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Interim chief executive officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an interim chief executive officer. Interim chief executive officers usually study business, accounting, or nursing. 59% of interim chief executive officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 884 real interim chief executive officer resumes to see exactly what interim chief executive officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for interim chief executive officers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online interim chief executive officer courses to help get the education required to be an interim chief executive officer.

There are certain interim chief executive officer certifications that you should consider. These interim chief executive officer certifications include Certified Manager Certification (CM) and Managed Healthcare Professional (MHP).

What education do you need to become an interim chief executive officer?

What degree do you need to be an interim chief executive officer?

The most common degree for interim chief executive officers is bachelor's degree, with 59% of interim chief executive officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 26% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 59%
  • Master's, 26%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an interim chief executive officer?

You should major in business to become an interim chief executive officer. 32% of interim chief executive officers major in business. Other common majors for an interim chief executive officer include accounting and nursing.

Most common colleges for interim chief executive officers

Interim chief executive officers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and University of Iowa. Here are the most common colleges for interim chief executive officers in the US based on their resumes.
Interim chief executive officer common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix14.02%
New York University5.61%
University of Iowa5.61%
University of Washington5.61%
University of California, Santa Barbara5.61%

Best majors for interim chief executive officers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business31.8%
2Accounting11.6%
3Nursing10.6%
4Finance7.5%
5Psychology5.3%

Best colleges for interim chief executive officers

The best colleges for interim chief executive officers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

An interim chief executive officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for interim chief executive officers. 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 interim chief executive officers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

10. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$50,226

Enrollment

10,873

20 best online courses for interim chief executive officers

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7. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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Top 10 most affordable universities for interim chief executive officers

The most affordable schools for interim chief executive officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for interim chief executive officers 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 interim chief executive officers.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for interim chief executive officers

The hardest universities for interim chief executive officers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for interim chief executive officers 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 interim chief executive officers 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for interim chief executive officers

The easiest schools for interim chief executive officers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an interim chief executive officer 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 interim chief executive officers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

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 North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

Average interim chief executive officer salary by education level

According to our data, interim chief executive officers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $157,608 annually. Interim chief executive officers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $157,588.
Interim chief executive officer education levelInterim chief executive officer salary
Master's Degree$157,608
Bachelor's Degree$146,270
Doctorate Degree$157,588
Some College/ Associate Degree$117,270

Interim chief executive officer 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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