Project coordinator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a project coordinator. Project coordinators usually study business, psychology, or communication. 66% of project coordinators hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 78,704 real project coordinator resumes to see exactly what project coordinator education sections show.

The most common colleges for project coordinators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online project coordinator courses to help get the education required to be a project coordinator.

There are certain project coordinator certifications that you should consider. These project coordinator certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Master Project Manager (MPM).

What education do you need to become a project coordinator?

What degree do you need to be a project coordinator?

The most common degree for project coordinators is bachelor's degree, with 66% of project coordinators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Associate, 14%

Master's, 12%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a project coordinator?

You should major in business to become a project coordinator. 32% of project coordinators major in business. Other common majors for a project coordinator include psychology and communication.

Business, 32%

Psychology, 8%

Communication, 7%

Marketing, 5%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for project coordinators

Project coordinators often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of California - Davis, and DeVry University. Here are the most common colleges for project coordinators in the US based on their resumes.

Project coordinator common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	19.12%
University of California - Davis	5.54%
DeVry University	5.49%
University of Houston	5.45%
University of Maryland - College Park	5.26%

Show more common project coordinator colleges

Best majors for project coordinators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	32.0%
2	Psychology	7.6%
3	Communication	7.4%
4	Marketing	5.0%
5	English	4.4%

Show more common project coordinator majors

Best colleges for project coordinators

The best colleges for project coordinators are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A project 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 project 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 project coordinators.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

9. SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology at Morrisville

Morrisville, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,670

Enrollment

2,758

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for project coordinators

Advertising disclosure

1. Construction Project Scheduling

4.5

(346)

Learn the tools and techniques used by construction management professionals to ensure projects finish on time...

2. Microsoft Project ADVANCED: Project Management Technics 3PDU

4.6

(952)

MS PROJECT 2016 ADVANCED Project Management Techniques -incl Enterprise level. HANDS-ON from #1 BESTSELLING INSTRUCTOR...

3. Mastering Construction/Project Management

4.2

(659)

Mastering Construction-Project Management in less than 10 Hours...

4. Apply finance concepts for smart project management

4.2

(338)

Learn to read financial statements and make meaningful interpretations for business decisions in the age of big data...

5. IT Project Budget & Cost Management

4.4

(290)

Project Management tips to manage a million dollar IT Project budget from start to finish...

6. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery

4.5

(82,218)

Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...

7. Agile Project Management Bootcamp: Agile Project Management

4.5

(1,916)

This Agile Project Management Bootcamp course will allow you to learn the Agile Way! Agile Project Management (Scrum)...

8. Project Management: Becoming a Successful Project manager

4.4

(250)

Project Management...

9. CompTIA Project+ Exam Prep

4.6

(895)

How to pass the Comp TIA Project+ Exam...

10. Complete Microsoft Project Training & Certification

4.4

(268)

Microsoft Project Professional - Project Management Software...

11. Project Kickoff Meetings: How to Lead them Effectively

4.7

(973)

Learn how to start your projects the right way using a simple, step-by-step plan...

12. Project Management Essentials

4.5

(15,814)

A crash course in the essentials of project management for new project managers...

13. Project Management: Simple Software Project Management

4.4

(1,144)

Project Management for NEW Project Managers - knowledge, tools, techniques, skills, checklists, guidelines, pitfalls...

14. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers

4.6

(494)

Complete guide to project management - stakeholders, planning, cost, quality, risks, feasibility, methods & resourcing...

15. Project Management Course: Master Project Scope Management

4.3

(457)

Practical guide to scope development and management - Project Management Certification (PMP, CAPM) Training [Earn 11PDU]...

16. Beginning Project Management: Project Management Level One

4.6

(28,219)

Project Management: Growing a Successful Career as a Project Manager...

17. Project Management Professional Certification Program (PMP)

4.2

(2,380)

Your Guide to the Gold Standard of Project Management Certifications (PMI-PMP) (PMBOK7 updated) (40 PDUs minimum)...

18. Project Management Training

4.6

(1,394)

Project Management Certification Training with 4 Full Practice Tests...

19. Project Management Essentials: Ace Your Next Project!

4.5

(1,719)

The Missing Toolkit for Truly Effective, Everyday Project Management Project Management Basics for Everyone...

20. Practical Project Management for Management Consultants

4.5

(809)

How to manage successfully a consulting project - a practical guide for Project Managers...

Top 10 most affordable universities for project coordinators

The most affordable schools for project coordinators are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and university of florida.

If the best universities for project 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 project 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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

8. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for project coordinators

The hardest universities for project coordinators to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for project 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 project 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for project coordinators

The easiest schools for project coordinators to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a project 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 project coordinators.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average project coordinator salary by education level

According to our data, project coordinators with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $73,328 annually. Project coordinators with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $68,078.

Project coordinator education level	Project coordinator salary
Master's Degree	$68,078
High School Diploma or Less	$49,925
Bachelor's Degree	$59,587
Doctorate Degree	$73,328
Some College/ Associate Degree	$51,833

Project coordinator education FAQs

What is the best college for Project Coordinators?

Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.

Search for project coordinator jobs

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

Browse office and administrative jobs