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Partner education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a partner. Partners usually study business, law, or accounting. 59% of partners hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 45,267 real partner resumes to see exactly what partner education sections show.
The most common colleges for partners are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online partner courses to help get the education required to be a partner.
There are certain partner certifications that you should consider. These partner certifications include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS).
What education do you need to become a partner?
What degree do you need to be a partner?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 11%
- Doctorate, 11%
- Associate, 10%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a partner?
- Business, 23%
- Law, 14%
- Accounting, 7%
- Psychology, 6%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for partners
| Partner common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.06% |
| New York University | 5.84% |
| University of Florida | 5.77% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 5.34% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.27% |
Best majors for partners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 22.6% |
| 2 | Law | 13.9% |
| 3 | Accounting | 7.4% |
| 4 | Psychology | 5.6% |
| 5 | Finance | 5.3% |
Best colleges for partners
The best colleges for partners are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A partner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for partners. 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 partners.
1. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
2. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
5. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for partners
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Balance business viability, technical feasibility, and customer desire to lead products and features toward long-term success. Learn from a seasoned expert. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
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3. Predictive Analytics for Business
Learn to apply predictive analytics and business intelligence to solve real-world business problems...
4. Marketing Analytics
Gain an in-depth understanding of Google Analytics and marketing analytics. Analyze data and build models with Excel, Data Studio, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...
5. Human Resources (HR) as a Business Partner
This course provides valuable information on how Human Resource Business Partnering (HRBP) operates in practice...
6. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience
Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...
7. Product Manager
Envision and lead the product strategy of industry-defining products, and learn to successfully bring them to market. Influence the execution of product development as a Product Manager, one of the most highly-coveted roles in technology...
8. Data Product Manager
Leverage data to build products that deliver the right experiences, to the right users, at the right time. Lead the development of data-driven products that position businesses to win in their market...
9. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
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In this program, you will learn foundational data skills that apply across functions and industries. You will learn to analyze data and build models with Excel, query databases using SQL, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...
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18. Customer Service Foundation
An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...
19. Growth Product Manager
Hone specialized Product Management skills in growth strategy. Lead experimentation and data-driven decision-making in your organization to drive products to reach the next level of scale, impact, and profitability...
20. Product Strategy
Learn how to build a bullet-proof vision & strategy for any digital product idea. By the end of this course, you’ll know how to identify the right problems to solve, map out business models for capturing revenue, and successfully pitch your strategy to stakeholders...
Top 10 most affordable universities for partners
The most affordable schools for partners are University of Florida, fashion institute of technology, and florida state university.
If the best universities for partners 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 partners.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
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 partners
The hardest universities for partners to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for partners 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 partners 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for partners
The easiest schools for partners to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a partner 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 partners.
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. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
9. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
10. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
Average partner salary by education level
| Partner education level | Partner salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $109,878 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $82,725 |
| Doctorate Degree | $121,463 |
Partner education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025