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Professional development coordinator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a professional development coordinator. Professional development coordinators usually study business, elementary education, or psychology. 63% of professional development coordinators hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,122 real professional development coordinator resumes to see exactly what professional development coordinator education sections show.
The most common colleges for professional development coordinators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online professional development coordinator courses to help get the education required to be a professional development coordinator.
There are certain professional development coordinator certifications that you should consider. These professional development coordinator certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE).
What education do you need to become a professional development coordinator?
What degree do you need to be a professional development coordinator?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 8%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a professional development coordinator?
- Business, 17%
- Elementary Education, 10%
- Psychology, 9%
- Education, 8%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for professional development coordinators
| Professional development coordinator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.45% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 8.40% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.87% |
| Arizona State University | 5.34% |
| Ohio State University | 5.34% |
Best majors for professional development coordinators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 16.8% |
| 2 | Elementary Education | 10.5% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.8% |
| 4 | Education | 8.0% |
| 5 | Communication | 6.3% |
Best colleges for professional development coordinators
The best colleges for professional development coordinators are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
A professional development coordinator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for professional development coordinators. 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 professional development coordinators.
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for professional development coordinators
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Top 10 most affordable universities for professional development coordinators
The most affordable schools for professional development coordinators are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for professional development coordinators 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 professional development coordinators.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for professional development coordinators
The hardest universities for professional development coordinators to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for professional development coordinators 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 professional development coordinators 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for professional development coordinators
The easiest schools for professional development coordinators to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a professional development coordinator 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 professional development coordinators.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average professional development coordinator salary by education level
| Professional development coordinator education level | Professional development coordinator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $94,548 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $68,238 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $85,032 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $74,651 |
Professional development coordinator education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025