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Head of ethics and compliance education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a head of ethics and compliance. Heads of ethics and compliance usually study law, business, or finance. 55% of heads of ethics and compliance hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 163 real head of ethics and compliance resumes to see exactly what head of ethics and compliance education sections show.
The most common colleges for heads of ethics and compliance are the Santa Clara University and the Santa Clara University.
There are also many online head of ethics and compliance courses to help get the education required to be a head of ethics and compliance.
What education do you need to become a head of ethics and compliance?
What degree do you need to be a head of ethics and compliance?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Master's, 27%
- Doctorate, 13%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a head of ethics and compliance?
- Law, 19%
- Business, 16%
- Finance, 14%
- Accounting, 11%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for heads of ethics and compliance
| Head of ethics and compliance common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Santa Clara University | 11.11% |
| George Washington University, The | 7.41% |
| Baruch College of the City University of New York | 7.41% |
| University of Cincinnati | 7.41% |
| Brandeis University | 7.41% |
Best majors for heads of ethics and compliance
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law | 19.0% |
| 2 | Business | 16.4% |
| 3 | Finance | 13.8% |
| 4 | Accounting | 11.2% |
| 5 | Economics | 8.6% |
Best colleges for heads of ethics and compliance
The best colleges for heads of ethics and compliance are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
A head of ethics and compliance with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for heads of ethics and compliance. 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 heads of ethics and compliance.
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. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
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 heads of ethics and compliance
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14. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Compliance
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15. Cryptocurrency Financial Crime Compliance Bootcamp
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16. Sanctions Compliance Bootcamp - Including AML/KYC Lectures
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18. Anti Money Laundering & Countering of Terrorist Financing
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19. HR 101: Compliance Made Easy - U.S. Employers Must Have
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20. ISO 37001. Anti-bribery management system
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Top 10 most affordable universities for heads of ethics and compliance
The most affordable schools for heads of ethics and compliance are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for heads of ethics and compliance 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 heads of ethics and compliance.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for heads of ethics and compliance
The hardest universities for heads of ethics and compliance to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for heads of ethics and compliance 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 heads of ethics and compliance 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for heads of ethics and compliance
The easiest schools for heads of ethics and compliance to get into are Barry 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 head of ethics and compliance 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 heads of ethics and compliance.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
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. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
7. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
8. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
Average head of ethics and compliance salary by education level
| Head of ethics and compliance education level | Head of ethics and compliance salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $163,547 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $114,104 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $145,556 |
| Doctorate Degree | $173,200 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $120,013 |
Head of ethics and compliance education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025