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Chief program officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chief program officer. Chief program officers usually study business, psychology, or education. 57% of chief program officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 748 real chief program officer resumes to see exactly what chief program officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for chief program officers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online chief program officer courses to help get the education required to be a chief program officer.
There are certain chief program officer certifications that you should consider. These chief program officer certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ).
What education do you need to become a chief program officer?
What degree do you need to be a chief program officer?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Master's, 24%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 6%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a chief program officer?
- Business, 24%
- Psychology, 8%
- Education, 6%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for chief program officers
| Chief program officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.99% |
| New York University | 7.14% |
| University of Connecticut | 6.59% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.04% |
| Temple University | 4.95% |
Best majors for chief program officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 23.9% |
| 2 | Psychology | 8.2% |
| 3 | Education | 6.2% |
| 4 | Political Science | 5.7% |
| 5 | Nursing | 5.6% |
Best colleges for chief program officers
The best colleges for chief program officers are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
A chief program 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 program 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 program officers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,700
Enrollment
29,722
9. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for chief program officers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for chief program officers
The most affordable schools for chief program officers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for chief program 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 program officers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief program officers
The hardest universities for chief program officers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for chief program 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 program 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief program officers
The easiest schools for chief program officers to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief program 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 program officers.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
8. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Ursuline College
Pepper Pike, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,102
Average chief program officer salary by education level
| Chief program officer education level | Chief program officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $133,686 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $115,501 |
| Doctorate Degree | $161,467 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $102,683 |
Chief program officer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025