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Commanding officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a commanding officer. Commanding officers usually study business, criminal justice, or management. 63% of commanding officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,886 real commanding officer resumes to see exactly what commanding officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for commanding officers are the United States Naval Academy and the United States Naval Academy.
There are also many online commanding officer courses to help get the education required to be a commanding officer.
There are certain commanding officer certifications that you should consider. These commanding officer certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Manager Certification (CM).
What education do you need to become a commanding officer?
What degree do you need to be a commanding officer?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a commanding officer?
- Business, 20%
- Criminal Justice, 14%
- Management, 8%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for commanding officers
| Commanding officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| United States Naval Academy | 15.83% |
| Naval Postgraduate School | 11.61% |
| United States Coast Guard Academy | 10.55% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.39% |
| Texas A&M University | 5.28% |
Best majors for commanding officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 20.4% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 14.0% |
| 3 | Management | 8.2% |
| 4 | Political Science | 7.9% |
| 5 | International Relations | 4.5% |
Best colleges for commanding officers
The best colleges for commanding officers are Northeastern University, Boston University, and George Washington University, The.
A commanding 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 commanding 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 commanding officers.
1. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
3. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
4. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
5. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
6. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
7. Mercyhurst University
Erie, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$37,170
Enrollment
2,374
8. University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ • Private
In-state tuition
$12,467
Enrollment
33,509
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Enrollment
41,777
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
20 best online courses for commanding officers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for commanding officers
The most affordable schools for commanding officers are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and florida international university.
If the best universities for commanding 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 commanding officers.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
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. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
9. John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,270
Cost of attendance
14,177
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for commanding officers
The hardest universities for commanding officers to get into are Northeastern University, Boston University, and George Washington University, The.
Some great schools for commanding 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 commanding 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
4. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. American University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,320
9. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
10. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,345
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for commanding officers
The easiest schools for commanding officers to get into are Notre Dame College, nyack college, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a commanding 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 commanding officers.
1. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
6. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average commanding officer salary by education level
| Commanding officer education level | Commanding officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $45,239 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $38,635 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,677 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $39,740 |
Commanding officer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025