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Liberal arts dean education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a liberal arts dean. Liberal arts deans usually study fine arts, business, or visual and performing arts. 57% of liberal arts deans hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 80 real liberal arts dean resumes to see exactly what liberal arts dean education sections show.
The most common colleges for liberal arts deans are the Azusa Pacific University and the Azusa Pacific University.
There are also many online liberal arts dean courses to help get the education required to be a liberal arts dean.
What education do you need to become a liberal arts dean?
What degree do you need to be a liberal arts dean?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 16%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a liberal arts dean?
Most common colleges for liberal arts deans
| Liberal arts dean common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Azusa Pacific University | 12.00% |
| SUNY Buffalo State | 8.00% |
| Eastern New Mexico University | 8.00% |
| Culinary Institute of America | 8.00% |
| Manhattan College | 4.00% |
Best majors for liberal arts deans
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fine Arts | 14.3% |
| 2 | Business | 7.1% |
| 3 | Visual And Performing Arts | 7.1% |
| 4 | Education | 7.1% |
| 5 | English | 7.1% |
Best colleges for liberal arts deans
The best colleges for liberal arts deans are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A liberal arts dean with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for liberal arts deans. 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 liberal arts deans.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
7. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Enrollment
58,392
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for liberal arts deans
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Top 10 most affordable universities for liberal arts deans
The most affordable schools for liberal arts deans are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for liberal arts deans 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 liberal arts deans.
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. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for liberal arts deans
The hardest universities for liberal arts deans to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for liberal arts deans 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 liberal arts deans 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for liberal arts deans
The easiest schools for liberal arts deans to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a liberal arts dean 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 liberal arts deans.
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. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average liberal arts dean salary by education level
| Liberal arts dean education level | Liberal arts dean salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $132,247 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $108,250 |
| Doctorate Degree | $152,312 |
Liberal arts dean education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025