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Donor relations officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a donor relations officer. Donor relations officers usually study business, political science, or hospitality management. 70% of donor relations officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,176 real donor relations officer resumes to see exactly what donor relations officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for donor relations officers are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online donor relations officer courses to help get the education required to be a donor relations officer.
What education do you need to become a donor relations officer?
What degree do you need to be a donor relations officer?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 7%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a donor relations officer?
- Business, 16%
- Communication, 7%
- Other Majors, 62%
Most common colleges for donor relations officers
| Donor relations officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 10.48% |
| University of Cincinnati | 8.57% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.62% |
| Florida International University | 6.67% |
| National University | 4.76% |
Best majors for donor relations officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 16.0% |
| 2 | Political Science | 7.9% |
| 3 | Hospitality Management | 7.4% |
| 4 | Communication | 7.1% |
| 5 | English | 6.6% |
Best colleges for donor relations officers
The best colleges for donor relations officers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
A donor relations 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 donor relations 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 donor relations officers.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,369
Enrollment
5,229
10. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
20 best online courses for donor relations officers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for donor relations officers
The most affordable schools for donor relations officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.
If the best universities for donor relations 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 donor relations 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. 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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for donor relations officers
The hardest universities for donor relations officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
Some great schools for donor relations 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 donor relations 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for donor relations officers
The easiest schools for donor relations officers to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a donor relations 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 donor relations officers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average donor relations officer salary by education level
| Donor relations officer education level | Donor relations officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,862 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,553 |
Donor relations officer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025