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Event planning assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an event planning assistant. Event planning assistants usually study communication, business, or marketing. 74% of event planning assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,466 real event planning assistant resumes to see exactly what event planning assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for event planning assistants are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

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

What education do you need to become an event planning assistant?

What degree do you need to be an event planning assistant?

The most common degree for event planning assistants is bachelor's degree, with 74% of event planning assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 10% and associate degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Associate, 10%
  • Master's, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an event planning assistant?

You should major in communication to become an event planning assistant. 17% of event planning assistants major in communication. Other common majors for an event planning assistant include business and marketing.

Most common colleges for event planning assistants

Event planning assistants often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, Georgia State University, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for event planning assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Event planning assistant common collegePercentages
Pennsylvania State University7.14%
Georgia State University7.14%
Florida State University6.35%
Michigan State University5.56%
Florida International University5.56%

Best majors for event planning assistants

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication17.1%
2Business16.4%
3Marketing7.6%
4Hospitality Management7.3%
5Psychology6.8%

Best colleges for event planning assistants

The best colleges for event planning assistants are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.

An event planning assistant 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 planning assistants. 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 planning assistants.

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for event planning assistants

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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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Top 10 most affordable universities for event planning assistants

The most affordable schools for event planning assistants are California State University - Long Beach, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for event planning assistants 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 planning assistants.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for event planning assistants

The hardest universities for event planning assistants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.

Some great schools for event planning assistants 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 planning assistants 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for event planning assistants

The easiest schools for event planning assistants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an event planning assistant 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 planning assistants.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. American International College

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,010

Average event planning assistant salary by education level

According to our data, event planning assistants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $32,929 annually. Event planning assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $32,896.
Event planning assistant education levelEvent planning assistant salary
Master's Degree$32,929
High School Diploma or Less$28,968
Bachelor's Degree$32,896
Some College/ Associate Degree$30,647

Event planning assistant 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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