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High school vice principal education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a high school vice principal. High school vice principals usually study general education, specific areas, educational leadership, or education. 67% of high school vice principals hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 62 real high school vice principal resumes to see exactly what high school vice principal education sections show.

The most common colleges for high school vice principals are the Montclair State University and the Montclair State University.

There are also many online high school vice principal courses to help get the education required to be a high school vice principal.

What education do you need to become a high school vice principal?

What degree do you need to be a high school vice principal?

The most common degree for high school vice principals is bachelor's degree, with 67% of high school vice principals earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 21% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 67%
  • Master's, 21%
  • Doctorate, 10%
  • Associate, 2%

What should I major in to become a high school vice principal?

You should major in general education, specific areas to become a high school vice principal. 16% of high school vice principals major in general education, specific areas. Other common majors for a high school vice principal include educational leadership and education.

Most common colleges for high school vice principals

High school vice principals often get their degrees at Montclair State University, Kean University, and Montana State University - Bozeman. Here are the most common colleges for high school vice principals in the US based on their resumes.
High school vice principal common collegePercentages
Montclair State University9.09%
Kean University9.09%
Montana State University - Bozeman4.55%
Salem State University4.55%
Our Lady of the Lake University4.55%

Best majors for high school vice principals

Best colleges for high school vice principals

The best colleges for high school vice principals are University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

A high school vice principal with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for high school vice principals. 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 high school vice principals.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

20 best online courses for high school vice principals

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6. Introduction to High-Performance and Parallel Computing

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10. Critical Issues in Urban Education

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Top 10 most affordable universities for high school vice principals

The most affordable schools for high school vice principals are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for high school vice principals 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 high school vice principals.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

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 high school vice principals

The hardest universities for high school vice principals to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for high school vice principals 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 high school vice principals 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for high school vice principals

The easiest schools for high school vice principals to get into are Barry University, gwynedd mercy university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a high school vice principal 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 high school vice principals.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

6. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average high school vice principal salary by education level

High school vice principals with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $114,517 annually. With a Master's degree, high school vice principals earn a median annual income of $104,293 compared to $91,275 for high school vice principals with an Bachelor's degree.
High school vice principal education levelHigh school vice principal salary
Master's Degree$104,293
Bachelor's Degree$91,275
Doctorate Degree$114,517

High school vice principal 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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