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Headhunter education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a headhunter. Headhunters usually study business, psychology, or marketing. 86% of headhunters hold a bachelor's degree, and 5% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 64 real headhunter resumes to see exactly what headhunter education sections show.

The most common colleges for headhunters are the Colby College and the Colby College.

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

What education do you need to become a headhunter?

What degree do you need to be a headhunter?

The most common degree for headhunters is bachelor's degree, with 86% of headhunters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 5% and high school diploma degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 86%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a headhunter?

You should major in business to become a headhunter. 17% of headhunters major in business. Other common majors for a headhunter include psychology and marketing.

Most common colleges for headhunters

Headhunters often get their degrees at Colby College, Southern Connecticut State University, and Lewis-Clark State College. Here are the most common colleges for headhunters in the US based on their resumes.
Headhunter common collegePercentages
Colby College9.52%
Southern Connecticut State University4.76%
Lewis-Clark State College4.76%
New Mexico State University4.76%
Roosevelt University4.76%

Best majors for headhunters

RankMajorPercentages
1Business17.1%
2Psychology8.6%
3Marketing8.6%
4Economics5.7%
5Communication5.7%

Best colleges for headhunters

The best colleges for headhunters are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

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

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 Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

20 best online courses for headhunters

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Top 10 most affordable universities for headhunters

The most affordable schools for headhunters are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for headhunters 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 headhunters.

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 - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for headhunters

The hardest universities for headhunters to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for headhunters 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 headhunters 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for headhunters

The easiest schools for headhunters to get into are Wayland Baptist University, university of the incarnate word, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a headhunter 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 headhunters.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

6. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

7. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

8. Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average headhunter salary by education level

According to our data, headhunters with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $61,365 annually. Headhunters with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $55,250.
Headhunter education levelHeadhunter salary
Master's Degree$55,250
High School Diploma or Less$36,524
Bachelor's Degree$47,527
Doctorate Degree$61,365
Some College/ Associate Degree$36,705

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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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