City controller education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a city controller. City controllers usually study accounting, business, or finance. 75% of city controllers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 75 real city controller resumes to see exactly what city controller education sections show.

The most common colleges for city controllers are the Temple University and the Temple University.

There are also many online city controller courses to help get the education required to be a city controller.

What education do you need to become a city controller?

What degree do you need to be a city controller?

The most common degree for city controllers is bachelor's degree, with 75% of city controllers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 75%

Master's, 16%

Associate, 5%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a city controller?

You should major in accounting to become a city controller. 38% of city controllers major in accounting. Other common majors for a city controller include business and finance.

Accounting, 38%

Business, 19%

Finance, 6%

Political Science, 5%

Other Majors, 32%

Most common colleges for city controllers

City controllers often get their degrees at Temple University, University of Houston, and University of Texas at Austin. Here are the most common colleges for city controllers in the US based on their resumes.

City controller common college	Percentages
Temple University	11.11%
University of Houston	7.41%
University of Texas at Austin	7.41%
New York University	7.41%
Florida State University	7.41%

Show more common city controller colleges

Best majors for city controllers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Accounting	38.1%
2	Business	19.0%
3	Finance	6.3%
4	Political Science	4.8%
5	Public Administration	3.2%

Show more common city controller majors

Best colleges for city controllers

The best colleges for city controllers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

A city controller with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for city controllers. 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 city controllers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

4. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for city controllers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for city controllers

The most affordable schools for city controllers are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.

If the best universities for city controllers 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 city controllers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for city controllers

The hardest universities for city controllers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for city controllers 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 city controllers 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

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for city controllers

The easiest schools for city controllers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a city controller 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 city controllers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

Average city controller salary by education level

City controllers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $157,945 annually. With a Master's degree, city controllers earn a median annual income of $148,334 compared to $124,979 for city controllers with an Bachelor's degree.

City controller education level	City controller salary
Master's Degree	$148,334
High School Diploma or Less	$95,246
Bachelor's Degree	$124,979
Doctorate Degree	$157,945
Some College/ Associate Degree	$95,231

City controller education FAQs

What is the best college for City Controllers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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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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