Event planner education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an event planner. Event planners usually study business, communication, or marketing. 70% of event planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 14,932 real event planner resumes to see exactly what event planner education sections show.

The most common colleges for event planners are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online event planner courses to help get the education required to be an event planner.

There are certain event planner certifications that you should consider. These event planner certifications include Certified Wedding and Event Planner (CWP) and Certified Planning Engineer (CPE).

What education do you need to become an event planner?

What degree do you need to be an event planner?

The most common degree for event planners is bachelor's degree, with 70% of event planners earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Associate, 14%

High School Diploma, 6%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an event planner?

You should major in business to become an event planner. 22% of event planners major in business. Other common majors for an event planner include communication and marketing.

Business, 22%

Communication, 14%

Marketing, 8%

Psychology, 7%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for event planners

Event planners often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and Johnson & Wales University. Here are the most common colleges for event planners in the US based on their resumes.

Event planner common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	10.86%
New York University	7.38%
Johnson & Wales University	6.66%
University of Central Florida	6.66%
Temple University	5.23%

Show more common event planner colleges

Best majors for event planners

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	22.5%
2	Communication	14.0%
3	Marketing	8.1%
4	Psychology	6.8%
5	Hospitality Management	6.8%

Show more common event planner majors

Best colleges for event planners

The best colleges for event planners are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.

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

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

2. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

6. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for event planners

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3. Successful Events: Event Planning, Marketing & Management

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(2,141)

Create a single successful event or event-series with effective event promotion, planning, management, and monetization...

4. The Ultimate Guide to Professional Event Planning Management

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Learn techniques to become an amazing event planner. You'll get all the skills you need for event management & planning...

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15. Selling Sponsorships for Meetings, Events & Nonprofits

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16. Microsoft 365 Planner - Beginner

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20. Executive Travel Planning for Virtual Assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for event planners

The most affordable schools for event planners are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for event planners 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 event planners.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for event planners

The hardest universities for event planners to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.

Some great schools for event planners 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 event planners 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. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for event planners

The easiest schools for event planners to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an event planner 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 event planners.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

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. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average event planner salary by education level

Event planners with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $51,873 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, event planners earn a median annual income of $51,823 compared to $48,389 for event planners with an Associate degree.

Event planner education level	Event planner salary
Master's Degree	$51,873
High School Diploma or Less	$45,821
Bachelor's Degree	$51,823
Some College/ Associate Degree	$48,389

Event planner education FAQs

What is the best college for Event Planners?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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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

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