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Meeting/event planner education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a meeting/event planner. Meeting/event planners usually study business, hospitality management, or communication. 73% of meeting/event planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 718 real meeting/event planner resumes to see exactly what meeting/event planner education sections show.
The most common colleges for meeting/event planners are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online meeting/event planner courses to help get the education required to be a meeting/event planner.
There are certain meeting/event planner certifications that you should consider. These meeting/event planner certifications include Certification in Meetings Management (CMM) and Accreditation in Public Relations (PR).
What education do you need to become a meeting/event planner?
What degree do you need to be a meeting/event planner?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a meeting/event planner?
- Business, 24%
- Communication, 10%
- Marketing, 9%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for meeting/event planners
| Meeting/event planner common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.06% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.06% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 5.88% |
| San Diego State University | 5.88% |
| New York University | 5.88% |
Best majors for meeting/event planners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 24.0% |
| 2 | Hospitality Management | 14.7% |
| 3 | Communication | 9.8% |
| 4 | Marketing | 8.5% |
| 5 | Psychology | 5.4% |
Best colleges for meeting/event planners
The best colleges for meeting/event planners are Stanford University, Cornell University, and Northwestern University.
A meeting/event planner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for meeting/event planners. 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 meeting/event planners.
1. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
3. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
4. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
20 best online courses for meeting/event planners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for meeting/event planners
The most affordable schools for meeting/event planners are USF Sarasota-Manatee, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for meeting/event planners 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 meeting/event planners.
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for meeting/event planners
The hardest universities for meeting/event planners to get into are Stanford University, Cornell University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for meeting/event planners 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 meeting/event planners 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for meeting/event planners
The easiest schools for meeting/event planners to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a meeting/event planner 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 meeting/event planners.
1. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
9. Cleary University
Howell, MI • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,039
10. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
Average meeting/event planner salary by education level
| Meeting/event planner education level | Meeting/event planner salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $51,504 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $44,919 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,449 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $47,703 |
Meeting/event planner education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025