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Meeting planner education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a meeting planner. Meeting planners usually study business, hospitality management, or communication. 78% of meeting planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,020 real meeting planner resumes to see exactly what meeting planner education sections show.
The most common colleges for meeting planners are the Johnson & Wales University and the Johnson & Wales University.
There are also many online meeting planner courses to help get the education required to be a meeting planner.
There are certain meeting planner certifications that you should consider. These meeting planner certifications include Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Certification in Meetings Management (CMM).
What education do you need to become a meeting planner?
What degree do you need to be a meeting planner?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a meeting planner?
- Business, 22%
- Communication, 14%
- Marketing, 8%
- Other Majors, 41%
Most common colleges for meeting planners
| Meeting planner common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Johnson & Wales University | 12.66% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 9.28% |
| George Washington University, The | 6.75% |
| James Madison University | 5.49% |
| University of Central Florida | 5.49% |
Best majors for meeting planners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 21.7% |
| 2 | Hospitality Management | 15.0% |
| 3 | Communication | 13.8% |
| 4 | Marketing | 8.4% |
| 5 | English | 5.0% |
Best colleges for meeting planners
The best colleges for meeting planners are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.
A meeting 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 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 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
6. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
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 planners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for meeting planners
The most affordable schools for meeting planners are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for meeting 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 planners.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. 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. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for meeting planners
The hardest universities for meeting planners to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.
Some great schools for meeting 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 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for meeting planners
The easiest schools for meeting planners to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a meeting 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 planners.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
Average meeting planner salary by education level
| Meeting planner education level | Meeting planner salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,578 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $50,663 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,530 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,183 |
Meeting planner education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025