
| Chief compliance officer education level | Chief compliance officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $121,973 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $86,233 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $108,078 |
| Doctorate Degree | $139,059 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $91,998 |
Chief compliance officer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025