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College dean education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a college dean. College deans usually study business, psychology, or sociology. 54% of college deans hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 338 real college dean resumes to see exactly what college dean education sections show.
The most common colleges for college deans are the Dean College and the Dean College.
There are also many online college dean courses to help get the education required to be a college dean.
What education do you need to become a college dean?
What degree do you need to be a college dean?
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Master's, 13%
- Doctorate, 12%
- Associate, 12%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a college dean?
- Business, 15%
- Psychology, 8%
- Sociology, 6%
- Computer Science, 6%
- Other Majors, 65%
Most common colleges for college deans
| College dean common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Dean College | 20.34% |
| University of Southern California | 6.78% |
| San Diego State University | 6.78% |
| Brown University | 5.08% |
| New York University | 5.08% |
Best majors for college deans
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 15.3% |
| 2 | Psychology | 8.3% |
| 3 | Sociology | 6.4% |
| 4 | Computer Science | 6.4% |
| 5 | Accounting | 5.7% |
Best colleges for college deans
The best colleges for college deans are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A college dean with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for college deans. 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 college deans.
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for college deans
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Top 10 most affordable universities for college deans
The most affordable schools for college deans are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for college deans 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 college deans.
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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
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 college deans
The hardest universities for college deans to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for college deans 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 college deans 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for college deans
The easiest schools for college deans to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a college dean 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 college deans.
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. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average college dean salary by education level
| College dean education level | College dean salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $111,596 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $89,645 |
| Doctorate Degree | $130,245 |
College dean education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025