Passenger vessels captain education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a passenger vessels captain. Passenger vessels captains usually study business, aviation, or automotive technology. 64% of passenger vessels captains hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 32 real passenger vessels captain resumes to see exactly what passenger vessels captain education sections show.

The most common colleges for passenger vessels captains are the University of Denver and the University of Denver.

There are also many online passenger vessels captain courses to help get the education required to be a passenger vessels captain.

What education do you need to become a passenger vessels captain?

What degree do you need to be a passenger vessels captain?

The most common degree for passenger vessels captains is bachelor's degree, with 64% of passenger vessels captains earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 64%

Master's, 18%

High School Diploma, 9%

Associate, 9%

What should I major in to become a passenger vessels captain?

You should major in business to become a passenger vessels captain. 18% of passenger vessels captains major in business. Other common majors for a passenger vessels captain include aviation and automotive technology.

Business, 18%

Aviation, 18%

Automotive Technology, 12%

Biology, 6%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for passenger vessels captains

Passenger vessels captains often get their degrees at University of Denver, Chapman University, and Miami Dade College. Here are the most common colleges for passenger vessels captains in the US based on their resumes.

Passenger vessels captain common college	Percentages
University of Denver	17.65%
Chapman University	5.88%
Miami Dade College	5.88%
Florida State University	5.88%
New York University	5.88%

Show more common passenger vessels captain colleges

Best majors for passenger vessels captains

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	17.6%
2	Aviation	17.6%
3	Automotive Technology	11.8%
4	Biology	5.9%
5	Marketing	5.9%

Show more common passenger vessels captain majors

Best colleges for passenger vessels captains

The best colleges for passenger vessels captains are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Chicago.

A passenger vessels captain with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for passenger vessels captains. 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 passenger vessels captains.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$58,230

Enrollment

6,600

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

20 best online courses for passenger vessels captains

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Top 10 most affordable universities for passenger vessels captains

The most affordable schools for passenger vessels captains are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for passenger vessels captains 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 passenger vessels captains.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

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 passenger vessels captains

The hardest universities for passenger vessels captains to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Chicago.

Some great schools for passenger vessels captains 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 passenger vessels captains 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for passenger vessels captains

The easiest schools for passenger vessels captains to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a passenger vessels captain 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 passenger vessels captains.

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. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

6. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

7. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

8. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

9. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

10. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

Average passenger vessels captain salary by education level

According to our data, passenger vessels captains with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $65,219 annually. Passenger vessels captains with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $53,783.

Passenger vessels captain education level	Passenger vessels captain salary
High School Diploma or Less	$51,017
Bachelor's Degree	$65,219
Some College/ Associate Degree	$53,783

Passenger vessels captain education FAQs

What is the best college for Passenger Vessels Captains?

Have more questions? See all answers to common transportation questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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