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Corporate compliance director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a corporate compliance director. Corporate compliance directors usually study business, nursing, or accounting. 57% of corporate compliance directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 336 real corporate compliance director resumes to see exactly what corporate compliance director education sections show.

The most common colleges for corporate compliance directors are the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

There are also many online corporate compliance director courses to help get the education required to be a corporate compliance director.

What education do you need to become a corporate compliance director?

What degree do you need to be a corporate compliance director?

The most common degree for corporate compliance directors is bachelor's degree, with 57% of corporate compliance directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 23% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 57%
  • Master's, 23%
  • Doctorate, 9%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a corporate compliance director?

You should major in business to become a corporate compliance director. 30% of corporate compliance directors major in business. Other common majors for a corporate compliance director include nursing and accounting.

Most common colleges for corporate compliance directors

Corporate compliance directors often get their degrees at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, University of Phoenix, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for corporate compliance directors in the US based on their resumes.
Corporate compliance director common collegePercentages
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey12.73%
University of Phoenix10.91%
University of Florida5.45%
University of South Carolina - Columbia5.45%
Ohio State University5.45%

Best majors for corporate compliance directors

RankMajorPercentages
1Business29.9%
2Nursing9.8%
3Accounting9.8%
4Law8.9%
5Political Science5.1%

Best colleges for corporate compliance directors

The best colleges for corporate compliance directors are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A corporate compliance director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for corporate compliance directors. 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 corporate compliance directors.

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. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

20 best online courses for corporate compliance directors

Advertising disclosure

1. Cybersecurity Management and Compliance

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In this course, you’ll learn about data and record management, Information security, standards and policy formation, and implementation. You’ll also explore cloud adoption frameworks and regulatory compliance frameworks. This course will take you one step closer to the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate, which requires no degree or prior experience. After completing this course, you'll be able to: • Explain the principles of cloud security planning • Identify security...

2. What is Compliance?

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Compliance isn’t only about preventing problems and ensuring that everyone is abiding by laws, rules, and regulations. It’s also about the positive impact a robust and ethical compliance program can have on a business or organization. In this course we will discuss why compliance is important – from the needs facing businesses in highly regulated industries to avoiding fines and penalties to preventing reputational and economic nightmares. We’ll examine real-world examples of compliance and...

3. Introduction to Compliance Risk Management CRM

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4.1
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Compliance risk management CRM for Compliance, Risk Management, Internal Audit and IS Security Professionals...

4. Build Powerful Compliance Programs & Prevent Corporate Fraud

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4.4
(289)

Learn everything you need to know to build an effective and powerful compliance culture and prevent corporate fraud...

5. GST - Undertaking compliances

coursera

Similar to any other tax system, compliances form the backbone of GST. GST compliances are primarily two-fold: registration and return filing. In this course, you will learn when to obtain registration, where to obtain it ,and the procedure to obtain registration. Thereafter, you will learn about the different returns under GST and the process of filing such returns along with the details required to be furnished. This course provides a platform for learners planning to launch their careers in...

6. AWS: Network Security, Compliance and Governance

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AWS: Network Security, Compliance and Governance is the third course of Exam Prep ANS-C01: AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty specialization. This course will help learners designing and implementing AWS Security and compliance. You will also get a chance to evaluate monitoring strategies in support of security and compliance objectives. Learners will also get a chance to manage, optimize and troubleshoot AWS Network. The course is divided into two modules and each module is further...

7. HIPAA Compliance Complete Course

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4.4
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Protecting Patients and Practices...

8. Compliance Training for Employees

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4.6
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Compliance: a simple, comprehensive and effective way to protect your company!...

9. What is Corruption: Anti-Corruption and Compliance

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Have you ever paid someone for doing you a favor? You may be accustomed to tipping wait staff or other service providers, but what if you paid a police officer for NOT issuing a parking ticket? Or if you gave a “gift” to a government official for signing a contract with your company? Tipping might be okay, but paying a bribe is a violation of the law. Bribery is widespread and exists almost everywhere and in many forms. Compliance programs address this and other forms of corruption. In this...

10. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Compliance

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4.2
(266)

This course offers guidelines to recognizing, understanding and dealing with bribery, corruption and compliance...

11. Cryptocurrency Financial Crime Compliance Bootcamp

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4.4
(484)

Blockchain/Crypto Financial Crime Money Laundering Terrorist Financing AML & CTF Regulation Compliance Tools...

12. Privacy and Data Protection, Certified GDPR Compliance

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4.4
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From theory to practice (junior and less than 1 year experience level)...

13. HR 101: Compliance Made Easy - U.S. Employers Must Have

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4.6
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Streamline the most critical human resource (HR) processes and be in compliance with U.S. employment regulations...

14. 3-in-1 Banking, Banking Risk and Compliance Masterclass

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4.6
(515)

The essentials of the banking business (business model, compliance, others), financial risk management and compliance...

15. The Complete Guide To Anti Money Laundering (AML) Compliance

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4.4
(1,511)

What You Should Know about Anti Money Laundering (AML), AML Compliance, AML Policies, and Know Your Customer (KYC)...

16. Understanding HIPAA Compliance

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4.5
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This course helps you understand the various rules under HIPAA and how to be compliant with that...

17. AML Essentials: Anti Money Laundering, KYC and Compliance

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4.4
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Learn the Basics of Money Laundering, AML, Risk Based Approach, AML Compliance Programs, KYC, CDD, EDD, PEP, and more!...

18. The Ultimate Guide to Money Laundering and AML Compliance

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4.4
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Learn the Fundamentals of Money Laundering and Gain Practical Insights into Anti Money Laundering Compliance...

19. AML Compliance in Practice: Suspicious Activity Reports

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4.6
(525)

Learn the Fundamentals of SAR Filing in Anti-Money Laundering Compliance/KYC & How to write a stellar SAR Narrative!...

20. Sanctions Compliance Bootcamp - Including AML/KYC Lectures

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4.5
(432)

Learn to navigate the increasingly complex sanctions compliance landscape and how to effectively manage sanctions risks...

Top 10 most affordable universities for corporate compliance directors

The most affordable schools for corporate compliance directors are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for corporate compliance directors 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 corporate compliance directors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

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 corporate compliance directors

The hardest universities for corporate compliance directors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for corporate compliance directors 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 corporate compliance directors 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

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

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. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for corporate compliance directors

The easiest schools for corporate compliance directors to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a corporate compliance director 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 corporate compliance directors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

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. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

8. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

9. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average corporate compliance director salary by education level

According to our data, corporate compliance directors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $157,366 annually. Corporate compliance directors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $148,158.
Corporate compliance director education levelCorporate compliance director salary
Master's Degree$148,158
High School Diploma or Less$101,471
Bachelor's Degree$131,072
Doctorate Degree$157,366
Some College/ Associate Degree$107,004

Corporate compliance director education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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