Corporate event planner education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a corporate event planner. Corporate event planners usually study business, communication, or marketing. 77% of corporate event planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 512 real corporate event planner resumes to see exactly what corporate event planner education sections show.

The most common colleges for corporate event planners are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

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

What education do you need to become a corporate event planner?

What degree do you need to be a corporate event planner?

The most common degree for corporate event planners is bachelor's degree, with 77% of corporate event planners earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 10% and associate degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 77%

Associate, 10%

Master's, 6%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a corporate event planner?

You should major in business to become a corporate event planner. 24% of corporate event planners major in business. Other common majors for a corporate event planner include communication and marketing.

Business, 24%

Communication, 15%

Marketing, 13%

Psychology, 5%

Other Majors, 43%

Most common colleges for corporate event planners

Corporate event planners often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, University of Iowa, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for corporate event planners in the US based on their resumes.

Corporate event planner common college	Percentages
University of California - Davis	7.14%
University of Iowa	7.14%
University of Maryland - College Park	7.14%
University of South Carolina - Columbia	5.71%
Chicago State University	5.71%

Show more common corporate event planner colleges

Best majors for corporate event planners

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	24.1%
2	Communication	15.5%
3	Marketing	13.4%
4	Psychology	5.5%
5	Hospitality Management	4.8%

Show more common corporate event planner majors

Best colleges for corporate event planners

The best colleges for corporate event planners are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.

A corporate event planner 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 event planners. 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 event planners.

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for corporate event planners

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Top 10 most affordable universities for corporate event planners

The most affordable schools for corporate event planners are California State University - Long Beach, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for corporate event planners 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 event planners.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

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 event planners

The hardest universities for corporate event planners to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.

Some great schools for corporate event planners 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 event planners 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for corporate event planners

The easiest schools for corporate event planners to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a corporate event planner 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 event planners.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. American International College

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,010

Average corporate event planner salary by education level

Corporate event planners with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $54,045 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, corporate event planners earn a median annual income of $53,990 compared to $50,227 for corporate event planners with an Associate degree.

Corporate event planner education level	Corporate event planner salary
Master's Degree	$54,045
High School Diploma or Less	$47,421
Bachelor's Degree	$53,990
Some College/ Associate Degree	$50,227

Corporate event planner education FAQs

What is the best college for Corporate Event Planners?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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