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Chief diversity officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chief diversity officer. Chief diversity officers usually study business, psychology, or criminal justice. 60% of chief diversity officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 183 real chief diversity officer resumes to see exactly what chief diversity officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for chief diversity officers are the Howard University and the Howard University.
There are also many online chief diversity officer courses to help get the education required to be a chief diversity officer.
What education do you need to become a chief diversity officer?
What degree do you need to be a chief diversity officer?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Master's, 16%
- Doctorate, 10%
- Associate, 9%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a chief diversity officer?
- Business, 18%
- Psychology, 10%
- Criminal Justice, 9%
- Law, 8%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for chief diversity officers
| Chief diversity officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Howard University | 13.95% |
| Wayne State University | 6.98% |
| Towson University | 6.98% |
| University of Memphis | 4.65% |
| Central State University | 4.65% |
Best majors for chief diversity officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.6% |
| 2 | Psychology | 10.2% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 9.3% |
| 4 | Law | 8.3% |
| 5 | Political Science | 6.5% |
Best colleges for chief diversity officers
The best colleges for chief diversity officers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A chief diversity 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 diversity 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 diversity officers.
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. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for chief diversity officers
Advertising disclosure
1. Predictive Analytics for Business
Learn to apply predictive analytics and business intelligence to solve real-world business problems...
2. AI for Business Leaders
Master the foundations of artificial intelligence so you can strategically implement AI in your company. Leverage machine learning technologies to power corporate growth, increase efficiency, and enhance customer experiences...
3. Organizational Leadership in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Many courses in the diversity, equity and inclusion field acquaint the learner with definitions and concepts that are commonly shared in the field but not much strategy to implement such efforts. The Organizational Leadership in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODE&I) specialization introduces concepts and strategies that foster greater DE&I effectiveness across organizational planning, programming, training and assessment. The goal of this course is to offer emerging DE&I Practitioners tools,...
4. Recruiting for Diversity and Inclusion
Recruitment is an integral part of an organization’s diversity and inclusion strategy. Effective recruitment strategies ensure a workforce reflects a company’s customer base and the communities where it operates. Such strategies also capitalize on the benefits of employees’ diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. In this specialization, you will gain a unique combination of analytical, communication and leadership skills. These will serve as practical tools that enable you to...
5. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Beginner's Guide
Practical strategies for developing your company's global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion function...
6. Diversity And Inclusion In The Workplace
Fostering Diversity & Inclusion, Mitigating Unconscious Bias, and Advancing Global Cultural Competence...
7. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Organizational Leaders
In the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Organizational Leaders specialization, you will learn about the ideas, texts, resources, strategies, practices, and critical perspectives you need to build a DEI-oriented company culture. You’ll start by exploring the foundational concepts that inform diversity, equity, and inclusion: origins of power, privilege, bias, stereotypes, social identities, and justice. Then you will learn how to articulate the reasons diversity, equity, and inclusion are...
8. Understanding Diversity and Inclusion
This course will serve as a "deep dive" into the concepts and trends related to diversity and inclusion. One of the barriers to sustained organizational effectiveness in this area has been identified as a superficial understanding of diversity and inclusion. Therefore, this course will provide you with the foundational knowledge that will assist you in developing a successful diversity and inclusion recruitment strategy. The course will explore diversity from three perspectives: Global,...
9. Diversity Equity & Inclusion Hiring, Recruiting, & Sourcing
A comprehensive guide to sourcing a diverse talent pool and designing an equitable and inclusive hiring process...
10. Diversity & Inclusion: Building a Grassroots Foundation
Practical strategies for building an organizational culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging...
11. Diversity and Inclusion: Developing A Strategy
PART 1: Job Design, Selection Criteria, Sourcing and Attracting Talent The first step in a recruitment strategy for developing a diverse and inclusive workforce commences with the decision that a job or role is needed, either an existing or new position. In this course, you will learn that unconscious bias is often most evident in the language of job descriptions, selection criteria, and job advertisements. The words and phrases used when writing these materials can unintentionally make certain...
12. Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Access Essentials
This is a four-module course that guides you through some fundamental concepts of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access, with the goal of emerging as a change agent using your spheres of influence to create more intentionally inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible environments. These modules include activities, various forms of media, and other interactive resources to help you actively engage with the material and guide you through your own self-awareness and reflection about these...
13. Inclusive Leadership: Working with Equality and Diversity
Leading with Diversity & Inclusion: Building Strong Teams Addressing Unconscious Bias with Emotional Intelligence...
14. A Deep-Dive into Diversity and Inclusion, for Leadership!
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Research Insights, Lessons, and Strategies, for Leaders and Managers...
15. Achieving Supplier Diversity
If you are interested in learning more about supplier diversity and how to achieve it, then I encourage you to take this course. It is a valuable resource that will help you develop and implement a successful supplier diversity program that benefits your organization and the communities you serve. Learners will benefit from completing the course by: • Gaining a comprehensive understanding of supplier diversity and its benefits. • Learning how to develop and implement a successful supplier...
16. Diversity and Inclusion in Education
Student diversity is becoming the rule rather than the exception in education systems across the world. Students bring to classroom different characteristics such as ability and disability, socio-economic background, race, ethnicity, and cultural background, beliefs and religion, and gender characteristics. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (United Nations, 2015)...
17. Navigate Diversity
Diversity enriches the workplace, as long as everyone is respectful. Assert yourself & leverage diversity on your team...
18. Unconscious Bias: Fuel Diversity and Become a Better You
Defeat unconscious bias and build diversity and inclusion into your life even if it seems impossible right now!...
19. The Journey to Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
This 4-course specialization begins with "Fundamentals of Diversity," taught by Professor Celia de Anca. The first course introduces the three key types of diversity: demographic, experiential, and cognitive. The course then dives more specifically into the demographic component of diversity and addresses the challenges of managing diversity in organizations.\n\nThe second course of the specialization, "Cognitive and Experiential Diversity" taught by Salvador Aragón, takes a novel approach to...
20. Fundamentals of Diversity
"The Fundamentals of Diversity" is the first course in IE University's specialization titled "The Journey to Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging." This course will provide learners with the basic tools to navigate diversity and diverse organizations. Throughout the course, learners will analyze how to promote diversity across demographic categories such as gender, ethnicity, race, disability, age, and physical appearance. The course will also empower learners to identify the challenges posed by...
Top 10 most affordable universities for chief diversity officers
The most affordable schools for chief diversity officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for chief diversity 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 diversity officers.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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 chief diversity officers
The hardest universities for chief diversity officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for chief diversity 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 diversity 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. 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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief diversity officers
The easiest schools for chief diversity officers to get into are Barry University, university of north texas at dallas, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief diversity 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 diversity officers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
9. Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,080
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average chief diversity officer salary by education level
| Chief diversity officer education level | Chief diversity officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $106,369 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $99,686 |
| Doctorate Degree | $106,357 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $82,265 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025