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Golf course superintendent education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a golf course superintendent. Golf course superintendents usually study applied horticulture, plant sciences, or business. 44% of golf course superintendents hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,492 real golf course superintendent resumes to see exactly what golf course superintendent education sections show.
The most common colleges for golf course superintendents are the Michigan State University and the Michigan State University.
There are also many online golf course superintendent courses to help get the education required to be a golf course superintendent.
What education do you need to become a golf course superintendent?
What degree do you need to be a golf course superintendent?
- Bachelor's, 44%
- Associate, 27%
- High School Diploma, 21%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a golf course superintendent?
- Applied Horticulture, 26%
- Plant Sciences, 16%
- Business, 15%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for golf course superintendents
| Golf course superintendent common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Michigan State University | 13.72% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 11.08% |
| Ohio State University | 10.82% |
| Mississippi State University | 6.07% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 5.01% |
Best majors for golf course superintendents
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Applied Horticulture | 26.3% |
| 2 | Plant Sciences | 15.6% |
| 3 | Business | 14.6% |
| 4 | Parks And Recreation Management | 4.9% |
| 5 | Management | 4.7% |
Best colleges for golf course superintendents
The best colleges for golf course superintendents are California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, Clemson University, and University of Florida.
A golf course superintendent with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for golf course superintendents. 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 golf course superintendents.
1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
3. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
4. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
In-state tuition
$15,374
Enrollment
19,564
5. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. Temple University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$16,970
Enrollment
28,965
8. Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$14,460
Enrollment
39,208
9. University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$18,499
Enrollment
12,668
10. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,360
Enrollment
3,142
20 best online courses for golf course superintendents
Advertising disclosure
1. Golf Course Management: Best Practices
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9. The Perfect Golf Swing - Timeless Golf Instruction
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10. Heat Exchangers: Design , Operation & Maintenance
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18. Cisco AppDynamics Application Performance Management (APM)
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19. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
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20. Mendix: Low-code Application Development Course
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Top 10 most affordable universities for golf course superintendents
The most affordable schools for golf course superintendents are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for golf course superintendents 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 golf course superintendents.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. Brigham Young University - Idaho
Rexburg, ID • Private
In-state tuition
$4,118
Cost of attendance
12,223
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. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. Eastern New Mexico University
Portales, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,326
Cost of attendance
17,330
10. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Cost of attendance
23,600
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for golf course superintendents
The hardest universities for golf course superintendents to get into are California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, Clemson University, and University of Florida.
Some great schools for golf course superintendents 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 golf course superintendents 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. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
2. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,362
4. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,336
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,269
7. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,291
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
Admissions rate
64%
SAT average
1,324
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,224
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for golf course superintendents
The easiest schools for golf course superintendents to get into are Wayland Baptist University, kean university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a golf course superintendent 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 golf course superintendents.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,070
5. Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
Lock Haven, PA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
1,020
6. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
7. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
8. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
9. Alabama State University
Montgomery, AL • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
972
10. Brigham Young University - Idaho
Rexburg, ID • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,140
Average golf course superintendent salary by education level
| Golf course superintendent education level | Golf course superintendent salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $36,304 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,798 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $39,835 |
Golf course superintendent education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common building and grounds maintenance questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025