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Fundraising officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fundraising officer. Fundraising officers usually study business, psychology, or marketing. 76% of fundraising officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 165 real fundraising officer resumes to see exactly what fundraising officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for fundraising officers are the Bridgewater State University and the Bridgewater State University.
There are also many online fundraising officer courses to help get the education required to be a fundraising officer.
What education do you need to become a fundraising officer?
What degree do you need to be a fundraising officer?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 7%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a fundraising officer?
- Business, 15%
- Psychology, 8%
- Marketing, 8%
- Other Majors, 62%
Most common colleges for fundraising officers
| Fundraising officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bridgewater State University | 8.33% |
| Louisiana State University and A&M College | 5.56% |
| University of Houston | 5.56% |
| University of California - Davis | 5.56% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 5.56% |
Best majors for fundraising officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 15.5% |
| 2 | Psychology | 8.3% |
| 3 | Marketing | 8.3% |
| 4 | Political Science | 7.1% |
| 5 | Management | 6.0% |
Best colleges for fundraising officers
The best colleges for fundraising officers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
A fundraising officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for fundraising officers. 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 fundraising officers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,440
Enrollment
7,039
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for fundraising officers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fundraising officers
The most affordable schools for fundraising officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for fundraising officers 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 fundraising officers.
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 - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fundraising officers
The hardest universities for fundraising officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
Some great schools for fundraising officers 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 fundraising officers 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. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Tulane University
New Orleans, LA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,428
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fundraising officers
The easiest schools for fundraising officers to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fundraising officer 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 fundraising officers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
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. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average fundraising officer salary by education level
| Fundraising officer education level | Fundraising officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $109,343 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $100,576 |
Fundraising officer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025