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Program Officer Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a program officer. Program officers usually study business, political science, or psychology. 62% of program officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,381 real program officer resumes to see exactly what program officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for program officers are the American University and the American University.

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

There are certain program officer certifications that you should consider. These program officer certifications include Certified Manager Certification (CM) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).

What education do you need to become a program officer?

What degree do you need to be a program officer?

The most common degree for program officers is bachelor's degree, with 62% of program officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 26% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 62%
  • Master's, 26%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a program officer?

You should major in business to become a program officer. 16% of program officers major in business. Other common majors for a program officer include political science and psychology.

Most common colleges for program officers

Program officers often get their degrees at American University, George Washington University, The, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for program officers in the US based on their resumes.
Program Officer Common CollegePercentages
American University13.60%
George Washington University, The12.80%
New York University6.40%
University of Phoenix5.60%
George Mason University5.40%

Best majors for program officers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business15.7%
2Political Science11.8%
3Psychology7.2%
4International Relations6.7%
5Sociology5.4%

Best colleges for program officers

The best colleges for program officers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.

A program officer 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 officers. 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 officers.

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. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-State Tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. University of North Texas

Denton, TX • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,852

Enrollment

31,375

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for program officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for program officers

The most affordable schools for program officers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for program officers 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 officers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,182

Cost of Attendance

13,998

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Cost of Attendance

16,714

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. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,262

Cost of Attendance

14,046

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,410

Cost of Attendance

20,456

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,620

Cost of Attendance

18,136

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,656

Cost of Attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,798

Cost of Attendance

18,306

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,749

Cost of Attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for program officers

The hardest universities for program officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.

Some great schools for program officers 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 officers 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

20%

SAT Average

1,419

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions Rate

11%

SAT Average

1,513

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

5%

SAT Average

1,520

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

13%

SAT Average

1,445

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

6%

SAT Average

1,512

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

19%

SAT Average

1,466

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions Rate

42%

SAT Average

1,380

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

22%

SAT Average

1,420

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

The easiest schools for program officers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and university of north texas at dallas.

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

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. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

83%

SAT Average

992

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

98%

SAT Average

1,003

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

92%

SAT Average

1,031

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions Rate

91%

SAT Average

1,006

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

70%

SAT Average

849

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions Rate

78%

SAT Average

1,020

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions Rate

68%

SAT Average

964

10. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions Rate

92%

SAT Average

1,060

Average program officer salary by education level

According to our data, program officers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $99,354 annually. Program officers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $93,466.
Program Officer education levelProgram Officer salary
Master's Degree$93,466
Bachelor's Degree$80,519
Doctorate Degree$99,354

Program Officer Education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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