Principal gifts officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a principal gifts officer. Principal gifts officers usually study business, political science, or law. 57% of principal gifts officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 380 real principal gifts officer resumes to see exactly what principal gifts officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for principal gifts officers are the Teachers College of Columbia University and the Teachers College of Columbia University.

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

What education do you need to become a principal gifts officer?

What degree do you need to be a principal gifts officer?

The most common degree for principal gifts officers is bachelor's degree, with 57% of principal gifts officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 26% and master's degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 57%

Master's, 26%

Diploma, 4%

Doctorate, 4%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a principal gifts officer?

You should major in business to become a principal gifts officer. 19% of principal gifts officers major in business. Other common majors for a principal gifts officer include political science and law.

Business, 19%

Political Science, 9%

Law, 7%

Management, 6%

Other Majors, 59%

Most common colleges for principal gifts officers

Principal gifts officers often get their degrees at Teachers College of Columbia University, University of Vermont, and Boston University. Here are the most common colleges for principal gifts officers in the US based on their resumes.

Principal gifts officer common college	Percentages
Teachers College of Columbia University	7.84%
University of Vermont	7.84%
Boston University	5.88%
National University	5.88%
Harvard University	5.88%

Show more common principal gifts officer colleges

Best majors for principal gifts officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	19.3%
2	Political Science	8.8%
3	Law	6.6%
4	Management	6.1%
5	Marketing	6.1%

Show more common principal gifts officer majors

Best colleges for principal gifts officers

The best colleges for principal gifts officers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

A principal gifts 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 principal gifts 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 principal gifts officers.

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. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

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. Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$41,870

Enrollment

8,200

20 best online courses for principal gifts officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for principal gifts officers

The most affordable schools for principal gifts officers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for principal gifts 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 principal gifts officers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principal gifts officers

The hardest universities for principal gifts officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for principal gifts 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 principal gifts 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for principal gifts officers

The easiest schools for principal gifts officers to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

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

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. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average principal gifts officer salary by education level

According to our data, principal gifts officers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $94,347 annually. Principal gifts officers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $90,597.

Principal gifts officer education level	Principal gifts officer salary
Master's Degree	$94,347
Bachelor's Degree	$90,597

Principal gifts officer education FAQs

What is the best college for Principal Gifts Officers?

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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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