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Head coach education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a head coach. Head coaches usually study kinesiology, business, or health education. 73% of head coaches hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 21,897 real head coach resumes to see exactly what head coach education sections show.
The most common colleges for head coaches are the California State University - San Bernardino and the California State University - San Bernardino.
There are also many online head coach courses to help get the education required to be a head coach.
There are certain head coach certifications that you should consider. These head coach certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Master Certified Coach (MCC).
What education do you need to become a head coach?
What degree do you need to be a head coach?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a head coach?
- Kinesiology, 17%
- Business, 14%
- Health Education, 9%
- Psychology, 7%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for head coaches
| Head coach common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.27% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.18% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.08% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 5.89% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.69% |
Best majors for head coaches
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 17.1% |
| 2 | Business | 14.0% |
| 3 | Health Education | 9.3% |
| 4 | Psychology | 7.5% |
| 5 | Education | 5.8% |
Best colleges for head coaches
The best colleges for head coaches are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
A head coach with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for head coaches. 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 head coaches.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
10. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
20 best online courses for head coaches
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Top 10 most affordable universities for head coaches
The most affordable schools for head coaches are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for head coaches 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 head coaches.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for head coaches
The hardest universities for head coaches to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for head coaches 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 head coaches 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
10. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for head coaches
The easiest schools for head coaches to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a head coach 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 head coaches.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average head coach salary by education level
| Head coach education level | Head coach salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $46,910 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $41,283 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,118 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $42,860 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025