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Chief of staff education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chief of staff. Chiefs of staff usually study business, political science, or law. 63% of chiefs of staff hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 5,744 real chief of staff resumes to see exactly what chief of staff education sections show.
The most common colleges for chiefs of staff are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.
There are also many online chief of staff courses to help get the education required to be a chief of staff.
There are certain chief of staff certifications that you should consider. These chief of staff certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI).
What education do you need to become a chief of staff?
What degree do you need to be a chief of staff?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 20%
- Doctorate, 6%
- Associate, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a chief of staff?
- Business, 21%
- Political Science, 17%
- Law, 5%
- Communication, 5%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for chiefs of staff
| Chief of staff common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland - College Park | 8.56% |
| George Washington University, The | 8.39% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.02% |
| New York University | 6.85% |
| Florida State University | 6.34% |
Best majors for chiefs of staff
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 21.0% |
| 2 | Political Science | 17.4% |
| 3 | Law | 5.4% |
| 4 | Communication | 5.0% |
| 5 | Psychology | 4.6% |
Best colleges for chiefs of staff
The best colleges for chiefs of staff are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A chief of staff with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chiefs of staff. 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 chiefs of staff.
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. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
7. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for chiefs of staff
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Top 10 most affordable universities for chiefs of staff
The most affordable schools for chiefs of staff are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for chiefs of staff 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 chiefs of staff.
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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
8. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
9. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chiefs of staff
The hardest universities for chiefs of staff to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for chiefs of staff 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 chiefs of staff 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. 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chiefs of staff
The easiest schools for chiefs of staff to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief of staff 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 chiefs of staff.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
Average chief of staff salary by education level
| Chief of staff education level | Chief of staff salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $146,987 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $136,559 |
| Doctorate Degree | $146,969 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $109,833 |
Chief of staff education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025