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Chief executive officer/chief technology officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chief executive officer/chief technology officer. Chief executive officer/chief technology officers usually study computer science, business, or electrical engineering. 58% of chief executive officer/chief technology officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 500 real chief executive officer/chief technology officer resumes to see exactly what chief executive officer/chief technology officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for chief executive officer/chief technology officers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online chief executive officer/chief technology officer courses to help get the education required to be a chief executive officer/chief technology officer.

What education do you need to become a chief executive officer/chief technology officer?

What degree do you need to be a chief executive officer/chief technology officer?

The most common degree for chief executive officer/chief technology officers is bachelor's degree, with 58% of chief executive officer/chief technology officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 16%.
  • Bachelor's, 58%
  • Master's, 16%
  • Associate, 16%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a chief executive officer/chief technology officer?

You should major in computer science to become a chief executive officer/chief technology officer. 19% of chief executive officer/chief technology officers major in computer science. Other common majors for a chief executive officer/chief technology officer include business and electrical engineering.

Most common colleges for chief executive officer/chief technology officers

Chief executive officer/chief technology officers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, San Diego State University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for chief executive officer/chief technology officers in the US based on their resumes.
Chief executive officer/chief technology officer common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix8.77%
San Diego State University7.02%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology7.02%
University of Pennsylvania7.02%
Pace University5.26%

Best majors for chief executive officer/chief technology officers

Best colleges for chief executive officer/chief technology officers

The best colleges for chief executive officer/chief technology officers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A chief executive officer/chief technology 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 executive officer/chief technology 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 executive officer/chief technology 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. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

20 best online courses for chief executive officer/chief technology officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for chief executive officer/chief technology officers

The most affordable schools for chief executive officer/chief technology officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for chief executive officer/chief technology 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 executive officer/chief technology 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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief executive officer/chief technology officers

The hardest universities for chief executive officer/chief technology officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for chief executive officer/chief technology 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 executive officer/chief technology 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief executive officer/chief technology officers

The easiest schools for chief executive officer/chief technology officers to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief executive officer/chief technology 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 executive officer/chief technology officers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

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. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average chief executive officer/chief technology officer salary by education level

According to our data, chief executive officer/chief technology officers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $184,993 annually. Chief executive officer/chief technology officers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $184,973.
Chief executive officer/chief technology officer education levelChief executive officer/chief technology officer salary
Master's Degree$184,993
Bachelor's Degree$173,534
Doctorate Degree$184,973
Some College/ Associate Degree$143,612

Chief executive officer/chief technology officer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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