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Division head education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a division head. Division heads usually study business, finance, or accounting. 59% of division heads hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,464 real division head resumes to see exactly what division head education sections show.

The most common colleges for division heads are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.

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

There are certain division head certifications that you should consider. These division head certifications include Certified Manager Certification (CM) and Certified Economic Developer (CEcD).

What education do you need to become a division head?

What degree do you need to be a division head?

The most common degree for division heads is bachelor's degree, with 59% of division heads earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 23% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 59%
  • Master's, 23%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a division head?

You should major in business to become a division head. 22% of division heads major in business. Other common majors for a division head include finance and accounting.

Most common colleges for division heads

Division heads often get their degrees at University of Maryland - College Park, National University, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for division heads in the US based on their resumes.
Division head common collegePercentages
University of Maryland - College Park13.04%
National University6.96%
New York University6.09%
San Diego State University6.09%
University of Florida5.22%

Best majors for division heads

RankMajorPercentages
1Business22.0%
2Finance8.5%
3Accounting6.5%
4Political Science6.3%
5Economics6.1%

Best colleges for division heads

The best colleges for division heads are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

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

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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

20 best online courses for division heads

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Top 10 most affordable universities for division heads

The most affordable schools for division heads are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for division heads 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 division heads.

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for division heads

The hardest universities for division heads to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for division heads 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 division heads 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for division heads

The easiest schools for division heads to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a division head 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 division heads.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

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. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average division head salary by education level

According to our data, division heads with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $174,866 annually. Division heads with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $165,806.
Division head education levelDivision head salary
Master's Degree$174,866
High School Diploma or Less$106,106
Bachelor's Degree$141,567
Doctorate Degree$165,806
Some College/ Associate Degree$110,768

Division head 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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