Government contractor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a government contractor. Government contractors usually study business, accounting, or criminal justice. 54% of government contractors hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,308 real government contractor resumes to see exactly what government contractor education sections show.

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

There are also many online government contractor courses to help get the education required to be a government contractor.

What education do you need to become a government contractor?

What degree do you need to be a government contractor?

The most common degree for government contractors is bachelor's degree, with 54% of government contractors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 54%

Associate, 21%

Master's, 11%

High School Diploma, 9%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a government contractor?

You should major in business to become a government contractor. 32% of government contractors major in business. Other common majors for a government contractor include accounting and criminal justice.

Business, 32%

Accounting, 12%

Criminal Justice, 7%

Political Science, 4%

Other Majors, 45%

Most common colleges for government contractors

Government contractors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for government contractors in the US based on their resumes.

Government contractor common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	17.30%
Strayer University	11.42%
University of Maryland - College Park	10.73%
George Mason University	8.30%
American University	5.88%

Show more common government contractor colleges

Best majors for government contractors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	32.4%
2	Accounting	11.6%
3	Criminal Justice	6.9%
4	Political Science	4.4%
5	General Studies	4.0%

Show more common government contractor majors

Best colleges for government contractors

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

A government contractor 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 contractors. 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 contractors.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

7. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for government contractors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for government contractors

The most affordable schools for government contractors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for government contractors 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 contractors.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for government contractors

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

Some great schools for government contractors 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 contractors 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for government contractors

The easiest schools for government contractors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and university of north texas at dallas.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a government contractor 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 contractors.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

Average government contractor salary by education level

Government contractors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $91,328 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, government contractors earn a median annual income of $85,316 compared to $83,358 for government contractors with an Doctorate degree.

Government contractor education level	Government contractor salary
Master's Degree	$91,328
High School Diploma or Less	$70,180
Bachelor's Degree	$85,316
Doctorate Degree	$83,358
Some College/ Associate Degree	$73,484

Government contractor education FAQs

What is the best college for Government Contractors?

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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