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Governor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a governor. Governors usually study political science, business, or communication. 71% of governors hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 681 real governor resumes to see exactly what governor education sections show.
The most common colleges for governors are the University of Connecticut and the University of Connecticut.
There are also many online governor courses to help get the education required to be a governor.
What education do you need to become a governor?
What degree do you need to be a governor?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a governor?
- Political Science, 22%
- Business, 15%
- Communication, 8%
- Psychology, 8%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for governors
| Governor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Connecticut | 8.86% |
| Edinboro University of Pennsylvania | 6.33% |
| University of Southern California | 6.33% |
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | 6.33% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.33% |
Best majors for governors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Political Science | 21.8% |
| 2 | Business | 15.3% |
| 3 | Communication | 8.4% |
| 4 | Psychology | 7.6% |
| 5 | Economics | 4.6% |
Best colleges for governors
The best colleges for governors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
A governor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for governors. 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 governors.
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for governors
Advertising disclosure
1. 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,...
2. The Art and Science of Economic Policy
Economic policy affects every citizen. And economic policymaking is best done as a collaborative process with a wide range of stakeholders. This course brings an understanding of the relevance and impacts of economic policymaking in everyday life, and the ways for citizens to be involved in shaping economic policy, in an accessible and interesting manner. Taught by Dr. Vijay Kelkar and Dr. Ajay Shah, along with Aromar Revi, Director, IIHS, the course synthesises more than one hundred years of...
3. Master Public Policy Analysis: Advanced
Learn Advanced Policy Analysis Concepts and Practice For The Real World!...
4. Master Public Policy Analysis In Six Easy Steps: The Basics
An Introduction to Policy Analysis Concepts and Practice For The Real World!...
5. Breastfeeding: Public Health Perspectives
Engaging in this course will provide you with the opportunity to think about breastfeeding and its public health implications. The Socio-Ecological Model will be the framework of the course as we think about how each level of the Model (individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and public policy) impacts breastfeeding practices in the United States, and globally. Through short video lectures you will be introduced to relevant topics related to the public health perspectives of...
6. Justice and Equity in Technology Policy
More than ever, technology is shaping, and being shaped by, public policy. This has an enormous impact, particularly for marginalized communities. The artificial intelligence and computer algorithms increasingly driving government and industry decisions—from the allocation of social services to hiring—are reflecting and reinforcing social biases towards women, people of color, and disabled people, among others. Global climate change is having a disproportionately negative impact on low- and...
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Public relations to reach 100,000+ people with influencer marketing, publicity, and press coverage for personal branding...
9. Trade & investment: evidence-based policies for development
This MOOC prepares students that want to analyse trade and investment policies of developing countries and emerging markets. We couch you for the task of giving evidence-based policy. For students interested in policy advise the course brings a sound understanding of what can and what cannot be done with well-established theories and state-of-the-art research. For students interested in research the asset of this course is to learn how to effectively communicate research findings in a policy...
10. Global Energy and Climate Policy
The Global Energy and Climate Policy course offers an introduction to the theoretical and practical understanding of how energy and climate change policies are designed, shaped, advocated and implemented. As energy markets go truly global, domestic energy policies are becoming more and more entangled with wider issues of international governance. Concurrently, the urgent need to mitigate and adapt to climate change and transition to a low-carbon future is adding a further layer of complexity...
11. 4x1 Data Management/Governance/Security/Ethics Masterclass
You'll learn about data literacy, Data Quality operations, Data Governance policies and Data Security/Privacy controls...
12. 2017 Great Decisions: Foreign Policy Association
Learn about leading foreign policy challenges confronting U.S. policy makers and the American public...
13. Power and Foreign Policy in International Relations
Welcome to the Power and Foreign Policy in International Relations course! This course acquaints you with how power matters in the conduct of international relations and how it affects the strategies and tactics of a nation-state in dealing with other nation-states. It demonstrates the link between a country’s ranking in the international system and the means and methods it adopts to deal with the rest of the world. The course begins with introducing a few concepts about what constitutes power...
14. Systems Thinking In Public Health
This course provides an introduction to systems thinking and systems models in public health. Problems in public health and health policy tend to be complex with many actors, institutions and risk factors involved. If an outcome depends on many interacting and adaptive parts and actors the outcome cannot be analyzed or predicted with traditional statistical methods. Systems thinking is a core skill in public health and helps health policymakers build programs and policies that are aware of and...
15. Data Governance Fundamentals
A framework for leveraging your data...
16. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications
Public Relations: You Can Shape and Control Your Media Messages at The Worst Possible Times...
17. Data Governance with Databricks
Data Governance with Databricks is a meticulously designed course to help you understand and implement efficient data governance in your organization. The course begins by familiarizing you with the key principles of data governance and the role of Databricks in facilitating effective governance of data. This is followed by a deep dive into the core components of data governance such as frameworks, policies, roles, and regulatory considerations, as well as data quality and metadata management...
18. How Technology is Shaping Democracy and the 2020 Election
Democracy can only thrive with the participation of well-informed citizens. The 2020 U.S. presidential election will be historic for many reasons and all parties are leveraging the power of technology to both influence and mobilize voters. More than ever, digital tools and platforms are shaping the opinions and behaviors of voters who will determine the future of the governance of the United States. This new course examines the unprecedented influence of technology and technology policy on...
19. Data Governance - The Complete Course for Beginners
Make yourself standout in meetings about Data Governance. Learn everything that the experts know about Data Governance...
20. Public Speaking for Beginners
Public Speaking Skills Developed From Scratch, in Little Time...
Top 10 most affordable universities for governors
The most affordable schools for governors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for governors 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 governors.
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for governors
The hardest universities for governors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for governors 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 governors 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 Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for governors
The easiest schools for governors to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a governor 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 governors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average governor salary by education level
| Governor education level | Governor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $85,112 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $48,419 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,321 |
| Doctorate Degree | $98,201 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $48,746 |
Governor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025