Program evaluator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a program evaluator. Program evaluators usually study psychology, business, or social work. 53% of program evaluators hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,874 real program evaluator resumes to see exactly what program evaluator education sections show.

The most common colleges for program evaluators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain program evaluator certifications that you should consider. These program evaluator certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified in Public Health (CPH).

What education do you need to become a program evaluator?

What degree do you need to be a program evaluator?

The most common degree for program evaluators is bachelor's degree, with 53% of program evaluators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 53%

Master's, 20%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a program evaluator?

You should major in psychology to become a program evaluator. 19% of program evaluators major in psychology. Other common majors for a program evaluator include business and social work.

Psychology, 19%

Business, 13%

Social Work, 7%

Sociology, 6%

Other Majors, 55%

Most common colleges for program evaluators

Program evaluators often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Arizona State University, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for program evaluators in the US based on their resumes.

Program evaluator common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	13.02%
Arizona State University	11.63%
University of California - Davis	7.91%
University of Arizona	6.98%
Howard University	5.58%

Show more common program evaluator colleges

Best majors for program evaluators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	19.4%
2	Business	12.9%
3	Social Work	7.3%
4	Sociology	6.3%
5	Political Science	5.3%

Show more common program evaluator majors

Best colleges for program evaluators

The best colleges for program evaluators are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.

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

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

3. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. Saint Joseph's College, New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$27,830

Enrollment

937

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for program evaluators

Advertising disclosure

1. Program Design & Evaluation for Health Systems Strengthening

This course provides an introduction to designing and evaluating to strengthen the health system. After successful completion of all learning activities, course participants will be able to: 1. Define health systems strengthening 2. Describe health systems frameworks and how to incorporate them into evaluation planning 3. Describe how to design and prioritize implementation of health systems programs 4. Detail approaches to evaluate health systems programs, including data sources and study...

2. How to Create a Program Evaluation for Your Non-Profit

In this 1.5 hour long project-based course, you will learn how to create a program evaluation plan for your non-profit. By the end of the course, you will understand the importance of program evaluation, how to use Logic Models, how to write SMART goals for your program, and how to formulate good questions to gather the data you need. Learning Objectives: Task 1: Understand why evaluation is valuable for your program or organization. Task 2: Learn how to identify and define the typical...

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5. Measuring and Modeling Impact in Evaluations

We want to provide you some information about our course “Measuring and Modeling Impact in evaluations”. The purpose of this course is to give you a better understanding of different measures of impact that could be used in the evaluation of a program in the areas of maternal and child health and nutrition. For each of the measures presented, we will discuss current sources of data you might draw on as well as describe the methods that can be used to measure these. When we describe the methods,...

6. Object Oriented Java Programming: Data Structures and Beyond

This Specialization covers intermediate topics in software development. You’ll learn object-oriented programming principles that will allow you to use Java to its full potential, and you’ll implement data structures and algorithms for organizing large amounts of data in a way that is both efficient and easy to work with. You’ll also practice critically evaluating your own code, and you’ll build technical communication skills that will help you prepare for job interviews and collaborative work...

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Learn Programming In R And R Studio. Data Analytics, Data Science, Statistical Analysis, Packages, Functions, GGPlot2...

9. Analysis and Interpretation of Large-Scale Programs

This course is for implementers, managers, funders, and evaluators of health programs targeting women and children in low- and middle-income countries as well as undergraduate and graduate students in health-related fields. Course participants will learn how to 1) transform quantitative components of an evaluation measurement plan into a sound analysis plan to address the evaluation questions, 2) conduct quantitative analyses of primary or secondary surveys or other available data, 3) interpret...

10. Data Analysis with R Programming

This course is the seventh course in the Google Data Analytics Certificate. These courses will equip you with the skills needed to apply to introductory-level data analyst jobs. In this course, you’ll learn about the programming language known as R. You’ll find out how to use RStudio, the environment that allows you to work with R. This course will also cover the software applications and tools that are unique to R, such as R packages. You’ll discover how R lets you clean, organize, analyze,...

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13. Application of Data Analysis in Business with R Programming

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20. Statistics/Data Analysis with SPSS: Descriptive Statistics

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Top 10 most affordable universities for program evaluators

The most affordable schools for program evaluators are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for program evaluators 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 program evaluators.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,922

Cost of attendance

18,522

9. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for program evaluators

The hardest universities for program evaluators to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for program evaluators 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 program evaluators 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for program evaluators

The easiest schools for program evaluators to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a program evaluator 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 program evaluators.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

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. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average program evaluator salary by education level

Program evaluators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $66,681 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, program evaluators earn a median annual income of $60,725 compared to $53,868 for program evaluators with an Associate degree.

Program evaluator education level	Program evaluator salary
Master's Degree	$66,681
High School Diploma or Less	$53,497
Bachelor's Degree	$60,725
Some College/ Associate Degree	$53,868

Program evaluator education FAQs

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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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