Executive education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an executive. Executives usually study business, marketing, or communication. 61% of executives hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 33,052 real executive resumes to see exactly what executive education sections show.

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

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

There are certain executive certifications that you should consider. These executive certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

What education do you need to become an executive?

What degree do you need to be an executive?

The most common degree for executives is bachelor's degree, with 61% of executives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 61%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become an executive?

You should major in business to become an executive. 29% of executives major in business. Other common majors for an executive include marketing and communication.

Business, 29%

Marketing, 6%

Communication, 6%

Accounting, 6%

Other Majors, 53%

Most common colleges for executives

Executives often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and Michigan State University. Here are the most common colleges for executives in the US based on their resumes.

Executive common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	15.38%
New York University	6.83%
Michigan State University	5.74%
University of Maryland - College Park	5.30%
Pennsylvania State University	5.30%

Show more common executive colleges

Best majors for executives

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	28.6%
2	Marketing	6.5%
3	Communication	5.8%
4	Accounting	5.6%
5	Finance	5.2%

Show more common executive majors

Best colleges for executives

The best colleges for executives are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

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

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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for executives

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Top 10 most affordable universities for executives

The most affordable schools for executives are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for executives 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 executives.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for executives

The hardest universities for executives to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for executives 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 executives 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for executives

The easiest schools for executives to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an executive 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 executives.

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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

9. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average executive salary by education level

According to our data, executives with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $125,300 annually. Executives with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $125,280.

Executive education level	Executive salary
Master's Degree	$125,300
Bachelor's Degree	$114,258
Doctorate Degree	$125,280
Some College/ Associate Degree	$86,956

Executive education FAQs

What is the best college for Executives?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management 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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