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Party planner education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a party planner. Party planners usually study business, communication, or general studies. 45% of party planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 1,330 real party planner resumes to see exactly what party planner education sections show.
The most common colleges for party planners are the Western Washington University and the Western Washington University.
There are also many online party planner courses to help get the education required to be a party planner.
What education do you need to become a party planner?
What degree do you need to be a party planner?
- Bachelor's, 45%
- High School Diploma, 29%
- Associate, 15%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a party planner?
- Business, 16%
- Communication, 11%
- General Studies, 7%
- Criminal Justice, 7%
- Other Majors, 59%
Most common colleges for party planners
| Party planner common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Western Washington University | 7.69% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.69% |
| Arizona State University | 5.77% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 5.77% |
| Southern Connecticut State University | 5.77% |
Best majors for party planners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 15.8% |
| 2 | Communication | 11.4% |
| 3 | General Studies | 6.7% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 6.7% |
| 5 | Psychology | 6.7% |
Best colleges for party planners
The best colleges for party planners are University of Southern California, New York University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A party 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 party 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 party planners.
1. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
20 best online courses for party planners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for party planners
The most affordable schools for party planners are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for party 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 party planners.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for party planners
The hardest universities for party planners to get into are University of Southern California, New York University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for party 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 party 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
5. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
10. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for party planners
The easiest schools for party planners to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, d'youville college, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a party 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 party planners.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
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. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average party planner salary by education level
| Party planner education level | Party planner salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $38,271 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,068 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,245 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,442 |
Party 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