Principal education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a principal?

You need a master's degree in education to be a principal. Master's degrees in educational administration and educational leadership are also acceptable. Certain schools also seek principals that have an even higher degree in education administration, such as ones with an education specialist (EdS) degree, a doctor of education degree (EdD), or a Ph.D. in education.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a principal. Principals usually study business, educational leadership, or education. 63% of principals hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 51,152 real principal resumes to see exactly what principal education sections show.

The most common colleges for principals are the New York University and the New York University.

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

There are certain principal certifications that you should consider. These principal certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Manager Certification (CM).

What education do you need to become a principal?

What degree do you need to be a principal?

The most common degree for principals is bachelor's degree, with 63% of principals earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 63%

Master's, 22%

Doctorate, 6%

Associate, 5%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a principal?

You should major in business to become a principal. 20% of principals major in business. Other common majors for a principal include educational leadership and education.

Business, 20%

Educational Leadership, 8%

Education, 7%

Finance, 6%

Other Majors, 59%

Most common colleges for principals

Principals often get their degrees at New York University, University of Phoenix, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for principals in the US based on their resumes.

Principal common college	Percentages
New York University	7.64%
University of Phoenix	7.37%
University of Maryland - College Park	6.17%
Boston University	6.04%
University of Iowa	5.80%

Show more common principal colleges

Best majors for principals

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	19.9%
2	Educational Leadership	8.0%
3	Education	7.2%
4	Finance	5.8%
5	Accounting	5.4%

Show more common principal majors

Best colleges for principals

The best colleges for principals are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

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

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. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for principals

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Top 10 most affordable universities for principals

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

If the best universities for principals 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 principals.

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principals

The hardest universities for principals to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for principals 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 principals 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for principals

The easiest schools for principals to get into are Notre Dame de Namur 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 principal 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 principals.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

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. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average principal salary by education level

Principals with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $152,157 annually. With a Master's degree, principals earn a median annual income of $132,867 compared to $109,519 for principals with an Bachelor's degree.

Principal education level	Principal salary
Master's Degree	$132,867
Bachelor's Degree	$109,519
Doctorate Degree	$152,157

Principal education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a principal?

What is the best college for Principals?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management 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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