Purser education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a purser. Pursers usually study hospitality management, business, or psychology. 64% of pursers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 220 real purser resumes to see exactly what purser education sections show.

The most common colleges for pursers are the Johnson & Wales University and the Johnson & Wales University.

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

What education do you need to become a purser?

What degree do you need to be a purser?

The most common degree for pursers is bachelor's degree, with 64% of pursers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 64%

Associate, 17%

High School Diploma, 7%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a purser?

You should major in hospitality management to become a purser. 19% of pursers major in hospitality management. Other common majors for a purser include business and psychology.

Hospitality Management, 19%

Business, 18%

Psychology, 6%

Marketing, 6%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for pursers

Pursers often get their degrees at Johnson & Wales University, Western Washington University, and Indiana State University. Here are the most common colleges for pursers in the US based on their resumes.

Purser common college	Percentages
Johnson & Wales University	10.00%
Western Washington University	6.67%
Indiana State University	6.67%
Florida State University	6.67%
University of Nevada - Las Vegas	6.67%

Show more common purser colleges

Best majors for pursers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Hospitality Management	18.8%
2	Business	17.7%
3	Psychology	6.3%
4	Marketing	6.3%
5	Health Care Administration	5.2%

Show more common purser majors

Best colleges for pursers

The best colleges for pursers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

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

1. University of Minnesota - Crookston

Crookston, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$11,822

Enrollment

1,834

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

8. Siena Heights University

Adrian, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$27,124

Enrollment

2,035

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for pursers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for pursers

The most affordable schools for pursers are SUNY Farmingdale, usf sarasota-manatee, and florida state university.

If the best universities for pursers 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 pursers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for pursers

The hardest universities for pursers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for pursers 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 pursers 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

9. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,307

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for pursers

The easiest schools for pursers to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame college.

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

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Cleary University

Howell, MI • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,039

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average purser salary by education level

Pursers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $43,477 annually. With a Associate degree, pursers earn a median annual income of $42,746 compared to $42,101 for pursers with an High School Diploma degree.

Purser education level	Purser salary
High School Diploma or Less	$42,101
Bachelor's Degree	$43,477
Some College/ Associate Degree	$42,746

Purser education FAQs

What is the best college for Pursers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common transportation questions.

Search for purser 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

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