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Industrial relations specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an industrial relations specialist. Industrial relations specialists usually study business, sociology, or criminal justice. 75% of industrial relations specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 64 real industrial relations specialist resumes to see exactly what industrial relations specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for industrial relations specialists are the Washington State University and the Washington State University.
There are also many online industrial relations specialist courses to help get the education required to be an industrial relations specialist.
What education do you need to become an industrial relations specialist?
What degree do you need to be an industrial relations specialist?
- Bachelor's, 75%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 8%
- Diploma, 2%
What should I major in to become an industrial relations specialist?
- Business, 28%
- Sociology, 11%
- Criminal Justice, 6%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for industrial relations specialists
| Industrial relations specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Washington State University | 8.00% |
| SUNY College at Cortland | 8.00% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.00% |
| University of Iowa | 8.00% |
| Clemson University | 8.00% |
Best majors for industrial relations specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 27.7% |
| 2 | Sociology | 10.6% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 6.4% |
| 4 | Human Resources Management | 6.4% |
| 5 | Hospitality Management | 4.3% |
Best colleges for industrial relations specialists
The best colleges for industrial relations specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
An industrial relations specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for industrial relations specialists. 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 industrial relations specialists.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$41,870
Enrollment
8,200
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
10. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
20 best online courses for industrial relations specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for industrial relations specialists
The most affordable schools for industrial relations specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for industrial relations specialists 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 industrial relations specialists.
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for industrial relations specialists
The hardest universities for industrial relations specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for industrial relations specialists 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 industrial relations specialists 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for industrial relations specialists
The easiest schools for industrial relations specialists to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, barry university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an industrial relations specialist 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 industrial relations specialists.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
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. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
9. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average industrial relations specialist salary by education level
| Industrial relations specialist education level | Industrial relations specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,083 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $51,306 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $60,839 |
| Doctorate Degree | $72,222 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,440 |
Industrial relations specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025