Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Personnel officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a personnel officer. Personnel officers usually study business, human resources management, or psychology. 68% of personnel officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,731 real personnel officer resumes to see exactly what personnel officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for personnel officers are the United States Military Academy and the United States Military Academy.
There are also many online personnel officer courses to help get the education required to be a personnel officer.
There are certain personnel officer certifications that you should consider. These personnel officer certifications include Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).
What education do you need to become a personnel officer?
What degree do you need to be a personnel officer?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 10%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a personnel officer?
- Business, 29%
- Psychology, 8%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for personnel officers
| Personnel officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| United States Military Academy | 12.90% |
| University of Phoenix | 12.37% |
| Troy University | 6.45% |
| Jackson State University | 5.91% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 4.84% |
Best majors for personnel officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 28.7% |
| 2 | Human Resources Management | 12.0% |
| 3 | Psychology | 7.6% |
| 4 | Political Science | 7.5% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 6.0% |
Best colleges for personnel officers
The best colleges for personnel officers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A personnel officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for personnel officers. 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 personnel officers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for personnel officers
Advertising disclosure
1. Personnel & Third-Party Security
In this course, you will learn all about the process of implementing effective education, training, and awareness programs. You will also study the role personnel security plays in protecting an organization’s assets, intellectual property, and physical assets. You will also be introduced to the steps required for effective Vendor Risk Management (VRM), including: due diligence, contracting, monitoring & accessing, and termination. Throughout the course, you will engage with current case...
2. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0
Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...
3. Ultimate HR Generalist and Human Resource Management Course
Hands-on HR Certification: All HRM topics. Master Employee Life Cycle, Payroll, Recruitment, Engagement, EXDesign and AI...
4. Professional Diploma in Office Administration Management
Principles of work of Office Administrator. Required hard and soft skills. Introduction to MS Office and banking area...
5. Labor Relations for Human Resources
Understand the basics of the collective bargaining agreement process...
6. Effective Human Resource Administration
Effective Human Resource Administration...
7. Administrative Human Resources (HR) for Beginners
This course is an introduction to the role and duties of Human Resources (HR)...
8. Microsoft Office 365 Administration
Microsoft Office 365 Administration...
9. Certification Course in Human Resource Management
Curriculum commensurate to Top B School's Management Program : with downloadable resources, quiz, assessments & exercise...
10. Practical Office 365 Administration
Learn in depth about Office 365 for Administrators and also find useful tips and resources to enhance your role as an Of...
11. HR,HR Analytics, Human Resource Management, Black Friday Ed
HR Analytics ,HR Courses, human resource management, ,HR certification, HRM, hr payroll, people management, 2022...
12. Human Resources (HR) Training for Entry Level Professionals
How To Get Your First Job As An HR Assistant...
13. Certification Course in Human Resource Management (HRM)
Excel in the HR domain!...
14. Diploma Course in Human Resource Management (HRM)
Become top-notch HRM Practitioner - Get Live Projects, Ready-to-use Templates, Demos, Quizzes, Articles, Case studies...
15. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service
Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...
16. Effective Legal Office Administration
Effective Legal Office Administration...
17. The Ultimate Microsoft Office 2016 Training Bundle
The Most Convenient Way to Boost Your Confidence And Learn MS Office 2016 Inside And Out—Quickly, No Travel or Classes...
18. Ultimate Payroll Management with Income Tax & Year-End 23-24
Basic to Advanced: Certification in Payroll, Compensation Benefits, Income Tax,Year Ending for Payroll & Human Resources...
19. MS Office Complete Training - Beginner to Expert Level
Complete Practical training in MS Office 2010 to 2019 and Office 365 in MS Excel, MS Word, MS Power Point and MS Access...
20. The Human Resources Certification Program (HRCI - PHR/SPHR)
An Exam Preparation Guide to the Human Resource Body of Knowledge...
Top 10 most affordable universities for personnel officers
The most affordable schools for personnel officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for personnel officers 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 personnel officers.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
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. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for personnel officers
The hardest universities for personnel officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for personnel officers 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 personnel officers 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for personnel officers
The easiest schools for personnel officers to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a personnel officer 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 personnel officers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average personnel officer salary by education level
| Personnel officer education level | Personnel officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $51,676 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $40,376 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,239 |
| Doctorate Degree | $55,013 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $40,495 |
Personnel officer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
Search for personnel officer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025