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Elementary school principal education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an elementary school principal. Elementary school principals usually study educational leadership, elementary education, or education. 48% of elementary school principals hold a bachelor's degree, and 39% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,573 real elementary school principal resumes to see exactly what elementary school principal education sections show.
The most common colleges for elementary school principals are the Temple University and the Temple University.
There are also many online elementary school principal courses to help get the education required to be an elementary school principal.
There are certain elementary school principal certifications that you should consider. These elementary school principal certifications include Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) and Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES).
What education do you need to become an elementary school principal?
What degree do you need to be an elementary school principal?
- Bachelor's, 48%
- Master's, 39%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an elementary school principal?
- Elementary Education, 21%
- Education, 17%
- Business, 4%
- Other Majors, 30%
Most common colleges for elementary school principals
| Elementary school principal common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Temple University | 8.28% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.51% |
| Capella University | 6.51% |
| University of Central Missouri | 5.92% |
| Florida State University | 5.92% |
Best majors for elementary school principals
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Educational Leadership | 28.5% |
| 2 | Elementary Education | 21.5% |
| 3 | Education | 17.2% |
| 4 | Business | 4.4% |
| 5 | Special Education | 4.1% |
Best colleges for elementary school principals
The best colleges for elementary school principals are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
An elementary school principal with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for elementary school principals. 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 elementary school principals.
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for elementary school principals
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This course provides those involved in educating members of the health professions an asynchronous, interdisciplinary, and interactive way to obtain, expand, and improve their teaching skills. These skills can then be applied within their own professional context, with a variety of learners, extending across many stages. After completing this course, learners will: 1. Understand educational theory as it relates to health professions education 2. Match instructional methods with desired...
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15. Basic English Grammar & Structures A1-A2 Elementary Level
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16. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)
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18. Algebra 2 & Trigonometry: A Complete High School Curriculum
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20. The complete Instructional Designer course
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Top 10 most affordable universities for elementary school principals
The most affordable schools for elementary school principals are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for elementary school principals 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 elementary school principals.
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for elementary school principals
The hardest universities for elementary school principals to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for elementary school principals 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 elementary school principals 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for elementary school principals
The easiest schools for elementary school principals to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an elementary school principal 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 elementary school principals.
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. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
Average elementary school principal salary by education level
| Elementary school principal education level | Elementary school principal salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $104,455 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $91,078 |
| Doctorate Degree | $114,995 |
Elementary school principal education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025