Program lead education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a program lead. Program leads usually study business, psychology, or liberal arts. 63% of program leads hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 14,150 real program lead resumes to see exactly what program lead education sections show.

The most common colleges for program leads are the California State University - San Bernardino and the California State University - San Bernardino.

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

There are certain program lead certifications that you should consider. These program lead certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Project Management Professional (PMP).

What education do you need to become a program lead?

What degree do you need to be a program lead?

The most common degree for program leads is bachelor's degree, with 63% of program leads earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 63%

Associate, 14%

Master's, 11%

High School Diploma, 9%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a program lead?

You should major in business to become a program lead. 16% of program leads major in business. Other common majors for a program lead include psychology and liberal arts.

Business, 16%

Psychology, 14%

Liberal Arts, 7%

Sociology, 6%

Other Majors, 57%

Most common colleges for program leads

Program leads often get their degrees at California State University - San Bernardino, University of California, Santa Barbara, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for program leads in the US based on their resumes.

Program lead common college	Percentages
California State University - San Bernardino	13.44%
University of California, Santa Barbara	9.54%
University of Phoenix	9.28%
University of California - Davis	9.02%
San Francisco State University	4.94%

Show more common program lead colleges

Best majors for program leads

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	16.1%
2	Psychology	13.5%
3	Liberal Arts	6.9%
4	Sociology	5.5%
5	Criminal Justice	5.1%

Show more common program lead majors

Best colleges for program leads

The best colleges for program leads are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A program lead 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 leads. 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 leads.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

8. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for program leads

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Top 10 most affordable universities for program leads

The most affordable schools for program leads are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for program leads 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 leads.

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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

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 program leads

The hardest universities for program leads to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for program leads 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 leads 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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

The easiest schools for program leads to get into are Bluefield College, notre dame de namur university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average program lead salary by education level

Program leads with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $130,444 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, program leads earn a median annual income of $121,535 compared to $110,861 for program leads with an Associate degree.

Program lead education level	Program lead salary
Master's Degree	$130,444
High School Diploma or Less	$94,342
Bachelor's Degree	$121,535
Some College/ Associate Degree	$110,861

Program lead education FAQs

What is the best college for Program Leads?

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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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