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Group Leader Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a group leader. Group leaders usually study business, psychology, or criminal justice. 56% of group leaders hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 49,139 real group leader resumes to see exactly what group leader education sections show.

The most common colleges for group leaders are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online group leader courses to help get the education required to be a group leader.

There are certain group leader certifications that you should consider. These group leader certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and OSHA Safety Certificate .

What education do you need to become a group leader?

What degree do you need to be a group leader?

The most common degree for group leaders is bachelor's degree, with 56% of group leaders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 56%
  • Associate, 15%
  • High School Diploma, 13%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a group leader?

You should major in business to become a group leader. 20% of group leaders major in business. Other common majors for a group leader include psychology and criminal justice.

Most common colleges for group leaders

Group leaders often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Pennsylvania State University, and Monroe College. Here are the most common colleges for group leaders in the US based on their resumes.
Group Leader Common CollegePercentages
University of Phoenix13.01%
Pennsylvania State University6.75%
Monroe College5.85%
Liberty University5.81%
City College of New York of the City University of New York, The5.67%

Best majors for group leaders

RankMajorPercentages
1Business19.6%
2Psychology12.7%
3Criminal Justice5.7%
4Liberal Arts4.6%
5Biology4.4%

Best colleges for group leaders

The best colleges for group leaders are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A group leader with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for group leaders. 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 group leaders.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,092

Enrollment

1,216

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. University of Alaska Anchorage

Anchorage, AK • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,580

Enrollment

10,482

6. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-State Tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

20 best online courses for group leaders

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1. How to foster conversation in Facebook community groups

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In this guided project, you will learn about Facebook community groups and how to build effective communities, learn how to create your own community group, learn how improve your group engagement, learn how to create meaningful conversation in your community group and how to avoid mistakes. By the end of this project, you will have learned about the importance of using community groups, build your own community group, and make your group powerful to increase engagement...

2. Retail Customer Service

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The Retail Customer Service course examines the day-to-day tasks that will be tackled in a retail customer service setting, including advanced skills such as returns and exchanges. You will apply guidelines for transactions such as sales, returns, exchanges, and data entry for customer information in real simulations. You will also observe the skills within a retail community location, evaluating the types of tasks observed and shared with a group of peers. You will complete sample transactions...

3. Active Directory & Group Policy Administration for IT Techs

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Active Directory & Group Policy Administration Basics for Helpdesk and Desktop / IT Support Technicians...

4. Mastering Group Policy on Windows Server

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An IT person's guide to managing Active Directory Users and Computers with Group Policy...

5. Active Directory & Group Policy Lab

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Learn REAL job skills and stack your resume with the experience you will gain in this course!...

6. Group Discussion Strategies

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Group Discussion helps understand a subject more deeply and improves the ability to think critically...

7. Group Life Coaching Certification (Accredited)

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Training for life coaches who want to grow their business through offering life coaching groups...

8. Active Directory on Windows Server

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9. Group Life Coach Practitioner Certification (ACCREDITED)

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Discover the power of helping more people at once through the process of Group Life Coaching & become Fully Accredited...

10. Abstract Algebra: Group Theory with the Math Sorcerer

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11. Active Directory and Windows Server 40+ Hour with Labs

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13. Azure Active Directory Masterclass

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Learn to be a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on Azure Active Directory...

14. Accredited Group Chakra Healing Practitioner Professional

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Learn everything you need to know to offer Chakra Healing events as a Group Healing Practitioner - the complete business...

15. Simply Jesus: Small Group Edition

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A Walk Through the Life and Times of Jesus...

16. [Active Directory] Management using Windows PowerShell

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[Power Shell] Simplified practical knowledge for automation & management of [Active Directory] using Windows Power Shell...

17. Azure - Active Directory

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4.1
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Learn Azure as it pertains to Active Directory...

18. TOTAL: Active Directory with Windows Server 2016

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4.6
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Identity, Access, and Authentication with Microsoft AD and Identity with Windows Server 2016...

19. Start Improving Customer Service

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(2,040)

Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...

20. Paul and His Letter to the Philippians: Small Group Edition

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4.8
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Join Prof. N.T. Wright to study one of the most joyful and delightful books in the New Testament...

Top 10 most affordable universities for group leaders

The most affordable schools for group leaders are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for group leaders 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 group leaders.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Cost of Attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Cost of Attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,262

Cost of Attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,942

Cost of Attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,240

Cost of Attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,620

Cost of Attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,238

Cost of Attendance

21,567

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,587

Cost of Attendance

13,043

9. University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,092

Cost of Attendance

16,853

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Cost of Attendance

22,990

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for group leaders

The hardest universities for group leaders to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for group leaders 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 group leaders 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions Rate

8%

SAT Average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

8%

SAT Average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

22%

SAT Average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

20%

SAT Average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

13%

SAT Average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

29%

SAT Average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

43%

SAT Average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

40%

SAT Average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

31%

SAT Average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for group leaders

The easiest schools for group leaders to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a group leader 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 group leaders.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions Rate

68%

SAT Average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

82%

SAT Average

983

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. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

83%

SAT Average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

98%

SAT Average

999

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions Rate

94%

SAT Average

979

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

100%

SAT Average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions Rate

97%

SAT Average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions Rate

96%

SAT Average

1,139

Average group leader salary by education level

According to our data, group leaders with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $131,438 annually. Group leaders with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $122,125.
Group Leader education levelGroup Leader salary
Master's Degree$131,438
High School Diploma or Less$93,872
Bachelor's Degree$122,125
Some College/ Associate Degree$111,003

Group Leader Education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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