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Government affairs specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a government affairs specialist. Government affairs specialists usually study political science, business, or law. 72% of government affairs specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 340 real government affairs specialist resumes to see exactly what government affairs specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for government affairs specialists are the Minnesota State University - Moorhead and the Minnesota State University - Moorhead.
There are also many online government affairs specialist courses to help get the education required to be a government affairs specialist.
What education do you need to become a government affairs specialist?
What degree do you need to be a government affairs specialist?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 5%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a government affairs specialist?
- Political Science, 23%
- Business, 17%
- Law, 6%
- Communication, 6%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for government affairs specialists
| Government affairs specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Minnesota State University - Moorhead | 9.80% |
| University of Phoenix | 9.80% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.84% |
| Georgetown University | 5.88% |
| University of Washington | 5.88% |
Best majors for government affairs specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Political Science | 23.2% |
| 2 | Business | 17.3% |
| 3 | Law | 6.5% |
| 4 | Communication | 5.9% |
| 5 | Psychology | 5.4% |
Best colleges for government affairs specialists
The best colleges for government affairs specialists are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
A government affairs specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for government affairs specialists. 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 government affairs specialists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
20 best online courses for government affairs specialists
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4. Pharmaceutical Industry Drug Regulatory Affairs (DRA)
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5. Risk governance: Manage the risks
All organisations must grapple with fundamental issues at the heart of governance: who are our stakeholders? What are their objectives? How can we ensure these objectives are met as effectively as possible? How can we ensure all legitimate stakeholders are treated fairly? Via structured learning activities (video lectures, quizzes, discussion prompts and written assessments) this course will teach you how to address these questions and how a sound governance structure and comprehensive risk...
6. Engineering Life: Synbio, Bioethics & Public Policy
Synbio is a diverse field with diverse applications, and the different contexts (e.g., gain-of-function research, biofuels) raise different ethical and governance challenges. The objective of this course is to increase learners’ awareness and understanding of ethical and policy/governance issues that arise in the design, conduct and application of synthetic biology. The course will begin with a short history of recombinant DNA technology and how governance of that science developed and evolved,...
7. The Constitution and American Government
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8. Data Governance - The Complete Course for Beginners
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9. Improving Leadership & Governance in Nonprofit Organizations
Identify and analyze leadership and governance issues, create practical ways to improve board performance and work with boards to implement these improvements.\n\nThis Specialization consists of three courses plus a Capstone Project: (1) Course 1 topics: The unique nature of the nonprofit sector in society; leadership in nonprofit organizations and the governance process. (2) Course 2 topics: The roles and responsibilities of nonprofit organization boards of directors and the challenges in...
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11. 4x1 Data Management/Governance/Security/Ethics Masterclass
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12. IT Governance: A Guide for IT Professionals
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13. Critical Issues in Urban Education
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15. Data Governance Fundamentals
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16. Certificate Course in Drug Regulatory Affairs (DRA)
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17. Learn Federal Government Contracting From An Expert
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18. Basic Governance for Board Members
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19. The Complete Guide to Corporate Governance
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20. AWS Security and Governance Administration for Professionals
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Top 10 most affordable universities for government affairs specialists
The most affordable schools for government affairs specialists are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for government affairs specialists 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 government affairs specialists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for government affairs specialists
The hardest universities for government affairs specialists to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for government affairs specialists 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 government affairs specialists 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
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for government affairs specialists
The easiest schools for government affairs specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a government affairs specialist 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 government affairs specialists.
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. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
Average government affairs specialist salary by education level
| Government affairs specialist education level | Government affairs specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,602 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $60,609 |
| Doctorate Degree | $69,736 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025