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Corporate compliance officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a corporate compliance officer. Corporate compliance officers usually study business, law, or nursing. 54% of corporate compliance officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 741 real corporate compliance officer resumes to see exactly what corporate compliance officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for corporate compliance officers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online corporate compliance officer courses to help get the education required to be a corporate compliance officer.
There are certain corporate compliance officer certifications that you should consider. These corporate compliance officer certifications include Certificate in Public Financial Management (Cert PFM) and Healthcare Research Compliance Certification (CHRC).
What education do you need to become a corporate compliance officer?
What degree do you need to be a corporate compliance officer?
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Master's, 22%
- Doctorate, 10%
- Associate, 10%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a corporate compliance officer?
- Business, 22%
- Law, 10%
- Nursing, 10%
- Accounting, 9%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for corporate compliance officers
| Corporate compliance officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 19.80% |
| New York University | 6.93% |
| University of Memphis | 5.94% |
| University of Connecticut | 4.95% |
| Temple University | 4.95% |
Best majors for corporate compliance officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 21.8% |
| 2 | Law | 10.3% |
| 3 | Nursing | 10.0% |
| 4 | Accounting | 8.7% |
| 5 | Psychology | 8.5% |
Best colleges for corporate compliance officers
The best colleges for corporate compliance officers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
A corporate compliance 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 corporate compliance 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 corporate compliance officers.
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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for corporate compliance officers
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15. 3-in-1 Banking, Banking Risk and Compliance Masterclass
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16. The Complete Guide To Anti Money Laundering (AML) Compliance
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17. AML Essentials: Anti Money Laundering, KYC and Compliance
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18. The Ultimate Guide to Money Laundering and AML Compliance
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19. AML Compliance in Practice: Suspicious Activity Reports
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20. Sanctions Compliance Bootcamp - Including AML/KYC Lectures
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Top 10 most affordable universities for corporate compliance officers
The most affordable schools for corporate compliance officers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for corporate compliance 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 corporate compliance officers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for corporate compliance officers
The hardest universities for corporate compliance officers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for corporate compliance 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 corporate compliance 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for corporate compliance officers
The easiest schools for corporate compliance officers to get into are Barry University, university of the incarnate word, and curry college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a corporate compliance 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 corporate compliance officers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
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. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
9. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
10. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
Average corporate compliance officer salary by education level
| Corporate compliance officer education level | Corporate compliance officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $100,005 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $70,826 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $88,666 |
| Doctorate Degree | $113,938 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $75,536 |
Corporate compliance officer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025