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Chief technology officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chief technology officer. Chief technology officers usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or business. 64% of chief technology officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 8,676 real chief technology officer resumes to see exactly what chief technology officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for chief technology officers are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.
There are also many online chief technology officer courses to help get the education required to be a chief technology officer.
There are certain chief technology officer certifications that you should consider. These chief technology officer certifications include IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) and Certified Scrum Master (CSM).
What education do you need to become a chief technology officer?
What degree do you need to be a chief technology officer?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a chief technology officer?
- Computer Science, 28%
- Business, 13%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for chief technology officers
| Chief technology officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland - College Park | 9.42% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.99% |
| New York University | 6.20% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 5.84% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 5.84% |
Best majors for chief technology officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Science | 28.0% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 13.8% |
| 3 | Business | 12.7% |
| 4 | Computer Engineering | 5.8% |
| 5 | Computer Information Systems | 4.0% |
Best colleges for chief technology officers
The best colleges for chief technology officers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A 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 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 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. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
6. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for chief technology officers
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4. Information Technology (IT) and Cloud Fundamentals
In today’s connected world, core knowledge of IT hardware, software, networking, cybersecurity, and cloud technologies is vital for almost every function, or role within an organization. Adding storage, updating an operating system, connecting to a network, recognizing phishing, and setting up Cloud instances are some of the skills employees need or need help with. This five-course specialization provides prerequisite skills for almost all IT careers, including technical support specialist,...
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6. Active Directory on Windows Server
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7. Understanding Technology and Data
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19. Practical Office 365 Administration
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Top 10 most affordable universities for chief technology officers
The most affordable schools for chief technology officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for 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 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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief technology officers
The hardest universities for chief technology officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for 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 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. 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. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
10. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief technology officers
The easiest schools for 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 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 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. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
10. Cleary University
Howell, MI • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,039
Average chief technology officer salary by education level
| Chief technology officer education level | Chief technology officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $198,235 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $181,879 |
| Doctorate Degree | $198,206 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $140,959 |
Chief technology officer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025