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Corporate ethics officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a corporate ethics officer. Corporate ethics officers usually study education, business, or marketing. 63% of corporate ethics officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 8 real corporate ethics officer resumes to see exactly what corporate ethics officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for corporate ethics officers are the University of Miami and the University of Miami.

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

What education do you need to become a corporate ethics officer?

What degree do you need to be a corporate ethics officer?

The most common degree for corporate ethics officers is bachelor's degree, with 63% of corporate ethics officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 25% and doctoral degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Doctorate, 25%
  • Master's, 13%

What should I major in to become a corporate ethics officer?

You should major in education to become a corporate ethics officer. 25% of corporate ethics officers major in education. Other common majors for a corporate ethics officer include business and marketing.

Most common colleges for corporate ethics officers

Corporate ethics officers often get their degrees at University of Miami, Washington and Lee University, and Ohio University. Here are the most common colleges for corporate ethics officers in the US based on their resumes.
Corporate ethics officer common collegePercentages
University of Miami12.50%
Washington and Lee University12.50%
Ohio University12.50%
Saint Cloud State University12.50%
Harvard University12.50%

Best majors for corporate ethics officers

RankMajorPercentages
1Education25.0%
2Business25.0%
3Marketing12.5%
4Accounting12.5%
5Law12.5%

Best colleges for corporate ethics officers

The best colleges for corporate ethics officers are Georgetown University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

A corporate ethics 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 ethics 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 ethics officers.

1. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

2. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Enrollment

14,629

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

20 best online courses for corporate ethics officers

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1. What is Compliance?

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Welcome to the Specialization in Ethical Leadership! Over the course of a few months, we aim to help you understand how to “Grow the Good in Business” through leadership centered in personal integrity, conviction, and values. Corporate culture is often criticized for valuing short-term gains over long-term growth and concern for others. At Notre Dame, our approach integrates ethical, social, and environmental issues into traditional business courses. Our aim is to equip you with...

3. Business Ethics: How to Create an Ethical Organization

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Learn the 90 best practices for how to design ethical businesses and manage ethical organizations of high integrity...

4. Build Powerful Compliance Programs & Prevent Corporate Fraud

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

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6. Compliance Training for Employees

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

7. Professional Diploma in Office Administration Management

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8. Full Ethical Hacking & Penetration Testing Course Ethical

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9. Social Media Ethics

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Just because you can tweet it, doesn't mean you should. Learn to do the right thing on social media...

10. ChatGPT / AI Ethics: Ethical Intelligence in an AI World

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Making Ethical Decisions in the Age of Intelligent Machines...

11. Leadership Ethics and Integrity: A Comprehensive Guide!

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13. Motivational Ethics

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How To Be Successful And Stay Out Of Prison (The “How To” Course On Making Ethical Choices)...

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Ethical Hacking course and Penetration Testing incl. Metasploit, Password Cracking, Web Hacking, Phishing, NMAP, Nessus...

15. Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking Complete Hands-on

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Ethical Hacking, Penetration Testing (Pentest+), Bug Bounty, Metasploit & Free Hacking Tools as Nmap for ethical hacker...

16. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Compliance

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17. Business Fundamentals: Corporate Strategy

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18. Real Ethical Hacking in 43 Hours: Certificated CSEH+CEH 2023

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19. 4x1 Data Management/Governance/Security/Ethics Masterclass

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You'll learn about data literacy, Data Quality operations, Data Governance policies and Data Security/Privacy controls...

20. Introduction to Compliance Risk Management CRM

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

Top 10 most affordable universities for corporate ethics officers

The most affordable schools for corporate ethics officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, florida international university, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for corporate ethics 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 ethics officers.

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. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. Brigham Young University - Hawaii

Laie, HI • Private

In-state tuition

$5,560

Cost of attendance

18,043

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for corporate ethics officers

The hardest universities for corporate ethics officers to get into are Georgetown University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for corporate ethics 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 ethics 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. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for corporate ethics officers

The easiest schools for corporate ethics officers to get into are Barry University, university of north texas at dallas, and cardinal stritch university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a corporate ethics 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 ethics officers.

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. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. American International College

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,010

Average corporate ethics officer salary by education level

Corporate ethics officers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $102,037 annually. With a Master's degree, corporate ethics officers earn a median annual income of $98,976 compared to $83,505 for corporate ethics officers with an Bachelor's degree.
Corporate ethics officer education levelCorporate ethics officer salary
Master's Degree$98,976
Bachelor's Degree$83,505
Doctorate Degree$102,037
Some College/ Associate Degree$65,200

Corporate ethics officer 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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