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Compliance specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a compliance specialist. Compliance specialists usually study business, accounting, or law. 61% of compliance specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 12,429 real compliance specialist resumes to see exactly what compliance specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for compliance specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online compliance specialist courses to help get the education required to be a compliance specialist.
There are certain compliance specialist certifications that you should consider. These compliance specialist certifications include Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and Certified Specialist of Occupancy (CSO-PH).
What education do you need to become a compliance specialist?
What degree do you need to be a compliance specialist?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 12%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a compliance specialist?
- Business, 30%
- Accounting, 8%
- Law, 6%
- Finance, 6%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for compliance specialists
| Compliance specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 24.97% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.11% |
| University of South Florida | 4.88% |
| New York University | 4.77% |
| Strayer University | 4.65% |
Best majors for compliance specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 30.0% |
| 2 | Accounting | 7.9% |
| 3 | Law | 5.9% |
| 4 | Finance | 5.8% |
| 5 | Psychology | 5.4% |
Best colleges for compliance specialists
The best colleges for compliance specialists are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A compliance specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for compliance specialists. 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 compliance specialists.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
20 best online courses for compliance specialists
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11. The Complete Guide To Anti Money Laundering (AML) Compliance
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15. Understanding HIPAA for the Medical Office
A healthcare professional's guide to understanding the requirements HIPAA...
16. 3-in-1 Banking, Banking Risk and Compliance Masterclass
The essentials of the banking business (business model, compliance, others), financial risk management and compliance...
17. AML Essentials: Anti Money Laundering, KYC and Compliance
Learn the Basics of Money Laundering, AML, Risk Based Approach, AML Compliance Programs, KYC, CDD, EDD, PEP, and more!...
18. HIPAA Workforce Basics
This short course focuses on pragmatic compliance with HIPAA and covers important breach avoidance strategies...
19. The Ultimate Guide to Money Laundering and AML Compliance
Learn the Fundamentals of Money Laundering and Gain Practical Insights into Anti Money Laundering Compliance...
20. Sanctions Compliance Bootcamp - Including AML/KYC Lectures
Learn to navigate the increasingly complex sanctions compliance landscape and how to effectively manage sanctions risks...
Top 10 most affordable universities for compliance specialists
The most affordable schools for compliance specialists are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and florida international university.
If the best universities for compliance specialists 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 compliance specialists.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for compliance specialists
The hardest universities for compliance specialists to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for compliance specialists 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 compliance specialists 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for compliance specialists
The easiest schools for compliance specialists to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, gwynedd mercy university, and curry college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a compliance specialist 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 compliance specialists.
1. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
8. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
Average compliance specialist salary by education level
| Compliance specialist education level | Compliance specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,175 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,264 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $60,288 |
| Doctorate Degree | $75,531 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,200 |
Compliance specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025