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Leadership development program education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a leadership development program. Leadership development programs usually study business, finance, or marketing. 77% of leadership development programs hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,181 real leadership development program resumes to see exactly what leadership development program education sections show.
The most common colleges for leadership development programs are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online leadership development program courses to help get the education required to be a leadership development program.
There are certain leadership development program certifications that you should consider. These leadership development program certifications include Six Sigma Green Belt and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).
What education do you need to become a leadership development program?
What degree do you need to be a leadership development program?
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 4%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a leadership development program?
- Business, 26%
- Finance, 10%
- Marketing, 8%
- Psychology, 6%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for leadership development programs
| Leadership development program common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 9.21% |
| Purdue University | 8.76% |
| University of Florida | 7.87% |
| Michigan State University | 6.97% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.17% |
Best majors for leadership development programs
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 26.2% |
| 2 | Finance | 9.7% |
| 3 | Marketing | 7.9% |
| 4 | Psychology | 5.9% |
| 5 | Mechanical Engineering | 5.6% |
Best colleges for leadership development programs
The best colleges for leadership development programs are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
A leadership development program with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for leadership development programs. 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 leadership development programs.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
20 best online courses for leadership development programs
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Top 10 most affordable universities for leadership development programs
The most affordable schools for leadership development programs are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for leadership development programs 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 leadership development programs.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for leadership development programs
The hardest universities for leadership development programs to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for leadership development programs 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 leadership development programs 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. 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for leadership development programs
The easiest schools for leadership development programs to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a leadership development program 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 leadership development programs.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
9. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,080
Average leadership development program salary by education level
| Leadership development program education level | Leadership development program salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $86,405 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $62,824 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $77,896 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $68,588 |
Leadership development program education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025