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Instructional supervisor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an instructional supervisor. Instructional supervisors usually study business, criminal justice, or education. 45% of instructional supervisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,210 real instructional supervisor resumes to see exactly what instructional supervisor education sections show.

The most common colleges for instructional supervisors are the Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

There are also many online instructional supervisor courses to help get the education required to be an instructional supervisor.

There are certain instructional supervisor certifications that you should consider. These instructional supervisor certifications include Instructor Certification (EPIC) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

What education do you need to become an instructional supervisor?

What degree do you need to be an instructional supervisor?

The most common degree for instructional supervisors is bachelor's degree, with 45% of instructional supervisors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 45%
  • Associate, 29%
  • Master's, 13%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become an instructional supervisor?

You should major in business to become an instructional supervisor. 17% of instructional supervisors major in business. Other common majors for an instructional supervisor include criminal justice and education.

Most common colleges for instructional supervisors

Instructional supervisors often get their degrees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, University of Phoenix, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for instructional supervisors in the US based on their resumes.
Instructional supervisor common collegePercentages
Southern Illinois University Carbondale11.89%
University of Phoenix10.27%
University of Maryland - College Park8.65%
Wayland Baptist University7.03%
Troy University5.41%

Best majors for instructional supervisors

RankMajorPercentages
1Business16.7%
2Criminal Justice10.4%
3Education8.5%
4Psychology5.8%
5Elementary Education5.4%

Best colleges for instructional supervisors

The best colleges for instructional supervisors are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

An instructional supervisor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for instructional supervisors. 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 instructional supervisors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for instructional supervisors

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4. Instructional Design for ELearning

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20. The Complete Train the Trainer Bootcamp (Part 3): All Levels

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Top 10 most affordable universities for instructional supervisors

The most affordable schools for instructional supervisors are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for instructional supervisors 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 instructional supervisors.

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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for instructional supervisors

The hardest universities for instructional supervisors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for instructional supervisors 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 instructional supervisors 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for instructional supervisors

The easiest schools for instructional supervisors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, holy names university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an instructional supervisor 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 instructional supervisors.

1. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

6. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

7. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

10. Lewis-Clark State College

Lewiston, ID • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,009

Average instructional supervisor salary by education level

According to our data, instructional supervisors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $89,786 annually. Instructional supervisors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $80,566.
Instructional supervisor education levelInstructional supervisor salary
Master's Degree$80,566
Doctorate Degree$89,786

Instructional supervisor 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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