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Principal examiner education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a principal examiner. Principal examiners usually study business, accounting, or finance. 74% of principal examiners hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 120 real principal examiner resumes to see exactly what principal examiner education sections show.

The most common colleges for principal examiners are the New York Law School and the New York Law School.

There are also many online principal examiner courses to help get the education required to be a principal examiner.

What education do you need to become a principal examiner?

What degree do you need to be a principal examiner?

The most common degree for principal examiners is bachelor's degree, with 74% of principal examiners earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Master's, 17%
  • Doctorate, 5%
  • Associate, 4%

What should I major in to become a principal examiner?

You should major in business to become a principal examiner. 22% of principal examiners major in business. Other common majors for a principal examiner include accounting and finance.

Most common colleges for principal examiners

Principal examiners often get their degrees at New York Law School, New York University, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Here are the most common colleges for principal examiners in the US based on their resumes.
Principal examiner common collegePercentages
New York Law School9.68%
New York University6.45%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey6.45%
Merrimack College6.45%
American University6.45%

Best majors for principal examiners

RankMajorPercentages
1Business22.3%
2Accounting22.3%
3Finance18.4%
4Law6.8%
5Economics3.9%

Best colleges for principal examiners

The best colleges for principal examiners are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A principal examiner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for principal examiners. 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 principal examiners.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

4. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

20 best online courses for principal examiners

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Learn the Basics of Money Laundering, AML, Risk Based Approach, AML Compliance Programs, KYC, CDD, EDD, PEP, and more!...

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(Highest number of Students Enrolled) Anti-Money Laundering(AML), AML policies, AML KYC & AML Compliance...

6. Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing

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AML Concepts, Customer Due Diligence Principles, Controls and Procedures...

7. The Ultimate Guide to Money Laundering and AML Compliance

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11. FATF Recommendations on High Risk Customers and Activities

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12. Introduction to Compliance Risk Management CRM

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13. Internal Controls - Design, Implementation and Monitoring

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14. Anti-Money Laundering in Gambling

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15. 3-in-1 Banking, Banking Risk and Compliance Masterclass

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The essentials of the banking business (business model, compliance, others), financial risk management and compliance...

16. ISO 37001. Anti-bribery management system

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17. Financial Statement Analysis - Ratio Analysis

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Top 10 most affordable universities for principal examiners

The most affordable schools for principal examiners are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for principal examiners 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 principal examiners.

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principal examiners

The hardest universities for principal examiners to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for principal examiners 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 principal examiners 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for principal examiners

The easiest schools for principal examiners to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, barry university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a principal examiner 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 principal examiners.

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average principal examiner salary by education level

According to our data, principal examiners with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $77,120 annually. Principal examiners with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $60,215.
Principal examiner education levelPrincipal examiner salary
Bachelor's Degree$77,120
Some College/ Associate Degree$60,215

Principal examiner education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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