Chief school finance officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chief school finance officer. Chief school finance officers usually study business, accounting, or finance. 72% of chief school finance officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 39 real chief school finance officer resumes to see exactly what chief school finance officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for chief school finance officers are the University of North Alabama and the University of North Alabama.

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

What education do you need to become a chief school finance officer?

What degree do you need to be a chief school finance officer?

The most common degree for chief school finance officers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of chief school finance officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 72%

Master's, 13%

Associate, 9%

Doctorate, 6%

What should I major in to become a chief school finance officer?

You should major in business to become a chief school finance officer. 21% of chief school finance officers major in business. Other common majors for a chief school finance officer include accounting and finance.

Business, 21%

Accounting, 21%

Finance, 8%

Psychology, 5%

Other Majors, 45%

Most common colleges for chief school finance officers

Chief school finance officers often get their degrees at University of North Alabama, Fontbonne University, and City College of New York of the City University of New York, The. Here are the most common colleges for chief school finance officers in the US based on their resumes.

Chief school finance officer common college	Percentages
University of North Alabama	8.70%
Fontbonne University	8.70%
City College of New York of the City University of New York, The	8.70%
Alfred University	4.35%
Syracuse University	4.35%

Show more common chief school finance officer colleges

Best majors for chief school finance officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	21.1%
2	Accounting	21.1%
3	Finance	7.9%
4	Psychology	5.3%
5	Educational Leadership	5.3%

Show more common chief school finance officer majors

Best colleges for chief school finance officers

The best colleges for chief school finance officers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A chief school finance 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 school finance 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 school finance 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. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for chief school finance officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for chief school finance officers

The most affordable schools for chief school finance officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for chief school finance 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 school finance 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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief school finance officers

The hardest universities for chief school finance officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for chief school finance 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 school finance 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief school finance officers

The easiest schools for chief school finance officers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, d'youville college, and gwynedd mercy university.

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

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

Average chief school finance officer salary by education level

Chief school finance officers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $157,467 annually. With a Master's degree, chief school finance officers earn a median annual income of $150,415 compared to $132,739 for chief school finance officers with an Bachelor's degree.

Chief school finance officer education level	Chief school finance officer salary
Master's Degree	$150,415
High School Diploma or Less	$108,867
Bachelor's Degree	$132,739
Doctorate Degree	$157,467
Some College/ Associate Degree	$108,854

Chief school finance officer education FAQs

What is the best college for Chief School Finance Officers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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