You should study ethics as it enhances your ability to evaluate and resolve problems, and it can prepare you for several different careers. Studying ethics helps you to understand philosophical principles and how to apply these principles. This can be extremely beneficial for a variety of career paths.

Ethics manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an ethics manager. Ethics managers usually study business, accounting, or law. 61% of ethics managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 54 real ethics manager resumes to see exactly what ethics manager education sections show.

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

There are also many online ethics manager courses to help get the education required to be an ethics manager.

What education do you need to become an ethics manager?

What degree do you need to be an ethics manager?

The most common degree for ethics managers is bachelor's degree, with 61% of ethics managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 61%

Master's, 16%

Doctorate, 14%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an ethics manager?

You should major in business to become an ethics manager. 27% of ethics managers major in business. Other common majors for an ethics manager include accounting and law.

Business, 27%

Accounting, 8%

Law, 8%

Legal Studies, 5%

Other Majors, 52%

Most common colleges for ethics managers

Ethics managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Suffolk University, and University of Dayton. Here are the most common colleges for ethics managers in the US based on their resumes.

Ethics manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	13.04%
Suffolk University	8.70%
University of Dayton	4.35%
University of Southern Maine	4.35%
Purdue University	4.35%

Show more common ethics manager colleges

Best majors for ethics managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	27.0%
2	Accounting	8.1%
3	Law	8.1%
4	Legal Studies	5.4%
5	Electrical Engineering	5.4%

Show more common ethics manager majors

Best colleges for ethics managers

The best colleges for ethics managers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

An ethics manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for ethics managers. 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 ethics managers.

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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

10. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$49,042

Enrollment

5,131

20 best online courses for ethics managers

Advertising disclosure

1. What is Compliance?

Compliance isn’t only about preventing problems and ensuring that everyone is abiding by laws, rules, and regulations. It’s also about the positive impact a robust and ethical compliance program can have on a business or organization. In this course we will discuss why compliance is important – from the needs facing businesses in highly regulated industries to avoiding fines and penalties to preventing reputational and economic nightmares. We’ll examine real-world examples of compliance and...

2. Business Ethics: How to Create an Ethical Organization

4.5

(299)

Learn the 90 best practices for how to design ethical businesses and manage ethical organizations of high integrity...

3. ChatGPT / AI Ethics: Ethical Intelligence in an AI World

4.4

(887)

Making Ethical Decisions in the Age of Intelligent Machines...

4. Leadership Ethics and Integrity: A Comprehensive Guide!

4.5

(2,469)

Deep and Enlightening Insights, and Lessons, from the Research on Integrity, Ethics and Morality, for today's Leaders !...

5. Motivational Ethics

4.2

(549)

How To Be Successful And Stay Out Of Prison (The “How To” Course On Making Ethical Choices)...

6. 4x1 Data Management/Governance/Security/Ethics Masterclass

4.4

(533)

You'll learn about data literacy, Data Quality operations, Data Governance policies and Data Security/Privacy controls...

7. Certification Course in Human Resource Management

4.3

(1,337)

Curriculum commensurate to Top B School's Management Program : with downloadable resources, quiz, assessments & exercise...

8. The Complete Guide To Anti Money Laundering (AML) Compliance

4.4

(1,511)

What You Should Know about Anti Money Laundering (AML), AML Compliance, AML Policies, and Know Your Customer (KYC)...

9. Social Media Ethics

4.3

(1,564)

Just because you can tweet it, doesn't mean you should. Learn to do the right thing on social media...

10. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0

4.3

(312)

Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...

11. Privacy and Data Protection, Certified GDPR Compliance

4.4

(493)

From theory to practice (junior and less than 1 year experience level)...

12. ISO 37001. Anti-bribery management system

4.6

(1,493)

Learn how to prevent, detect or address bribery and how to build an anti-bribery culture in an organization...

13. AML Essentials: Anti Money Laundering, KYC and Compliance

4.4

(993)

Learn the Basics of Money Laundering, AML, Risk Based Approach, AML Compliance Programs, KYC, CDD, EDD, PEP, and more!...

14. Build Undetectable Malware Using C Language: Ethical Hacking

4.5

(1,235)

In This Advance Ethical Hacking Course You Will Learn How To Create Your Own Penetration Testing Tool With C Programming...

15. Informed Risk Taking: Risk Management Process - Analysis

4.5

(1,247)

Risk Management Strategies : Risk Analysis Techniques : Risk Management Principles : Risk Management Process : Methods...

16. Introduction to Compliance Risk Management CRM

4.1

(300)

Compliance risk management CRM for Compliance, Risk Management, Internal Audit and IS Security Professionals...

17. Ethics for Leaders: Understand Deception and Dishonesty!

4.4

(1,422)

Insights and Lessons, from the Science and Research, on Human Dishonesty and Deception, for Leaders and Managers !...

18. Compliance Training for Employees

4.6

(5,050)

Compliance: a simple, comprehensive and effective way to protect your company!...

19. Anti-Money Laundering Concepts: AML, KYC and Compliance

4.6

(10,510)

(Highest number of Students Enrolled) Anti-Money Laundering(AML), AML policies, AML KYC & AML Compliance...

20. HR 101: Compliance Made Easy - U.S. Employers Must Have

4.6

(1,606)

Streamline the most critical human resource (HR) processes and be in compliance with U.S. employment regulations...

Top 10 most affordable universities for ethics managers

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

If the best universities for ethics managers 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 ethics managers.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for ethics managers

The hardest universities for ethics managers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for ethics managers 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 ethics managers 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

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. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

10. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for ethics managers

The easiest schools for ethics managers to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an ethics manager 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 ethics managers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

Average ethics manager salary by education level

According to our data, ethics managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $170,310 annually. Ethics managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $161,685.

Ethics manager education level	Ethics manager salary
Master's Degree	$161,685
High School Diploma or Less	$116,676
Bachelor's Degree	$145,480
Doctorate Degree	$170,310
Some College/ Associate Degree	$122,140

Ethics manager education FAQs

Why study ethics?

What is the best college for Ethics Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

Search for ethics manager jobs

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

Browse executive management jobs