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District superintendent education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a district superintendent. District superintendents usually study business, theology, or educational leadership. 49% of district superintendents hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 147 real district superintendent resumes to see exactly what district superintendent education sections show.
The most common colleges for district superintendents are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online district superintendent courses to help get the education required to be a district superintendent.
What education do you need to become a district superintendent?
What degree do you need to be a district superintendent?
- Bachelor's, 49%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 13%
- Doctorate, 8%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a district superintendent?
Most common colleges for district superintendents
| District superintendent common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 7.69% |
| Empire College | 7.69% |
| University of the Virgin Islands | 7.69% |
| Loyola University New Orleans | 7.69% |
| Ohio University | 7.69% |
Best majors for district superintendents
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 15.0% |
| 2 | Theology | 13.8% |
| 3 | Educational Leadership | 12.5% |
| 4 | Education | 7.5% |
| 5 | Liberal Arts | 5.0% |
Best colleges for district superintendents
The best colleges for district superintendents are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A district superintendent with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for district superintendents. 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 district superintendents.
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. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
20 best online courses for district superintendents
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Top 10 most affordable universities for district superintendents
The most affordable schools for district superintendents are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for district superintendents 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 district superintendents.
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
10. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for district superintendents
The hardest universities for district superintendents to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for district superintendents 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 district superintendents 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for district superintendents
The easiest schools for district superintendents to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a district superintendent 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 district superintendents.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average district superintendent salary by education level
| District superintendent education level | District superintendent salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $135,937 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $102,452 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $120,615 |
| Doctorate Degree | $131,904 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $104,976 |
District superintendent education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025