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Principal strategist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a principal strategist. Principal strategists usually study business, journalism, or management. 76% of principal strategists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 108 real principal strategist resumes to see exactly what principal strategist education sections show.
The most common colleges for principal strategists are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online principal strategist courses to help get the education required to be a principal strategist.
What education do you need to become a principal strategist?
What degree do you need to be a principal strategist?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 16%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a principal strategist?
- Business, 18%
- Journalism, 11%
- Management, 8%
- Psychology, 6%
- Other Majors, 57%
Most common colleges for principal strategists
| Principal strategist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 9.38% |
| West Virginia University | 9.38% |
| Boston University | 9.38% |
| Northeastern University | 9.38% |
| University of Kansas | 6.25% |
Best majors for principal strategists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 18.2% |
| 2 | Journalism | 10.6% |
| 3 | Management | 7.6% |
| 4 | Psychology | 6.1% |
| 5 | Economics | 6.1% |
Best colleges for principal strategists
The best colleges for principal strategists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.
A principal strategist 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 strategists. 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 strategists.
1. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
2. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
5. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
20 best online courses for principal strategists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for principal strategists
The most affordable schools for principal strategists are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and fashion institute of technology.
If the best universities for principal strategists 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 strategists.
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. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principal strategists
The hardest universities for principal strategists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for principal strategists 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 strategists 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for principal strategists
The easiest schools for principal strategists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a principal strategist 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 strategists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average principal strategist salary by education level
| Principal strategist education level | Principal strategist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $163,552 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $145,394 |
| Doctorate Degree | $170,492 |
Principal strategist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025