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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?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 26%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a program officer?
- Business, 16%
- Political Science, 12%
- Psychology, 7%
- Other Majors, 58%
Most common colleges for program officers
| Program Officer Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| American University | 13.60% |
| George Washington University, The | 12.80% |
| New York University | 6.40% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.60% |
| George Mason University | 5.40% |
Best majors for program officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 15.7% |
| 2 | Political Science | 11.8% |
| 3 | Psychology | 7.2% |
| 4 | International Relations | 6.7% |
| 5 | Sociology | 5.4% |
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
| Program Officer education level | Program Officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,466 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $80,519 |
| Doctorate Degree | $99,354 |
Program Officer Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025