Dean education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a dean. Deans usually study business, psychology, or education. 52% of deans hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 6,982 real dean resumes to see exactly what dean education sections show.

The most common colleges for deans are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online dean courses to help get the education required to be a dean.

There are certain dean certifications that you should consider. These dean certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and First Aid Certification.

What education do you need to become a dean?

What degree do you need to be a dean?

The most common degree for deans is bachelor's degree, with 52% of deans earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 52%

Master's, 16%

Associate, 11%

Doctorate, 8%

Other Degrees, 13%

What should I major in to become a dean?

You should major in business to become a dean. 19% of deans major in business. Other common majors for a dean include psychology and education.

Business, 19%

Psychology, 7%

Education, 7%

Nursing, 6%

Other Majors, 61%

Most common colleges for deans

Deans often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Boston University, and American University. Here are the most common colleges for deans in the US based on their resumes.

Dean common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	9.80%
Boston University	8.91%
American University	8.69%
New York University	6.01%
University of Florida	6.01%

Show more common dean colleges

Best majors for deans

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	18.9%
2	Psychology	6.7%
3	Education	6.7%
4	Nursing	6.0%
5	Political Science	5.9%

Show more common dean majors

Best colleges for deans

The best colleges for deans are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

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

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for deans

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Top 10 most affordable universities for deans

The most affordable schools for deans are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for deans 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 deans.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for deans

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

Some great schools for deans 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 deans 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for deans

The easiest schools for deans to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a dean 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 deans.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average dean salary by education level

According to our data, deans with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $124,066 annually. Deans with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $105,760.

Dean education level	Dean salary
Master's Degree	$105,760
Bachelor's Degree	$84,343
Doctorate Degree	$124,066

Dean education FAQs

What is the best college for Deans?

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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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