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Contract negotiator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a contract negotiator. Contract negotiators usually study business, law, or finance. 66% of contract negotiators hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,196 real contract negotiator resumes to see exactly what contract negotiator education sections show.
The most common colleges for contract negotiators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online contract negotiator courses to help get the education required to be a contract negotiator.
There are certain contract negotiator certifications that you should consider. These contract negotiator certifications include Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) and Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM).
What education do you need to become a contract negotiator?
What degree do you need to be a contract negotiator?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 15%
- Doctorate, 9%
- Associate, 7%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a contract negotiator?
Most common colleges for contract negotiators
| Contract negotiator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.19% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 6.76% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.08% |
| Ohio State University | 6.08% |
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler | 5.41% |
Best majors for contract negotiators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 37.3% |
| 2 | Law | 11.1% |
| 3 | Finance | 6.5% |
| 4 | Political Science | 6.0% |
| 5 | Management | 5.1% |
Best colleges for contract negotiators
The best colleges for contract negotiators are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A contract negotiator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for contract negotiators. 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 contract negotiators.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
8. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
20 best online courses for contract negotiators
Advertising disclosure
1. American Contract Law II
Course description: Contracts I & II provides a comprehensive overview of contract law in the United States. The course covers most of the key concepts found in a first year law school class. Each lecture is based on one or more common-law cases, integrating legal doctrines with policy discussions. The course also covers key sections from the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs the sale of goods. By the end of the course, the learner should be able to understand: Formation defenses:...
2. Contract Management: Managing Contractual Risks
How to identify and deal with contract risks...
3. Contracts Management in Construction Projects
Contracts Management, Contract Administration, FIDIC, Bank Guarantees, Contracts, Letter Drafting, Quantity Surveying...
4. Learning Business Contracts for Beginners
An Introductory Guide to Drafting Winning Contracts, Negotiating Well, and Getting What You Want...
5. Introduction to Contract Management
Understand what is involved in the contract management process and put this knowledge to work with confidence...
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7. Wholesale Real Estate Contracts: Flip Houses Risk Free
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8. Learn Federal Government Contracting From An Expert
A comprehensive guide to Register, Search Opportunities, GSA, Certifications, Accounting, Marketing& Bidding to the feds...
9. The complete course on the Indian Contract Act, 1872
Law of Contract in India as under Indian Contract Act, 1872...
10. A Practical Approach to FIDIC Contracts
The interactive course is based on the FIDIC Approved Module 1 Workshop and introduces the FIDIC Suite of Contracts...
11. Project Management Master Class: Government Projects
Learn How To Win Big By Always Successfully Completing Government Projects Using Ninja Project Management Techniques...
12. Essentials of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
The Who, What, When, Where, and How of the World's Most Common Business Contract...
13. Successful Negotiation: Master Your Negotiating Skills
Master negotiation with these negotiating tips...
14. [2023] Negotiating: Become a Better Negotiator in 70 Minutes
Used by Pay Pal, Oracle, Adidas & other successful firms. Boost your skills in B2B sales, contract negotiation, and more...
15. Law of Contracts in 60 Minutes: A Fast Track Course
A 60 minute fast track summary of the Law of Contracts, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...
16. Learn Solidity: Programming Language for Smart Contracts
Best Solidity Tutorial Available Online to Build Blockchain Based Decentralized Application DApps on Ethereum Network...
17. The Fundamentals of end-to-end Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain Management - Level 1: Introducing all the Key Components of a Supply Chain...
18. Negotiation A-Z - Inside Secrets from a Master Negotiator
Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. How To Get What You Want. Negotiating in Difficult Situations...
19. Microservices Contract Testing with Pact
This Course explains Why/How to write contract tests for Testing Microservices using Pact Testing tool on Live Projects...
20. Complete Real Estate Wholesaling course 2023(With Contracts)
Real Estate Wholesaling Course for Beginners by an Active Successful Wholesaler and Investor...
Top 10 most affordable universities for contract negotiators
The most affordable schools for contract negotiators are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and florida international university.
If the best universities for contract negotiators 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 contract negotiators.
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. 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. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$6,768
Cost of attendance
15,506
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for contract negotiators
The hardest universities for contract negotiators to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for contract negotiators 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 contract negotiators 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for contract negotiators
The easiest schools for contract negotiators to get into are Barry University, university of north texas at dallas, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a contract negotiator 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 contract negotiators.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average contract negotiator salary by education level
| Contract negotiator education level | Contract negotiator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $72,326 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,861 |
| Doctorate Degree | $73,957 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,278 |
Contract negotiator education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025