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Chief knowledge officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chief knowledge officer. Chief knowledge officers usually study business, nursing, or psychology. 62% of chief knowledge officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 145 real chief knowledge officer resumes to see exactly what chief knowledge officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for chief knowledge officers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

What education do you need to become a chief knowledge officer?

What degree do you need to be a chief knowledge officer?

The most common degree for chief knowledge officers is bachelor's degree, with 62% of chief knowledge officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 23% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 62%
  • Master's, 23%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a chief knowledge officer?

You should major in business to become a chief knowledge officer. 23% of chief knowledge officers major in business. Other common majors for a chief knowledge officer include nursing and psychology.

Most common colleges for chief knowledge officers

Chief knowledge officers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Pennsylvania State University, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for chief knowledge officers in the US based on their resumes.
Chief knowledge officer common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix15.75%
Pennsylvania State University6.85%
New York University6.16%
Ohio State University6.16%
Purdue University5.48%

Best majors for chief knowledge officers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business22.7%
2Nursing17.3%
3Psychology5.4%
4Political Science4.9%
5Finance4.6%

Best colleges for chief knowledge officers

The best colleges for chief knowledge officers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A chief knowledge 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 knowledge 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 knowledge officers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

20 best online courses for chief knowledge officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for chief knowledge officers

The most affordable schools for chief knowledge 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 knowledge 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 knowledge 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. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief knowledge officers

The hardest universities for chief knowledge officers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for chief knowledge 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 knowledge 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief knowledge officers

The easiest schools for chief knowledge officers to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief knowledge 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 knowledge officers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

5. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average chief knowledge officer salary by education level

Chief knowledge officers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $130,727 annually. With a Master's degree, chief knowledge officers earn a median annual income of $126,886 compared to $115,475 for chief knowledge officers with an Bachelor's degree.
Chief knowledge officer education levelChief knowledge officer salary
Master's Degree$126,886
Bachelor's Degree$115,475
Doctorate Degree$130,727
Some College/ Associate Degree$88,810

Chief knowledge 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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